At the Rome World Athletics Championships in 1987, a pivotal moment in Kenyan athletics history occurred when the Kenyan men’s team secured three gold medals, while their female counterparts finished without a single medal to their name.
This trend persisted for the following seven editions of the world championships—Tokyo in 1991, Stuttgart in 1993, Gothenburg in 1995, Athens in 1997, Seville in 1999, and Edmonton in 2001—where the Kenyan men continued to showcase their prowess, amassing multiple medals each time.
In stark contrast, the women’s performances saw them achieve, at best, just one medal during this period, typically a bronze, with the exception of Sally Barsosio, who made history in Athens by becoming the first Kenyan woman to clinch a gold medal in the women’s 10,000 meters.
The turning point for Kenyan women came at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, where they began changing the narrative by winning multiple medals in a single event for the first time.
That year, Catherine Ndereba‘s remarkable gold in the marathon, paired with Edith Masai’s bronze in the 5,000 meters, marked the emergence of Kenya’s female athletes on the world stage.
A defining moment arrived during the 2019 World Championships in Doha. For the first time, the Kenyan women outperformed their male counterparts, securing three gold medals compared to the men’s two.
This marked the beginning of an ongoing shift in performance dynamics. Since then, the Kenyan men’s team has struggled to reestablish their dominance, with women consistently outperforming them in both total medal counts and the quality of those medals.
The results from the past two championships, held in 2023 in Budapest and 2025 in Tokyo, have accentuated this trend. In Budapest, the Kenyan women delivered an impressive performance by winning three gold medals, while the men secured none.
The accolades continued in Tokyo, where the women triumphed once more, accumulating six gold medals. Emmanuel Wanyonyi stood out as the only male athlete to secure gold for Kenya during this competition.
Several key factors contribute to the remarkable advancement of Kenyan women in athletics, while the men’s performances appear to be stagnating. Below are some of them.
1. The Law of Diminishing Returns:
Kenyan men began their dominance in athletics many years before the women, which puts them at a point of diminishing returns in terms of performance improvement.
Many of the men’s top performances have reached their peak, making it challenging to maintain the same level of success.
For example, there has been a push to break the two-hour marathon mark over the last almost ten years, while women have had no pressure to push as hard in their specific events.
Not only is this law applicable to the physical performance, but also to the meaning and reception of their wins and successes. A gold medal won by a Kenyan man at the Olympics or World Championships does not receive a quarter of the celebration that a bronze medalist from another country receives. People get tired of clapping continuously for the same person for forty years!
2. Cultural Shifts:
Traditionally, Kenyan men were expected by society to be the primary breadwinners, discouraging women from pursuing athletic careers. However, societal norms have transformed, allowing women greater opportunities to pursue their passions and careers. This cultural evolution has empowered women to engage more actively in sports.
Historically, cultural expectations, early marriage, and domestic responsibilities often limited women’s athletic aspirations. A new generation of athletes has challenged these norms, demonstrating that women can excel in both sports and motherhood, inspiring countless others.
3. Emergence of Role Models:
In earlier years, female athletes had few role models, with pioneers like Sally Barsosio standing out as exceptions.
Today, a new generation of female athletes has witnessed their success and now understands that hard work, dedication, and training can lead to remarkable achievements on the world stage.
With current female stars like Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet performing exceptionally at the world stage, more and more young female runners will seek to emulate them in the near future, and Kenya shall continue to see an upsurge in their women’s performances.
4. Specialised Training Camps for Women:
As interest in running among Kenyan women has surged, various agents and organisations have established training facilities specifically for female athletes.
Some of these camps include NALA Track Club in Nyahururu, founded by Mary Ngugi to provide a safe and supportive environment, the Run to Reinvent Kenya Experience Camp in Iten, which combines training with holistic well-being workshops. Other facilities like Nzima Heart Runners and Lemotit Training Camp also focus on nurturing female athletes through coaching and community.
These camps provide comprehensive training programs, physiotherapy support, and access to male pacemakers to assist in training.
This initiative has transformed the landscape of women’s athletics, making it safer and more accessible, especially since training often required early-morning sessions in less secure environments.
5. Anti-doping rules:
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) have established stringent rules governing selection for major world championship events, significantly impacting the Kenyan trials.
Historically, these trials were renowned for their unpredictability, showcasing a wealth of emerging talent from the nation’s vast pool of runners, all eager to don the national colours and compete on the global stage.
In recent years, the structure of the trials has evolved into a largely invitational format. Under the new regulations, athletes must meet specific testing eligibility criteria, including a minimum number of anti-doping tests before participation.
This requirement enhances the integrity of the competition and promotes a level playing field among athletes.
However, intentionally or unintentionally, the invitational nature of the trials has resulted in a rebalancing of gender representation. This process ensures equitable representation of male and female athletes invited to compete, despite the fact that there are often more male athletes in training camps across the country.
These rules not only promote inclusivity but also elevate the profile of women’s athletics in Kenya, fostering a more diverse and competitive environment at the trials.
6. Kenyan men’s performances and race executions have been studied by opponents over and over:
The more the Kenyan men have dominated the world stage, the more their opponents have studied and perfected their training and race patterns. Ahead of major championships in recent years, many of the big stars from other countries have visited Kenya to train with Kenyans and learn their secrets. Kenyan women still have some time before their training philosophies and methods are discovered, too.
In summary, the evolution of Kenyan women athletes is a testament to progress on both personal and societal fronts, leading to their impressive performances on the global stage.
As they continue to break barriers and set new records, the future of Kenyan athletics looks increasingly bright for women.