Justin Lagat wrote this column on Gender-Based Violence, which is not only happening in Kenya. Justin is shedding light on Athletics Kenya and their mission to raise awareness of this crisis.
As a Kenyan male runner, sports journalist, and coach for over 20 years, I have witnessed the gradual dominance of Kenyan women over their male counterparts in major global championships.
Since around 2008, Kenya’s female athletes have been excelling at a faster rate compared to their male counterparts. They have been achieving more medals at the Olympics and World Championships.
During the recent Paris Olympics, Kenya secured four gold medals, with three coming from women and only one from a man. This was a significant shift as Kenyan men had been the sole gold medalists at the Olympics since 1968 until Pamela Jelimo and Nancy Langat broke the trend in Beijing 2008.
A similar trend was observed at the World Athletics Championships. In Budapest last year, Kenyan women claimed three gold medals while the men did not secure any.
When you are the best, it can be challenging to improve without competition to learn from. While Kenyan men were at the top of their game with no one to chase, women tirelessly strived to match them in training.
Female elite runners in Kenya often train within men’s groups or have male pace setters to push their limits.
Many male runners in Kenya support their female counterparts by pacing them in training and races, contributing to their success. However, this dynamic has inadvertently led to an increase in Gender-Based Violence in the athletics community in Kenya.
Athletics Kenya and the Ministry of Sports in Kenya are actively campaigning to combat this rising issue following the tragic deaths of Agnes Tirop and Uganda’s Rebecca Cheptegei.
