There’s a photograph from the 2025 Sierre-Zinal, the enduring Swiss mountain race, of Patrick Kipngeno operating up a hill with a person sprinting behind him, wanting positively ecstatic on the scenario. Kipngeno would go on to complete second on the occasion behind his teammate, Philemon Kiriago. The person behind him within the picture is Thomas Krejci, the founding father of the group that each Kenyans run for, referred to as run2gether.
Thomas Krejci chases after Patrick Kipngeno throughout the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
What initially began in 2008 as a method for Krejci to ask a Kenyan pal to Europe to race, the run2gether program now has a roster of 56 elite athletes and has been profitable at bringing Kenyan athletes to among the greatest path and mountain races on the planet, together with the Golden Path World Collection and Mountain Working World Cup. Kipngeno completed second general on the 2024 Golden Path World Collection and received the 2024 Mountain Working World Cup, and Kiriago additionally completed fourth and third, respectively, within the two sequence final 12 months. With just one race left of the 2025 Golden Path World Collection, Kipngeno and Kiriago sit second and third within the sequence, respectively, and Kiriago has received the now full 2025 Mountain Working World Cup.
With the 2025 summer season racing season coming to an in depth, many run2gether athletes will probably be lining as much as symbolize Kenya on the World Mountain and Path Working Championships in Canfranc, Spain, on the finish of September.
Working as a non-profit, run2gether is totally different from different high groups supporting athletes on the highest stage of path and mountain operating. It’s staffed solely by volunteers, together with Krejci, with only some paid employees members to assist with the ever-growing group. It’s funded largely by internet hosting operating camps in Austria and Kenya, the place paying friends have the chance to coach and dwell alongside Kenyan athletes.
Whereas this system’s origins have been small, with minimal sponsorship and a good smaller funds, it’s grown into one thing that has nurtured and retained among the high expertise within the sport. The 44-person males’s group contains Richard Omaya Atuya, Kipngeno, and Kiriago. The 12-person ladies’s group has standout names too, together with Gloria Chebet and Philaries Jeruto Kisang.
Philaries Jeruto Kisang (left) coaching with a run2gether visitor. All photographs courtesy of Thomas Krejci until in any other case famous.
A Journey to Africa
It’d come as a shock that Krejci, whose life is now largely targeted on working run2gether on two continents, was by no means a pure runner in any self-discipline of the game. As a substitute, rising up, Krejci discovered himself closely concerned in orienteering, which required a number of operating on all varieties of surfaces however with the added talent of navigating by map and compass to particular places. Mountain operating was naturally part of his coaching, and he was a part of the Austrian Orienteering Nationwide Crew for a number of years, inserting as excessive as thirteenth on the sport’s world championships.
In 2007, Krejci determined he needed to enhance his operating abilities and velocity, and his consideration fell on Kenyan runners. He says, “I used to be at all times fascinated once I noticed Kenyan runners within the marathons, and I used to be curious the way it feels to coach in Kenya and to see behind the athlete, to see the place they’re residing, how are their circumstances.”
Krejci had lately completed his research in cartography and was on the lookout for an journey earlier than he began a profession. An Austrian operating membership had an alternate partnership with a Kenyan membership, and he satisfied two of his buddies to make the journey to Africa with him. Throughout that first journey, he met Geoffrey Gikuni Ndungu, a Kenyan runner, and the 2 instantly turned shut buddies. Krejci notes the circumstances that Geoffrey educated in, saying, “He was younger and gifted. He was operating barefoot at first. The time with him, for me, it was wonderful, and it modified a number of issues in my life.”
Thomas Krejci congratulates Philemon Kiriago after his win on the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: Merlin Out of doors Images
After simply a short while again in Austria following that journey, Krejci returned to Kenya to proceed to coach with Geoffrey. He says, “It was a very totally different world, totally different tradition. We had no water. His dwelling could be very removed from electrical energy, very removed from roads, and the time was wonderful.” Krejci was welcomed into Geoffrey’s household and neighborhood and was struck by their generosity. He says, “[Geoffrey] was a trainer at the moment, however as a trainer in Kenya, I believe he earned lower than 100 Euro per thirty days, which even for Kenya just isn’t a lot.”
Krejci needed to attempt to assist additional his pal’s operating profession by bringing him over to Europe to race and compete for prize cash, so he went dwelling and devised a plan with some buddies. The group didn’t have the cash to finance the flight and lodging, however they thought that maybe European athletes, elite and non-elite alike, may benefit and be taught from coaching with Kenyans. In 2008, they arrange a camp in Hebalm, Austria, to convey collectively paying European runners with Geoffrey and some different Kenyans for every week of operating.
Kenyan athletes doing hill work exterior the run2gether facility in Kenya.
The mannequin labored, and in 2009, Krejci formally based run2gether as a non-profit. That second 12 months, the variety of friends they hosted at their operating camp doubled.
Initially, Geoffrey was targeted on street operating, each the marathon and half-marathon distances. However in 2009, Krejci discovered that Austria’s Großglockner Mountain Run had prize cash, and since he and Geoffrey had been coaching within the mountains collectively, he satisfied his pal, in addition to two different Kenyans, to provide it a strive. Krejci proudly describes what occurred: “We went there, and at the moment, Jonathan Wyatt was reigning mountain operating world champion, and he was racing there, and Geoffrey received the race forward of Jonathan, a brand new course document.” It was a little bit of a revelation, and Krejci instantly noticed the potential. The 2 started signing up for each street and path occasions.
Rising run2gether
If Krejci had initially deliberate on going again to a extra conventional life after his preliminary coaching journey to Kenya, his plans have been shortly derailed. Since 2008, the run2gether program has grown into one which helps greater than 4 dozen elite Kenyan athletes, operates operating camps and a coaching facility in Austria, and has opened a coaching heart in Kenya that additionally has a faculty and nursery program. Krejci says, “These days, there are such a lot of folks and youngsters and all the pieces concerned that it’s unimaginable to cease it even when I would like, however I don’t need it to cease, nevertheless it has change into one thing.”
Patrick Kipngeno (left) recovers after a coaching run with a run2gether visitor in Austria. Picture courtesy of Thomas Krejci.
As with many ardour tasks, run2gether began small. Seeing Geoffrey’s preliminary success in Europe, Krejci needed to create a extra sustainable program to assist him and different Kenyans come to Europe and race on each the street and trails. Krejci continued to work as a cartographer to make a residing, funneling any cash that got here to run2gether straight again into this system.
Now, run2gether is a well-established non-profit, they usually have house for 25 friends and as much as 20 Kenyan athletes of their Austrian camp on the foot of Großglockner. The high-altitude location permits for coaching at anyplace from 1,300 to 2,400 meters.
It was friendship and the sharing of cultures that originally drove Krejci to ask Geoffrey and his buddies to Europe, and he held those self same values whereas constructing the run2gether program into what it’s immediately. Almost 18 years after assembly in Kenya, Geoffrey is the godfather to Krejci’s seven-year-old son, and their friendship stays robust.
Krejci fosters a tradition on the camps that ensures that everybody interacts. “We’re cooking collectively. We put together Kenyan meals. There may be tea time with Kenyan tea. So we share all the pieces.”
Run2gether coaching camps assist finance Kenyan athletes racing in Europe.
The Kenyan athletes additionally run alongside the paying friends, providing encouragement and recommendation. Krejci calls most of his friends “enjoyable athletes,” or folks of all talents who wish to run and spend time within the mountains, most with out elite-level objectives. “They’re focusing to run a marathon below 5 hours, or there are some friends who’re even strolling, so it’s actually the entire vary of runners from professionals as much as completely enjoyable runners, and even some who solely wish to meet Kenyans and to eat Kenyan meals, or to become involved in a unique tradition and totally different views.” Krejci says, “It’s totally different motivations, however nonetheless operating brings us collectively and makes it wonderful to spend one week with totally different sorts of individuals.”
Giving Again to Communities
After simply two years of internet hosting his operating camps in Austria, friends steered Krejci arrange an identical program in Kenya. He stated, “A lot of these friends becoming a member of us, they requested me, ‘How is life in Kenya, and the way are the athletes residing there? How are the circumstances?’ And I mentioned with Geoffrey, how can we invite Europeans to return there as a result of there is no such thing as a resort and no lodging, nothing. So then we determined, okay, let’s construct one thing by ourselves the place we will welcome Europeans to remain there, near his dwelling.”
Staying true to his beliefs of making a culturally immersive expertise, Krejci arrange a high-altitude Kenyan coaching camp at 2,380 meters to convey exterior runners to the area, however he did it with out the entire bells and whistles of extra conventional all-inclusive journey packages. In 2010, their facility had room for six friends staying in double rooms and about 30 Kenyan athletes. Now, 15 years later, they’ve house for 30 friends and as much as 50 Kenyan athletes. Visitors come for anyplace from just a few days to a number of weeks to coach and put together for marathons and path races, they usually have the chance to go to the encompassing areas, together with the 5 close by nationwide parks.
Visitor lodging on the high-altitude run2gether camp in Kenya.
Of the run2gether Mt. Longonot Sports activities and Recreation Middle, Krejci says, “I believe as a result of it’s the one place the place Europeans, folks from U.S., or someplace else, they keep actually along with the Kenyans in a single place.” Krejci labored laborious to create an surroundings the place his friends may have a significant expertise. “There isn’t any menu once you stick with us. So, you get the meals the runners are consuming. It’s vital for me that it suits to the realm as a result of I don’t wish to have a resort with a swimming pool or one thing like this, and 100 meters exterior, individuals are struggling due to not having sufficient water, for instance.”
Run2gether makes use of the cash from this system not solely to help Kenyan runners however to provide again to the area people as effectively. Krejci says, “In 2013, we constructed a faculty simply 100 meters beside the camp. In addition they run a nursery college.” Krejci goes on to say, “We constructed water stations. We have been digging bore holes. We do all this for the neighborhood across the camp.” Krejci says that this system has spent greater than 1.3 million Euro up to now 15 years on social actions and has paid college charges for 400 youngsters, thanks to non-public sponsors for every baby.
Supporting Elite Athletes
Whereas run2gether funnels a refund into Kenyan communities, its foremost focus stays on supporting elite Kenyan athletes. Krejci says, “I wish to assist younger ones to develop their expertise and assist them attain their private limits.”
Along with offering a coaching base in Europe and entry to races, Krejci additionally helps Kenyan athletes with different elements of residing exterior of their nation, together with offering public relations coaching. He says, “We attempt to prepare them in giving interviews right here in our camp with our friends. We make a press convention the place the friends can ask some questions, which they may be requested the approaching weekend after they go for competitors, to assist them get used to it.” He additionally tries to assist with variations in cultural norms. “It’s actually very tough, for instance, [for a Kenyan to] look in somebody’s eyes. In Kenya, it isn’t well mannered, particularly in case you are a woman.”
Runners take part in a trial on the run2gether facility in Kiambogo, Kenya. Picture courtesy of Thomas Krejci.
When run2gether athletes have completed their racing careers, Krejci strives to be sure that they’re taken care of by discovering employment for them at one of many camps in the event that they wish to keep round. Krejci says, “Of the 15 folks being employed within the camp, I believe 10 out of them are former athletes. For instance, Geoffrey is now the native supervisor, and he’s teaching the mountain and path runners after he stopped two years in the past together with his personal [racing] profession, as a result of accidents.”
Krejci realizes that not each Kenyan runner will change into a famous person in a position to make a residing from operating, so he strives to supply different pathways for present and former athletes to become profitable, together with teaching and serving to on the camps. Krejci says, “The primary factor that’s vital in run2gether is that the athletes, both they carry out effectively in competitions after which they win prize cash and finance their life, or they’ve a very good job by teaching European enjoyable runners, they usually get some cash for doing this.”
Philemon Kiriago trains with a visitor at a run2gether camp.
Ongoing employment is a technique that Krejci encourages his higher-profile athletes to stick with this system, even within the face of doubtless extra profitable however shorter-term contracts with different groups. Krejci says, “I inform them in the event that they stick with us, it’s not solely the time they’re competing. We actually attempt to help them after they cease operating or after they have an damage.”
The Future
Whereas Krejci isn’t afraid to voice his disappointment about athletes who’ve left his program to chase larger contracts, he understands that it’s all a part of the sport. He says, “I believed I may very well be an in depth pal to all of our athletes, after which I needed to notice, and it was painful typically, that folks left our group due to higher provides from different manufacturers.” Krejci feels that with the present dimension of this system and sponsorship from the model On since 2010, he’s in a position to supply his high athletes contracts which might be aggressive with different groups within the mountain operating world.
Thomas Krejci passes off water and diet to Patrick Kipngeno throughout the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: Merlin Out of doors Images
Krejci nonetheless stays concerned with the lives of all of the athletes concerned with run2gether, splitting his time between the Austrian base and the Kenyan one, typically together with his household at his facet. He’s clearly proud that this system has grown far past what he ever got down to do.
This September, when athletes from around the globe line up for the varied races on the World and Mountain Working World Championships within the Spanish Pyrenees, the Kenyan group will probably be bolstered by runners from run2gether, a program that has made a huge effect on each Kenyan off-road runners and the game of the mountain operating with a group mannequin that’s in contrast to another.
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