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, trying positively ecstatic on the state of affairs. Kipngeno would go on to end second on the occasion behind his teammate, Philemon Kiriago. The person behind him within the photograph is Thomas Krejci, the founding father of the staff that each Kenyans run for, known as run2gether.
Thomas Krejci chases after Patrick Kipngeno through the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: WMRA/Marco Gulberti
What initially began in 2008 as a manner 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 Sequence and Mountain Operating World Cup. Kipngeno completed second total on the 2024 Golden Path World Sequence and gained the 2024 Mountain Operating World Cup, and Kiriago additionally completed fourth and third, respectively, within the two collection final 12 months. With just one race left of the 2025 Golden Path World Sequence, Kipngeno and Kiriago sit second and third within the collection, respectively, and Kiriago has gained the now full 2025 Mountain Operating World Cup.
With the 2025 summer time racing season coming to an in depth, many run2gether athletes shall be lining as much as characterize Kenya on the World Mountain and Path Operating Championships in Canfranc, Spain, on the finish of September.
Working as a non-profit, run2gether is completely 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 just a few 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 visitors have the chance to coach and reside alongside Kenyan athletes.
Whereas this system’s origins have been small, with minimal sponsorship and a good smaller price range, it’s grown into one thing that has nurtured and retained among the high expertise within the sport. The 44-person males’s staff consists of Richard Omaya Atuya, Kipngeno, and Kiriago. The 12-person girls’s staff has standout names too, together with Gloria Chebet and Philaries Jeruto Kisang.
Philaries Jeruto Kisang (left) coaching with a run2gether visitor. All images 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 an alternative, rising up, Krejci discovered himself closely concerned in orienteering, which required plenty of operating on all kinds of surfaces however with the added talent of navigating by map and compass to particular areas. Mountain operating was naturally part of his coaching, and he was a part of the Austrian Orienteering Nationwide Staff 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 all the time 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 dwelling, how are their circumstances.”
Krejci had not too long ago 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 associates 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 associates. Krejci notes the circumstances that Geoffrey skilled in, saying, “He was younger and gifted. He was operating barefoot to start with. The time with him, for me, it was superb, and it modified plenty of issues in my life.”
Thomas Krejci congratulates Philemon Kiriago after his win on the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: Merlin Outside 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 completely different world, completely different tradition. We had no water. His residence may be very removed from electrical energy, very removed from roads, and the time was superb.” Krejci was welcomed into Geoffrey’s household and group and was struck by their generosity. He says, “[Geoffrey] was a instructor at the moment, however as a instructor in Kenya, I feel he earned lower than 100 Euro per 30 days, which even for Kenya is just not 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 residence and devised a plan with some associates. 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 carry collectively paying European runners with Geoffrey and some different Kenyans for every week of operating.
Kenyan athletes doing hill work outdoors 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 visitors 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 realized 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 present 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 gained the race forward of Jonathan, a brand new course report.” 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 individuals and children and every little thing concerned that it’s inconceivable to cease it even when I need, however I don’t need it to cease, however 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 dwelling, funneling any cash that got here to run2gether straight again into this system.
Now, run2gether is a well-established non-profit, and so they have house for 25 visitors 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 associates 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 every little thing.”
Run2gether coaching camps assist finance Kenyan athletes racing in Europe.
The Kenyan athletes additionally run alongside the paying visitors, providing encouragement and recommendation. Krejci calls most of his visitors “enjoyable athletes,” or individuals of all skills 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 visitors 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 get entangled in a distinct tradition and completely different views.” Krejci says, “It’s completely different motivations, however nonetheless operating brings us collectively and makes it superb to spend one week with completely different sorts of individuals.”
Giving Again to Communities
After simply two years of internet hosting his operating camps in Austria, visitors prompt Krejci arrange an analogous program in Kenya. He stated, “A lot of these visitors becoming a member of us, they requested me, ‘How is life in Kenya, and the way are the athletes dwelling there? How are the circumstances?’ And I mentioned with Geoffrey, how can we invite Europeans to come back there as a result of there isn’t a resort and no lodging, nothing. So then we determined, okay, let’s construct one thing by ourselves the place we are able to welcome Europeans to remain there, near his residence.”
Staying true to his beliefs of making a culturally immersive expertise, Krejci arrange a high-altitude Kenyan coaching camp at 2,380 meters to carry outdoors 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 visitors staying in double rooms and about 30 Kenyan athletes. Now, 15 years later, they’ve house for 30 visitors and as much as 50 Kenyan athletes. Visitors come for anyplace from a number of days to a number of weeks to coach and put together for marathons and path races, and so they 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 Heart, Krejci says, “I feel as a result of it’s the one place the place Europeans, individuals from U.S., or some other place, they keep actually along with the Kenyans in a single place.” Krejci labored laborious to create an surroundings the place his visitors may have a significant expertise. “There isn’t any menu whenever you stick with us. So, you get the meals the runners are consuming. It’s vital for me that it matches to the world as a result of I don’t wish to have a resort with a swimming pool or one thing like this, and 100 meters outdoors, 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 present again to the local people as effectively. Krejci says, “In 2013, we constructed a faculty simply 100 meters beside the camp. Additionally 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 group 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 reimbursement into Kenyan communities, its principal 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 points of dwelling outdoors of their nation, together with offering public relations coaching. He says, “We attempt to practice them in giving interviews right here in our camp with our visitors. We make a press convention the place the visitors 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 lady.”
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 ensure 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 individuals being employed within the camp, I feel 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, on account of accidents.”
Krejci realizes that not each Kenyan runner will change into a famous person capable of make a dwelling from operating, so he strives to supply different pathways for present and former athletes to generate income, 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 job by teaching European enjoyable runners, and so they 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 greater contracts, he understands that it’s all a part of the sport. He says, “I assumed I may very well be an in depth pal to all of our athletes, after which I needed to understand, and it was painful generally, that individuals left our staff due to higher presents from different manufacturers.” Krejci feels that with the present dimension of this system and sponsorship from the model On since 2010, he’s capable of 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 through the 2025 Sierre-Zinal. Picture: Merlin Outside 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 aspect. 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 Operating World Championships within the Spanish Pyrenees, the Kenyan staff shall 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 staff mannequin that’s not like some other.
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