Nandi County
Rebel highlands became world running capital—23 training camps produce more champions than entire continents. By 2026: athletic infrastructure or one-industry dependency.
Nandi exists because altitude and adversity exist. The Nandi hills, rising to 2,000 meters, resisted British colonization longer than most Kenyan regions—the Nandi people fought for over a decade before their 1905 defeat. That fierce independence, combined with high-altitude physiology and running culture, would later produce something unexpected: the greatest concentration of distance running talent the world has ever seen.
The colonial and post-colonial periods established tea as the dominant cash crop, with 15-19 KTDA factories now processing leaves from thousands of growers. The Kaptumo catchment alone supports over 7,700 farmers cultivating 2,140 hectares. But while tea pays bills, running built legends. Kipchoge Keino, Henry Rono, Eliud Kipchoge, Pamela Jelimo, Julius Yego—the list of world champions from this small county defies probability.
Today Nandi operates as both tea producer and athletic factory. The county hosts 23 athletics training camps, drawing international athletes who run through tea plantations on Nandi Hills roads. The January 2025 Barngetuny Mountain Run kicked off the Magical Kenya Trail Series, with winners receiving KSh 500,000 and a heifer. The Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex in Kapsabet nears completion, cementing infrastructure for the next generation.
The county exhibits classic positive feedback dynamics: running success generates funding, funding builds facilities, facilities attract more talent, success compounds. By 2026, Nandi faces the challenge of translating athletic fame into broader economic development—ensuring tea farmers benefit from the brand the runners built.