NCAA Pathway Gives Kenya’s Indoor Squad an Edge Despite Africa’s Indoor Track Gap

Robert Kibet

Jacob Krop running 3000m for Kenya at a competitive race.

Kenya’s Jacob Krop in action during a distance race. The World Championships 5,000m silver medallist will compete in the 3,000m indoors in Poland.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 11, 2026—When Kenya lines up at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2026 in Toruń, Poland, from March 20–22, the six athletes carrying the country’s hopes will represent more than a national team. They will also illustrate a broader reality in global athletics: despite Kenya’s dominance in distance running, no African country currently has an indoor athletics facility. Yet half of Kenya’s squad has gained experience racing indoors thousands of kilometres away through the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) system in the United States.

NCAA Pathway Bridging Africa’s Indoor Gap

Among them is 400-metre runner Brian Omari Tinega, Kenya’s national indoor record holder with a personal best of 45.68 seconds. Tinega, who competes within the U.S. collegiate athletics system, has benefited from access to indoor arenas and regular competition that mirrors global championship conditions. His exposure to such facilities offers a rare advantage for an athlete from a country where indoor racing environments are largely unavailable.

The same pathway is shaping the progress of Rosemary Longisa, an emerging 800-metre talent and freshman at Washington State University. Longisa has already clocked an indoor personal best of 1:59.71, a promising mark for a newcomer adjusting to elite competition. Meanwhile, Susan Lokayo Ejore, a former NCAA athlete now based in the United States, also brings valuable indoor experience. Ejore, who finished fifth in the 1500 metres at the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022, owns an indoor personal best of 4:03.89 and an outdoor best of 3:56.07, making her one of Kenya’s most experienced championship competitors.

Kenya’s Medal Contenders Step Forward

Kenya’s Rosemary Longisa competes in the 800 metres. A freshman at Washington State University, Longisa has gained valuable indoor racing experience in the U.S. collegiate system and will make her World Athletics Indoor Championships debut in Poland.

While three members of the squad have benefited directly from the American collegiate system, the rest reflect Kenya’s traditional strength in middle- and long-distance running. Noah Kibet, the 2022 world indoor silver medallist in the 800 metres, returns with ambitions of another podium finish. Kibet has an indoor personal best of 1:45.44 and an outdoor best of 1:43.98, times that place him among the leading contenders in his event.

Distance runner Jacob Krop, a silver medallist in the 5000 metres at the World Athletics Championships 2022, will contest the 3000 metres indoors. Krop owns an indoor best of 7:38.00 and an outdoor personal best of 12:45.71 for 5000 metres, underscoring his credentials as one of Kenya’s most accomplished distance runners.

In the women’s sprints, Mercy Adongo Oketch carries both national expectations and a historic milestone. The Kenyan 400-metre record holder indoors with 51.53 seconds, and 50.14 outdoors, Oketch will become only the second Kenyan woman to compete in the event at the global indoor championships since Esther Kavaya in 1987. Her rise highlights Kenya’s gradual expansion beyond its traditional distance running dominance.

A New Pathway for African Indoor Athletics

Together, the six athletes illustrate two distinct pathways shaping Kenya’s indoor athletics ambitions. On one hand, the country continues to produce elite runners through its well-established outdoor training culture, particularly at altitude. On the other hand, increasing numbers of athletes are gaining exposure to indoor facilities and high-level competition through university programs abroad.

For a continent without dedicated indoor infrastructure, that international exposure is becoming increasingly significant. The NCAA system, in particular, has emerged as an important bridge, offering African athletes access to the technical environments needed to compete effectively in indoor championships.

As the competition begins in Poland, Kenya’s small but accomplished squad will face rivals from nations where indoor arenas are part of everyday training. Yet the presence of athletes shaped by both Kenya’s outdoor traditions and global collegiate systems suggests that the country is steadily adapting to a discipline once beyond its reach.

In Toruń, the results may ultimately be measured in medals and records. But the story behind the team reflects something larger: how opportunity, education pathways, and global athletics networks are helping reshape Africa’s presence on the indoor stage.

Kenya’s Squad for the 2026 World Indoor Championships

Men

  • Brian Omari Tinega – 400m

    • Indoor PB: 45.68 (Kenyan national indoor record)

  • Noah Kibet – 800m

    • Indoor PB: 1:45.44

    • 2022 World Indoor Championships silver medalist

  • Jacob Krop – 3000m

    • Indoor PB: 7:38.00

    • Outdoor 5000m PB: 12:45.71

Women

  • Mercy Adongo Oketch – 400m

    • Indoor PB: 51.53 (Kenyan national indoor record)

    • Outdoor PB: 50.14

  • Rosemary Longisa – 800m

    • Indoor PB: 1:59.71

    • Freshman at Washington State University

  • Susan Lokayo Ejore – 1500m

    • Indoor PB: 4:03.89

    • 5th place at 2022 World Indoor Championships
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