Not long ago, hiking and trail running across Kenya’s forests, valleys, and mountains were viewed as pastimes for foreigners or thrill-seeking middle-aged enthusiasts. But more Kenyans, some in their 20s and 30s, are now turning these into their favourite weekend rituals.
David Njema is one of them. He says being outdoors gives him a kind of therapy that few other experiences can ever match. “Trail running [which is running through forests, mountains, or valleys] and mountain climbing are therapeutic. I get to reflect, pray, and learn that nothing is impossible.”
Some of his favourite routes include Mt Satima’s Dragon’s Teeth Traverse, Table Mountain’s Seven Ponds Traverse, where he proudly holds the fourth-fastest recorded time, and Mt Kenya’s Sirimon Route.
“Trail running is quite different and demanding,” he explains. “It requires mental preparation and resilience because it’s always a race against tough terrain, boggy conditions, high altitude, limited acclimatisation chances, and the risk of altitude sickness,” says David.
One of his most memorable experiences was on Mt Kenya’s Naro Moru Route. “I attempted to summit in just four hours without drinking water,” he recalls. “But unfortunately, I ended up with altitude sickness. My two friends held my hands as I crawled on the summit.”
To stay sharp and perform at his best, he sticks to a rigorous fitness and wellness routine.
“I run daily, walk, hydrate, get enough sleep, do strength training at the gym, and mentally prepare myself for the hikes and trail running,” he says.
He adds that quality gear is essential: “My most important spending is on a watch, trackers, a GPS locator, and high-quality outdoor gear. I also spend between Sh50,000 and Sh200,000 on travelling.”
David Njema, founder of Coordinates Trail, says trail running has become his form of therapy and a central part of his life, blending fitness, wellness and adventure.
Photo credit: Pool
He often trains alone around his home and during trips, but also mentors both beginner and experienced mountain climbers.
“Many people are replacing clubbing and idling with wellness activities. For instance, our mental health and wellness camping trips, which are usually short hikes and trail running, attract a large number of people seeking transformation. Most of them are looking for a place to relax and meet new people,” says David, who has now turned his hobby into a business, a travel company called Coordinates Trail, which organises camping trips, especially for women.
Social media, he adds, has played a big role in growing the hiking and trail running community. “It’s become a powerful tool that brings people together and makes it easier to plan challenging mountain summits and trips.”
Mt Kenya more than 20 times
For Adhiambo Agoro, 30, the mountain is both a mirror and a teacher. It has tested her limits and made her less fearful. Before she ever called herself a runner, she was a climber.
Over the years, she has summited Mt Kenya more than 20 times and Mt Kilimanjaro thrice. She has conquered Mt Longonot four times in a single day and run the length of Ngong Hills twice, sometimes back-to-back.
She fell in love with the outdoors almost by accident. “I started mountain hiking and climbing about six years ago,” she says. “That’s where my love for trail running began. For me, learning the mountains first made a big difference, understanding the terrain, the weather, and how my body reacts to altitude. It made me more aware, more confident.”
Adhiambo says, “trail running gives me movement and momentum, but hiking teaches me patience.”
At first, she joined group hikes for the thrill, but soon, it was about what each mountain taught her.
“It became less about ticking summits off a list and more about what each climb was teaching me,” she says. “Every trail had its own lesson. Some were about endurance. Some were about surrender. When I’m out there, I notice the birds, my breath, and the wind. It grounds me. It’s where I heal, reflect, and make some of my best decisions. It reminds me how small I am, big mountain, small girl , yet how capable I can be.”
She, too, founded a business out of her passion. Avi Expeditions helps especially women reconnect with nature. She organises weekend expeditions and high-altitude runs that double as wellness retreats. “There’s something beautiful about watching women reach a summit they never thought they could. That look, a mix of disbelief and joy, is liberating.”
Adhiambo Agoro, founder of Avi Expeditions Limited, has summited Mount Kenya over 20 times and leads women-focused hiking and trail running expeditions across East Africa.
Photo credit: Pool
For newbies, she says trail running demands more than passion. It requires preparation, mental resilience, and a willingness to endure discomfort. “Sometimes you’re running through rain, your shoes are soaked, you can’t feel your fingers, and you’re still hours away from the finish. It’s brutal,” she says.
“But it’s also freeing. There’s a kind of peace that only comes after you’ve suffered a little for it.”
And then there’s the cost. “Good gear doesn’t come cheap,” she adds. “You need quality shoes, hydration packs, layers for altitude, energy gels, and even then, something will still fail on the trail. But the investment is worth it. Every run changes you.”
Being a woman in the mountains has also come with its challenges. “People still ask why I’m running alone or assume I can’t be the guide,” she says. “You also have to plan routes carefully, think about safety, and think about perception. But I’ve learned not to shrink myself to fit into other people’s comfort zones. Out there, on the mountain, everyone’s equal, it’s just you, your breath, and the climb.”
There have been moments of struggle, the time she got caught in freezing fog on Mt Kenya, or the run that left her limping for a week. She calls them lessons, not regrets. “The mountains have taught me humility and endurance,” she says. “Every climb strips away something unnecessary, fear, pride, or doubt; and replaces it with something quieter, steadier, more powerful.”
The real addict
Limo Kipkemoi is another trail runner. He jokes that running has become such a huge part of his life that it dictates how he plans his days.
“Balancing my work life and my running life isn’t easy,” he says. “Architecture is demanding, but over time I’ve learnt to work around it. I travel a lot for work, but even when I’m away, I make time to run. I wake up at 4.30 am every day. Between 5am and 8am, I’m either running or doing CrossFit. Once the day starts, there’s no time for training. So, I get it done early, when the city is quiet.”
He adds, “it’s a delicate balance, but I’ve managed to find a rhythm that works. I’ve literally run in every county in Kenya, almost every major town. That’s what keeps me sane. When I’m on the road, when I’m running, that’s where I reset.”
His journey into trail running didn’t happen by accident. “When I started running, I was more of a road guy,” he says. “But road running became monotonous. I wanted more adventure, more challenge, more connection to nature. That’s how I discovered trails. The first few runs were tough; you’re dealing with mud, uneven paths, roots, stones, steep climbs; it’s chaos. But that chaos is what I fell in love with.”
Architect and ultra-runner Limo Kipkemoi has run in almost every county and is among the athletes driving Kenya’s growing trail running movement.
Photo credit: Pool
Over time, Limo became one of Kenya’s most vocal advocates for trail and ultra-running.
“When I began, there were maybe 10 of us in Kenya doing it seriously,” he recalls. “I made it a mission to popularise it. I started posting photos of trails, sunrise runs, mountains, anything that would show how beautiful and raw this sport is. I was loud about it. I still am,” he says.
“People would laugh and say, ‘You’re the noisiest trail runner we know.’ But that’s how it started gaining traction. Now I meet people who tell me, ‘I started running because of your posts.’ That’s huge for me.”
Social media, he admits, has changed the game. “It has brought people together. You can plan summits, organise group runs, share safety tips, all online,” he says. “But I always remind people, it’s not about competition. Run your own race. Enjoy the trails for what they give you: peace, connection, and perspective. Don’t feel pressured to chase someone else’s pace or record. There’s room for everyone on the trails.”
Trail running, though, is not without its costs, both physical and financial. “Injuries are inevitable,” he says. “I’ve been hit by a motorbike before. I’ve been robbed in Tanzania during a run. I’ve had ankle injuries, knee strains, dehydration; you name it. But those are lessons. You learn your limits, you learn to respect the mountains.”
The financial part can also be brutal. Some of these races cost hundreds of thousands of shillings. A proper mountain expedition, like Mt Everest, can go up to Sh7 million. “But you find ways, through sponsors, friends, or just saving slowly. It’s worth it.”
For Limo, the outdoors are more than just trails; they are a classroom, a place of design and inspiration. “I’m an architect,” he says. “And running across Kenya allows me to see how people live, how they build, how they interact with space and nature. I’ve landed clients just by showing up to races. It’s crazy how the two worlds, design and running, somehow blend.”
For Limo Kipkemoi, the outdoors are more than just trails; they are a classroom, a place of design and inspiration.
Photo credit: Pool
Unlike the rest who love trail running and mountain climbing, Limo is not much of a hiker. “I respect hikers so much,” he says, laughing.
“I’ve only done one proper hike in 10 years. They have unmatched patience. Hikers can walk for 10 hours straight, slowly. I can’t. I need to move. I prefer running, covering more ground, seeing more beauty. The faster I move, the more I see. That’s my version of meditation.”
His most difficult challenges? Attempting Mt Kenya under-24-hour run, a 98-kilometre round trip with brutal elevation.
“Only one person, the late Cheruiyot [who died attempting to summit Mt Everest with supplementary oxygen in 2024], ever did it in under 24 hours,” he says. “I took 26 hours. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. At some point, you’re not even running anymore. You’re negotiating with your mind, convincing yourself to take one more step, one more kilometre. It changes you.”
That kind of discipline, he says, spills into every aspect of his life. “Running has made me patient, focused, resilient,” he says. “If I can endure the pain of 90 kilometres in rough terrain, then a stressful work deadline doesn’t scare me. Running has taught me to suffer well.”
The growing community around trail running in Kenya excites him.
“When I began, there were almost no events. Now we have ‘We Run Nairobi’, ‘Team Joshua’, ‘Ultra Runners Kenya’, ‘Ubuntu’… so many groups. When we organised the Backyard Ultra last year, about 400 people showed up. That would’ve been unthinkable five years ago. People are realising that wellness isn’t a buzzword, it’s a lifestyle.”
I ask him if he plans to stop, he smiles. “Never,” he says. “As long as I can move, I’ll keep running. Trails have taught me who I am. They’ve broken me and built me again. That’s not something you just walk away from. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m running. The mountains have healed me more times than I can count. If I have a work trip to Kisumu or Nakuru, I’ll go a day earlier, run 50 kilometres before meetings. By the time everyone’s waking up, I’ve already finished.”
