
Barnaba Korir Recognised for Youth Athletics Work at Eldoret Mashujaa Day
ELDORET, Thursday, October 22, 2026 — Athletics administrator Barnaba Korir was among 25 Kenyan sports personalities honoured during Tuesday’s Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
Korir, the first deputy president of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya and a senior Athletics Kenya official, was recognised for his contribution to youth athletics development.
His work has included the expansion of school-holiday training camps to areas where young runners have limited access to organised coaching. According to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the initiative has reached regions including Turkana, Baringo, Isiolo, the Coast and West Pokot.
The recognition came during celebrations held in a city closely associated with Kenya’s world-class distance runners.
Other athletes named among the honourees included world-class steeplechaser Beatrice Chepkoech, former middle-distance champion Mercy Cherono and athletes Timothy Cheruiyot, Reynold Cheruiyot, Paul Kipsiele Koech, Edmund Serem, Lillian Odira and Sebastian Sawe.
The Mashujaa Day honours recognised both sporting performances and work behind the scenes to develop athletes.
For Korir, the occasion put the spotlight on a side of athletics that rarely receives the attention given to medals: identifying promising youngsters and giving them structured opportunities to train.
Photo: Archival Kenyan athletics event, not Tuesday’s ceremony. Luckimg2 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
