Dexterity and Endurance for Maendeleo: Kenyan Distance Runners in the Ekiden

Paper Abstract: Japanese high schools, universities, and corporations recruit Kenyan distance runners hoping that they can lead their teams to prominence, primarily in road relay races known as the ekiden. They augment visibility domestically for their brand, as runners in nationally broadcasted ekiden competitions sport the corporate or institutional logo on their uniforms. The roughly 150 men and women from Kenya running in Japan each year understand their opportunity as crucial for realizing their own objectives. They perceive their journeys not as an ‘escape’ from Kenya, but rather for making prudent investments in their own versions of an insurance plan for a better future in Kenya. They run for achieving what maendeleo - Swahili term meaning a sense of forward momentum and making progress - means to them, their families, and others in their local villages. Accomplishing maendeleo requires not only having dexterity and endurance to balance individual and communal needs, but also careful navigation by following a compass bearing that points to the adherence of gendered expectations rooted in Kenya. I argue that maendeleo is a barometer for evaluating whether one is regarded as a respectable man or woman, also determining the difference between considered useful or useless. Winning in the ekiden and garnering the accolades that ensue does not produce social currency in Kenya. This paper provides answers for why Japan remains entrenched as a viable path among aspiring athletes in Kenya striving for improved prospects, while contributing further perspective on what can be considered success through sports migration.