Amazing Girls Running Club
The AMGP is honored to have joined the Spark Change Running Programme in partnership withWomenWin and PUMA. Through running, we champion the rights of girls and women everywhere.
All-Girls Running Club
WomenWin X Puma
In partnership with WomenWin and Puma, the AMGP established an all-girls running program in 2021 across the three secondary schools of Laikipia, Kenya, that we support.
The program is open to all girls, including but not limited to Amazing Girl scholarship recipients. More than 125 young ladies have joined to date.
Our first primary goal for each member is to introduce a regular running practice, building healthy habits that in turn improve girls' sense of self-efficacy and confidence, and their ability to succeed at school.
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“I have discovered, running is life!! Asante Sana."
- Nashak, age 17
The AMGP has worked with Olympic Champion Douglas Wakiihuri (pictured) and Athletics Kenya, to train talented local women runners from the area, including a former Amazing Girl, who now lead the running program.
In November 2021, our coaches completed a two-week intensive coaching course run by Athletics Kenya and overseen by Mr. Wakiihuri.
Head Coach - Olympic Champion
Coaching Team
Lead Coach Solomon | Solomon's passion for running started in 1997 when he had to run every morning to get to school on time! Since then he has done more than 15 marathons with a personal best of 2:28. Solo loves to run in the plateaus of his Laikipia area as a way to "freshen" up his mind. He is a certified Level 1 Running Coach and the Lead Coach for the Amazing Girls Running Club. He loves encouraging the girls to train on a weekly basis (3 days a week) and help support the other coaches.
Coach Triza | Triza is a determined person when it comes to the work given. She likes being herself and socializing with positive people. Triza is from Laikipia county, from a humble family. Her family is very happy since she joined the athletic club.
Coach Lilian | Lilian Meisinai Pere is a graduate of the Amazing Maasai Girls Project scholarship fund. She was brought up in a disadvantaged family where her mother was the only bread winner. Lilian enjoys running and coaching - especially interacting with the students she us training ("they can become the next world champions"). Coaching also has helped her improve her family's living standards. Liliana is grateful for the opportunity to serve as coach.
Coach Beatrice Beatrice is a mother of three and a strong distance runner. She has been a champion in various races, among them The Amazing Maasai Marathon. She comes from a humble family of 16 kids. As a coach she is very active and like to run long distances than short. She has a passion in it. She is a bit tough on students especially during a serious training session.
Check below for the most recent photos and interviews….
June 2023 | Updates from Laikipia
I would like to say that running helps both in physical and mental behaviours […] Physically I have gained confidence to face people and mentally I am able to have a good mind which helps me in concentrating well in my studies.
— Kamotho Mercy Mugure, Form 4
June 2023 Updates
In late 2022, the Amazing Girls Running Club was very grateful to receive 125 pairs of running shoes as part of our Spark Change grant by WomenWin. This was HUGE for our club members, the majority of whom were running with inadequate footwear. This generous gift was much appreciated by all - and certainly serve to further motivate all members!
The Club also received three GPS watches, one per school, to help monitor the performance of the students on their thrice-weekly runs. Thank you to Run Beyond running shop in Nairobi for your generosity.
In spring 2023, several of our top runners attended a 10km running event organized by the Ministry of Education at the County Level. In summer, the Club will attend further events and organize our own inter-school event.
In the meantime, we recently caught up with our runners to ask them how it’s going!
Below are a few interviews with students of St Francis Girls School…
Kamotho Mercy Mugure
St Francis Girls School
Form 4
How long have you been running in the Amazing Girls Club?
“One year.”
What is your favourite part of running in the club?
“I enjoy long races.”
What are the benefits you have experienced from running?
“I have gained body stability. I have gained confidence since my body has reduced in size.”
What is the hardest part about running?
“Running in the afternoon when there is a lot of sun, which makes me uncomfortable due to a lot of heat.”
Does running help your studies at school?
“Yes because after running I feel deeply relaxed, therefore am able to concentrate in the class more than i used to before I joined the club.”
What would you say to encourage other girls to run?
“I would like to say that running helps both in physical and mental behaviours as I have experienced becauae physically I have gained confidence to face people and mentally I am able to have a good mind which helps me in concentrating well in my studies.”
Mohammed Fatma Zaitun
St Francis Girls School
Form 4
How long have you been running in the Amazing Girls Club?
“I have been in the club for about two years since it began.”
What is your favourite part of running in the club?
“Relay, 100m and 400 meters
What are the benefits you have experienced from running?
“It makes me maintain my body and have a good health.”
What is the hardest part about running?
“After the run, like when we have a long run, there are some parts of our bodies that have some little problems and even becoming so tired after the run.”
Does running help your studies at school?
“Yes it really helps since I have the ability to concentrate at all times after running, may it be from morning run or evening run.”
What would you say to encourage other girls to run?
“I will tell them that the run have really made me to be more comfortable and have a concentration in class. The running really helps my mind to focus in something that I have to focus on for a long time. I will really encourage them to join us in the run so that they will help themself in building their muscles.”
Nashaki Dorcas
St Francis Girls School
Form 3
How long have you been running in the Amazing Girls Club?
“Two years.”
What is your favourite part of running in the club?
“Relays.”
What are the benefits you have experienced from running?
“a) As I continue running I find that I don’t become tired like before.
”b) I find that my mind becomes fresh and once i go to class I can understand what I find to read.”
What is the hardest part about running?
“Running on hot afternoons up the hill.”
Does running help your studies at school?
“Yes, because after I run I find that my concentration becomes high in class.”
What would you say to encourage other girls to run?
“I would like to encourage them to have more running since running is a beneficial part of academics because one can bring concentration to class. Running also makes someone to be stress free.”
Joy Naninyak Meriwas
St Francis Girls School
Form 3
How long have you been running in the Amazing Girls Club?
“Two years.”
What is your favourite part of running in the club?
“My favourite part of running in the club is mostly relays.”
What are the benefits you have experienced from running?
“I have benefitted physically by becoming fit and healthy.”
What is the hardest part about running?
“Running on a very hot afternoon across the hills.”
Does running help your studies at school?
“Yes it does. I have really gained concentration even after some joggings.”
What would you say to encourage other girls to run?
“I would encourage them to run because one becomes healthy and fit. Also as a student one gains concentration.”
June 2022 | Inter-School Athletics Meet | Track & Field
June 2022 | Inter-School Athletics Meet | 8KM Cross-Country
March 2022 | Amazing Girls Running Club | Interviews
We asked some of our first Running Club members what running has come to mean to them…
Nashak M. | Age 17 | Form 3, St Francis School
“Running is a good way to boost our talents.”
How did you feel about joining the Amazing Girls Running Club?
“I did feel excited about the training since it has brought a lot of impact to us and also made us fresh as running is the best exercise for the body.”
How is it going with your training?
“I really enjoy it as it has made me use my leisure time well that is ending up doing something constructing instead of wasting time.”
What has been the biggest challenge for you in training?
“The big challenge for me is lack of time to train as all times are occupied by the work of looking for feeds for the animals now that there is a great drought at the home place. The other challenge is the unfavorable weather conditions. The weather is very hot that it is difficult for one to do any kind of exercise.”
What effect and progress have you seen in yourself?
“It has really helped us in the part of exercises and also led us to enjoy happy moments with our running mates. It is alos a way of boosting our talents as many of us are talented in running.”
Anything to add?
“I wish to thank the Amazing Maasai Running Club particularly over coach and more-so the project director for this fantastic initiative that they have started. I have realized running is life!! Asanta Sana.”
Jackline S. | Age 17 | Form 3, St Francis School
"My father discourage[d] ladies to have leisure to such activities."
How did you feel about joining the Amazing Girls Running Club?
“The Amazing Maaai Girls brought up a marvelous exercise which since it started it made me feel more comfortable by enjoying my daily activity. It haa very exciting and beneficial in terms of personal exercise.”
How is it going with your training?
“I usually like to run every morning to enable my body to adapt the exercise and make my body become strong. During the exercise I really became anxious to do the activity, by leading overall.”
What has been the biggest challenge for you in training?
“However the big challenges to me to training is permission from the parent since my parent is not educated hence they discourage my activities when I start exercise my father more they even discourage ladies to have leisure to such activities. Since I started this activites I felt being of strong muscles and healthy every morning when I wake up I found myself feeling painful on legs muscles.”
Anything to add?
“In this activity I would like to request whom may concern to inform my parent so that they can be able to understand this exercise and know more about it. [NOTE: This has been address with Jackline's father]”