📖 About Eldoret

Eldoret was conferred city status on August 15, 2024, becoming Kenya's fifth city after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. President William Ruto presided over the ceremony at Eldoret Sports Club, presenting the city's ceremonial instruments including emblem, seal, and flags. Located at 2,100 meters elevation in Kenya's North Rift Valley, Eldoret is renowned as the "City of Champions" for producing world-class endurance athletes.

The city's high altitude and hilly terrain provide ideal natural conditions for endurance training. Champions like Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon, and javelin maestro Julius Yego live and train here. Training camps including the Great Rift Valley Sports Camp, 64 Stadium, and Kapsait Athletics Club produce Olympic and World Championship medalists. Team Kenya for the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships holds pre-event training at Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

IOC President Thomas Bach and legendary athlete Kipchoge Keino launched the envisaged Kip Keino Sports Complex on 80 acres at Keino's Kazi Mingi Farm. The complex will include an indoor arena for basketball and volleyball, football and rugby stadium, athletics track, six football pitches, eight basketball courts, tennis courts, 50-meter swimming pool, and 250-bed hostel. Eldoret hosts the Discovery Kenya Cross Country and prestigious Sirikwa Classic events.

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💼 Economy & Culture

Eldoret's economy is driven by agriculture, education, and increasingly sports tourism. The city is a major hub for grain production, particularly wheat and maize. Moi University and other institutions make it an educational center. Sports tourism draws athletes, coaches, and enthusiasts from around the world to train at high altitude. The Kip Keino Sports Complex development signals further investment in sports infrastructure.

Kalenjin culture dominates Eldoret and surrounding areas, with the community producing most of Kenya's world-beating distance runners. The annual athletics calendar includes Discovery Kenya Cross Country (January) and Sirikwa Classic Cross-Country Tour (February). Traditional music, dance, and community celebrations reflect the region's rich heritage. The new city status enhances civic pride and development prospects.

📜 History

Eldoret was founded in 1910 by Afrikaner settlers, with its name possibly derived from a Maasai word meaning "stony river." The Uganda Railway extension brought development. The city grew as an agricultural and educational center through the 20th century. Moi University was established in 1984, becoming a major institution.

Eldoret's athletics fame emerged in the 1960s when Kipchoge Keino won Olympic gold. The following decades produced successive generations of champions. The 2024 city status recognition marked culmination of decades of growth. Today, Eldoret positions itself as the world capital of distance running while developing broader economic opportunities.