NAIROBI, Kenya, September 13, 2025 – Running is no walk in the park, as I painfully found out when I tried going on a morning run with Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Joe Sang.
Never mind the fact that I did not go the whole stretch of approximately 3.5 km, but joined him with a kilometre of the race to go.
Had I accompanied him to the end, I doubt I would have been left with an ounce of strength to write this story.
“The key thing is practice, and you need to start small. My advice to you is to start with one kilometre…soon you’ll realise it’s two kilometres…five…10. I guess because you haven’t done it in a long time, that’s why you felt a lot of pain. Also, you need to have the right shoes and wear light attire,” he said to me after the race.
Admittedly, I was biting more than I could chew.
Here is a man who has been preparing for the Berlin Marathon for many months and is in the best shape of his life.
When I joined him in the morning run, he was winding up his training, during which he had covered approximately 21km.
All he was doing now was a light run, at a leisurely pace, to cool down — and then there was I, huffing and puffing as I tried to keep up with him.
Talk about a gulf in class!
Seven-star general
In a week, he will be lining up at the start line in Berlin, joining thousands of other runners in one of the world’s most elite and biggest road races.
On his mind will be the plight of countless needy children back home in Kenya, whose struggles to access education tug at the hem of his heart every day.
Out of this heartfelt concern was born the Joe Sang Foundation, through which he wants to raise KSh 200 million towards an endowment fund to enable these children to acquire the keys to unlock multiple doors of opportunities in the years to come.
In lieu of this, the Berlin Marathon is more than just a race for Sang.
“For me, I believe running is not for winning but for a purpose, which is to impact lives. Apart from passion, I use running to make a positive impact in society,” he explains.
It will be his second major race in close to a year after his debut at the Chicago Marathon last October, where he clocked 3:07:00.
In Berlin, he wants to run under three hours, a feat that may just inspire him to more accomplishments.
Chicago and Berlin, being World Marathon Majors races, would he consider running in the other five competitions in this category?
It is a prospect that is appealing to Sang, who admits he would love to be a seven-star general in athletics.
“Actually, my target is to do all seven of them. I am now doing the second one next week, I now have five to go before they call you a seven-star general…in matters of athletics, of course,” the MD says.
He is a keen admirer of double world record holder Eliud Kipchoge – the first man to run 42km in under two hours – and picks a lot of inspiration from him.
“Eliud has done well for himself for winning the famous INEOS. No human is limited…it was a deeper meaning in being able to show the world that he can do it in under two hours. I guess for me, there is so much inspiration to learn from Eliud and, of course, many other Kenyans who have broken the world record…the other day we saw Beatrice Chebet run under 14 minutes in the women’s 5000m…that was awesome…Faith Kipyegon as well. Kenya is the home of talent,” Sang says.
Could he also smash another personal record by running a sub-2:30 after Berlin?
It is a question the MD would prefer not to answer, as at present, adopting a baby-steps mindset instead.
“I always say first things first, so the immediate focus for me is to be able to beat the three-hour mark. Then we can come back and have a conversation in terms of the key learnings,” Sang says.
Easier said than done
His ambitions aside, Sang is all too conscious of the sacrifices involved in preparing for a marathon.
Discipline is a core requirement and permeates throughout all aspects of his life, including sleep, diet, and work.
Easier said than done, considering his busy schedule as the boss of one of Kenya’s biggest corporations.
“There are a few things you’d want to do in terms of preparing for the race, but because I have a full-time job…and not just a full-time job, but I am a CEO…there’s a lot that is expected of me on a day-to-day basis. For instance, there are times I am expected to work late. Running at times requires adequate rest, so you have to sleep early. So, for example, if I want to sleep at 8 or 9, it’s not possible with our roles today,” Sang recounts.
He adds: “At times I leave the office at that time and by the time I get home, I prepare to sleep at midnight and wake up early in the morning. It can be very demanding. I’ve found a way to balance it, and it will be well.”
When it comes to diet, the MD has to be watchful of what goes into his body.
“I think for now, I am not taking a lot of carbohydrates because you don’t want to add so much weight. You don’t want to carbon load in terms of carbohydrates as you near the race. You also have to take plenty of water because, as you run, you lose a lot of water. It is recommended to take at least three litres of water per day,” Sang explains.
These challenges notwithstanding, the rewards have been astronomical.
His morning runs are an opportunity to broaden the horizons of his creativity and innovativeness.
“Running gives me sharp focus and being able to be very calm. When I run…especially when I am doing a major race…great ideas come to mind and I can execute them when I finish my race. I’ll say it is refreshing…you’re able then to dig deeper into your inner soul and mind to be able to get those great ideas,” he says.
When am I gone?
Ultimately, the MD desires that his brainchild will outlive him and spread its tentacles to touch the lives of as many children as possible.
“I want to be remembered as that person who changed the world…who impacted Kenya and beyond in terms of uplifting the less fortunate to be where they are. To be successful people in the future and people to talk positively and say…’ Joe Sang was here and his legacy lives on,” he says.
A journey that began 10 years at Karura Forest – where Sang seriously embraced running as a passion – has turned into a vehicle for ferrying countless needy children to the destination of their dreams.
The latest stopover of this journey is at the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon, where Joe Sang will be using his feet to sing a song that he hopes will tune the hearts of many more towards a cause that wakes him up in the morning.
May the day break.
