•Sang draws inspiration from his life journey, rising from the obscurity of Kabianga in Kericho County and running barefoot to school, to meteorically catapulting himself to the helm of Kenya’s most successful and liquid parastatal.
•At the recent Nairobi City Marathon, Sang – also a passionate golfer - clocked a personal best of one hour, 32 minutes and 44 seconds, running alongside his training partner John Terer, a prominent city businessman
Image: JOE SANG FOUNDATION
The Chicago Marathon’s profile was seriously enhanced last year when Kenya’s late star Kelvin Kiptum ran a world record two hours and 35 seconds at “Windy City.”
It is on the same course that another Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei, improved Briton Paula Radcliffe’s women’s world record with an amazing run of 2:14:04 in 2019, with Ethiopia’s Tgist Assefa improving that mark to mind-boggling 2:11:53 in Berlin last year.
Former world champion Ruth Chepng’etich came close to her compatriot Kosgei’s record in Chicago, the 2019 world champion running 2:14:08, just 14 seconds outside, during the 2022 Chicago Marathon.
With its latest array of record-breaking athletes (add Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan’s second-fastest-ever time and course record of 2:13:44 last year), the Bank of America Chicago course has become more attractive to elite and upcoming athletes.
“Running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the pinnacle of achievement for elite athletes and everyday runners alike. On race day, runners will set out to accomplish a personal dream by reaching the finish line in Grant Park,” organisers say ahead of this year’s 46th edition race on October 13.
Among the everyday runners chasing the Grant Park finish next month is Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang, an avid runner who has picked “Windy City” to launch his charity— the Joe Sang Foundation— that will set out to raise funds to support the education of needy children.
Sang draws inspiration from his life journey, rising from the obscurity of Kabianga in Kericho County and running barefoot to school, to meteorically catapulting himself to the helm of Kenya’s most successful and liquid parastatal.
Image: JOE SANG FOUNDATION
A holder of multiple qualifications, including a Master of Business Administration (Strategy), Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and CPA (K) and close to 20 years of experience in various senior managerial positions in different organizations, Sang is not your typical corner office executive.
In between being Head of Group Business Performance and Planning at East Africa Breweries Limited; Finance Director at East Africa Maltings Limited; Management Accountant with Unga Group; and Financial Accountant at National Oil Corporation of Kenya, Sang is an avid runner and could pass for an elite athlete on the roads of Karen where he rises early each morning to clock a few kilometres before heading to his office at the Kenya Pipeline Company Headquarters off Nanyuki Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.
“Every morning was a battle against the chill, the wet grass and the sharp stones that cut into his feet. Yet, each step was also a stride toward resilience, a journey of building the strength and determination that would later define his life,” the Joe Sang Foundation revisits Sang’s early beginnings.
Today, as the CEO of Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd, Sang carries those early lessons with him. But it’s not just about where he has reached; it’s about where he started—and how he can now give back.
“Sang runs not just for fitness, but for the barefoot child trudging to school, as he once did. Each kilometre represents a child’s hope, a prayer that they too will find a path to a better future. The rhythm of his feet on the ground echoes with the potential of every child who dares to dream despite the odds,” the brochure adds.
At the recent Nairobi City Marathon, Sang – also a passionate golfer - clocked a personal best of one hour, 32 minutes and 44 seconds, running alongside his training partner John Terer, a prominent city businessman, who was timed at 1:32:46 and who will be joining the MD at the Chicago Marathon.
Image: PHOTO / JOE SANG FOUNDATION
Now, 1:32:44 would ordinarily be a national record in some far-flung island nation, perhaps showing the intensity of the executive’s effort.
Through the Joe Sang Foundation, the Kenya Pipeline boss seeks to raise over Sh200 million to benefit needy children by affording them a chance at education over the next few years.
“For me, this (Nairobi City Marathon) was a test. I wanted to test my muscles and generally test myself, and by running a personal best time, I’m sure I’m ready,” Sang reflected on his performance.
“I’m running the Chicago Marathon for impact. To transform a life, and to help that needy child way back in the villages whose parents don’t have the means to pay their school fees.
“Under the Joe Sang Foundation that we are setting up, we will be able to help the underprivileged to go to school.”
Sang endured a four-year court process following allegations of financial impropriety at the Kenya Pipeline Company but was found not to be guilty.
“After the four-year court process, I was vindicated and during my time out, I would meet and interact with the tea pluckers and their children and their plight touched me… so when I resumed my duties last year, I felt I needed to support these boys and girls who have the potential but lack fees.
“My friends challenged me and that’s when I decided to run the Chicago Marathon. I will be running, not as Managing Director, but as an individual to create an impact on society.”
The Joe Sang Foundation plans to come up with an endowment fund to help educate needy children and is headed by a respected lawyer and sports administrator Jinaro Kibet as chairman.
Jinaro is also Athletics Kenya’s Vice President and a member of the World Athletics’ Governance Commission.
“This (fund) will go into perpetuity. It will outlive me, outlive all of us and in future, I’d like people to say ‘There lived a man who created the Joe Sang Foundation that has educated children.’
Image: PHOTO / JOE SANG FOUNDATION
“This dream will be a reality and that’s why I’m appealing for support and contributions – we will publish the details of the pay bill number and bank account soon. We already have a lot of support from people in Kenya and abroad, who are ready to support our foundation.”
Sang’s journey has also been the motivation behind his run, having come from humble beginnings, running barefoot to school in Kabianga, Kericho County.
“We used to run three to four kilometres, barefoot, to school, and I know there are many kids out there, across Kenya, who are going to school barefoot and who endure the morning dew – I relate to that story,” Sang adds.
“My purpose in life is to leave a positive impact. To be able to look back and say ‘the Joe Sang Foundation has been able to educate ‘x’ number of kids through school and they are now successful family people, successful businesspeople and successful leaders in society.”
Sang has been an avid runner for the last 10 years, starting with five kilometres, then 10 kilometres and now he goes regularly on 21-kilometre (half marathon) runs, but will be featuring in a full, 42-kilometre marathon for the first time in Chicago, one of six World Marathon Majors races.
“This year, I told myself that I have to make a difference,” he explains.
“That’s why I registered for the Chicago Marathon on October 13, and with your contribution, together, we will be able to support that one child. For every mile, we will be able to transform a life and help that child go through the challenges of life. We will be able to turn challenges into opportunities.”
Image: PHOTO / JOE SANG FOUNDATION
Besides world championships medallists Amos Kipruto (bronze in Doha 2019) and Ruth Chepng’etich (gold in Doha 2019), other elite Kenyans in Chicago include Vincent Ng’etich, John Korir and Daniel Simiu Ebenyo who will be making a marathon debut.
The other elites are Joyciline Jepkosgei, Irene Cheptai, Dorcas Tuitoek, Mary Ngugi-Cooper and Stacey Ndiwa.
“There is a story Joe often recalls from his village in Kabianga, Kericho County. A boy, much like Joe, who ran to school every day with shoes that were falling apart.
“The day those shoes finally gave out, Joe handed him a spare pair of his own, and in doing so, gave him more than just footwear—he gave him hope, a chance to keep running toward his dreams,” the Joe Sang Foundation brochure further narrates.
“Years later, that boy returned to the village as a university graduate, ready to make his mark on the world. This is the power of a small act of kindness, a ripple that can turn into a wave of change.
“By joining Joe in the Chicago Marathon, you are doing more than supporting a runner; you are investing in a future where every child has the chance to transform their life. Together, let’s make this journey from barefoot beginnings to boundless possibilities a reality. The goal is to raise Sh200 million in the next two years, an investment that will empower countless lives and create a brighter future for all.”
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a course time limit of six hours and 30 minutes after which time, the course will re-open to vehicular traffic.
According to organisers, “runners must maintain a 15-minute per mile pace or faster, completing the full marathon distance—start line to finish line—within the event time requirement.
“Those who finish outside of the time limit will not be recorded as official finishers and may not receive full on-course support from aid stations and traffic safety personnel.”
With his half marathon PB of 1:32:44, Sang and his “running mate” Terer are expected to finish the 42-kilometre distance inside three hours, and 10 minutes, holding all factors constant.
But the most important fact is that they will have launched the Joe Sang Foundation’s journey towards aiding needy children to gain education and transform their lives.
Image: PHOTO / JOE SANG FOUNDATION