Things don’t just happen. They are made to happen. And that clearly describes the sad scenario of age cheating among most Kenyan athletics stars.
Also known as age fabrication, age fraud, and age manipulation, age cheating is another crime that has cut short the careers of many budding athletes in Kenya – a nation that has produced the second highest number of medals on the world stage after the USA.
In the run-up to major competitions, especially the World U18 and World U20 Championships, athletes – with the blessings of coaches, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders – forge birth certificates in their bid to secure their participation in the junior age categories.
These athletes present birth certificates issued a few days before team selections. Ironically, all children are enrolled in nursery schools with birth certificates – begging the question, how do the changes in dates of birth occur later?
In 2012, during the World U20 Championships in Barcelona, Spain, a Kenyan runner, registered as a high school student in his final year, shocked the athletics world. He won a silver medal in a middle-distance race the same day his wife gave birth back home!
And even today, questions still emerge from the academic years of certain world champions and their dates of birth on their birth certificates.
As a matter of fact, it’s easy to tell an age cheat. Most Kenyan athletics fans are forced to suppress a chuckle every time a race commentator mentions the supposed age of a runner during a top event broadcast. There is, however, a conspiracy of silence by all involved.
While we are compelled by legal reasons not to reveal the names of some of the Kenyan athletes who have lied about their ages, our investigation has identified that the vice is widespread and some of the country’s globally renowned stars are caught in the lie.
Dr Kipchumba Byron, a kinesiology and sports science expert from the University of Georgia, says age cheating in athletics, which involves misrepresenting one’s age to gain a competitive advantage, can have several biological impacts on both the individual and the sporting community.
“There is the physical mismatch,” he said. “Athletes who age cheat may compete against opponents who are physically less mature, potentially leading to an unfair advantage. This can impact the integrity of competition and hinder the development of younger athletes.”
He also points out the injury risks, saying age cheating may expose younger athletes to physical demands that exceed their developmental stage, increasing the risk of injuries such as stress fractures, muscle strains, or overuse injuries.
There is also emotional and psychological stress where young athletes may feel daunted when competing against older opponents. This stress can negatively impact their self-esteem, motivation, and overall mental well-being.
Dr Kipchumba adds that athletes suffer from stunted development. “Age cheating may prevent younger athletes from competing in age-appropriate categories, limiting their opportunities for skill development and hindering their overall athletic growth,” he says.
“Unfair competition is another challenge. Age cheating undermines the principle of fair competition, eroding the credibility of results and fostering an environment of mistrust among athletes, coaches and spectators.
“It amounts to violations of sporting integrity. Age cheating goes against the ethical principles of sportsmanship and fair play, compromising the integrity of the sport and eroding the trust that participants and spectators have in the competition.
“It has an educational impact. Young athletes learn valuable life skills, discipline, and teamwork through sports. Age cheating can distort these educational aspects by disrupting the normal progression of athletes through age-appropriate levels.
“It damages the reputation of sports. Instances of age cheating tarnish the reputation of sports organisations, raising questions about their ability to enforce fair competition and adhere to ethical standards.
“Issues of longevity and decreased long-term participation come in. Age cheating may discourage legitimate athletes from participating in sports if they perceive that competition is unfair or that rules are not adequately enforced.
“There is a deterrent for genuine talent. Age cheating can discourage genuinely talented young athletes from pursuing sports if they believe that dishonesty is prevalent and that fair competition is compromised,” said Dr Kipchumba.
To mitigate these biological and broader impacts, Dr Kipchumba said, sports organisations need effective age verification measures, clear and strictly enforced rules, and education programmes to promote ethical behaviour in athletics.
Kimutai Kosgei, the 2012 Amsterdam Marathon winner, said age cheating would lead athletes into doping.
“Knowing very well that age is catching up, an athlete may decide to dope as a shortcut to make money while still strong,” said Kimutai.
Moses Kiptanui, the three-time world 3000m steeplechase champion, said it is difficult to understand why the vice is widespread in Kenya.
“In Kenya, schools do not allow students to sit for national examinations without a birth certificate. Athletics Kenya, therefore, cannot be blamed for this. It is the failure of the Registrar of Births and Deaths. They allow citizens to process a new birth certificate on the grounds that they lost the original one and falsify age. They are not efficient in their record documentation. That is where the rain started beating us. They must make it watertight.”
Kiptanui, who was the first man in the world to run the 3000m steeplechase in under eight minutes, said there is no difference between age cheating and the doping menace.
“The system doesn’t block such characters. Even the shoe technology is another form of cheating. It’s not human effort. Some of us competed in normal shoes and broke records. We want to see athletes winning and even breaking records in a natural way.”
“World Athletics has not sat down and given policy direction. I also support the sex test on female athletes in the run-up to the 2025 Tokyo World Championships,” added Kiptanui.
Noah Busienei, a former athlete and a coach based in Eldoret city, the hub of Kenyan athletics, blamed agents and managers for age cheating.
“They prefer to have an athlete who has excelled in global junior competitions since it raises their profiles,” said Busienei. “It raises the stakes when it comes to contracts with shoe companies. Such companies give huge payouts to athletes who have a good track record from the junior categories. That’s why they opt to process new birth certificates.
“As a coach, I think there is a need to have a policy whereby athletes present birth certificates alongside school leaving certificates as proof ahead of national trials for global competitions like the World U20 Championships. This is a sure way to weed out cheats in sports.”
