PuraVida Sports

The late Oregon evening hummed with anticipation. Under the glow of Hayward Field’s lights, a slender figure with a quiet resolve tucked herself behind the front runners of the NCAA women’s 5,000 metres final.

She was unassuming, a freshman in her debut season, but her name carried weight—Pamela Kosgey, younger sister offormer world marathon record holder, Brigid Kosgei.

Born and raised in Kenya’s highland village of Kamurto, Elgeiyo-Marakwet County, Pamela had spent her early years watching her older sister carve out history on the global stage. 

Yet here, far from home, it was Pamela’s time. 

In her first year of collegiate competition, she stepped into a pressure-filled moment with remarkable composure.

Kosgey was not running alone—at least not in spirit. 

She was one of 28 Kenyan student-athletes who qualified for this year’s NCAA Championships, the largest-ever contingent of Kenyans in the competition’s history under Town Hall Athletics umbrealla. 

It marked a turning point for the country’s sports-and-education migration, a legacy first nurtured by Town Hall Athletics, which helped young athletes blend competitive running with higher education in the United States. 

For Pamela, being part of this groundbreaking group made her performance not just personal—but also historic.

“I was feeling like my body was just moving,” she told Pura Vida Sports Africa in a post-race interview. 

“So I told myself, let me try. Maybe I’ll win, maybe not.”

What followed was a 70-second final lap that sealed her victory—and began her own legacy.

She didn’t just go—she soared. A smooth, fearless acceleration past the 6400-meter mark left the chasing pack gasping. She crossed the finish line in 15:33.96, more than ten seconds ahead of her nearest challenger, completing a rare and grueling double victory. 

Two nights earlier, she had already stunned the NCAA distance-running world with a blistering 31:17 meet record in the 10,000m final.

A freshman sweeping the long-distance titles? 

Hayward Field had witnessed many triumphs—but this, commentators agreed, was history in motion.

The 5,000m final began modestly. 

Pamela settled into third behind Stanford’s Rebecca Mather and Florida State’s Julie Hamilton. 

The first kilometre passed in 3:08—a cautious pace in a race thick with talent. Pamela shadowed the leaders calmly, her stride economical, her expression unreadable.

By the 3,000-metre mark, the lead pack remained tightly clustered. Then, with six laps to go, she moved into second, her cadence crisp, her turnover sharp. 

Observers noted the unmistakable rhythm—the signature of a runner honed in the rugged hills of Elgeyo Marakwet. Commentators referenced her lineage, but also her clarity of purpose.

Surged with just under 800m left

Her penultimate lap: 68 seconds. The move was clean, powerful—and irreversible. The crowd rose. The stadium shook. Kosgey was running away with it again.

After the finish, she admitted her own disbelief. 

“My indoor season hurt,” she said. “I fell at the finish. I felt so bad. But this win… I’m proud of myself. I didn’t expect to break any record. But it happened.”

Throughout both races, Pamela ran with internal calm. 

“No, no, I didn’t put in my mind that someone was challenging me,” she explained. “My coach always tells me, you have trained like them. So whether it’s hard or easy, you have to try your best.”

That emotional discipline, shaped by her early years in Kenya and her current mentors in the U.S. was evident. 

“I don’t say to myself, ‘Oh, I have someone in my race,’” she said. “That only brings more nerves and stress. I just go the way I am.”

Her roots remain deeply planted in Kamurto, a place known for its steep trails and long-distance greats. 

“When I was young, I always said one day I want to be like my sister,” she said. “We were together at Chemulany for so long. She encouraged me about the good things in running. I love her. I really do.”

But the journey wasn’t easy

“You’re too young to go,” people told her when she qualified for national competitions. 

“Then I went to East Africa and they said I didn’t know anything.”

She recalls her first day of training in high school vividly. 

“Imagine, today you’re in school, and tomorrow they tell you to run. I didn’t even know how to run properly. I was struggling,” she said with a soft laugh. 

“I still remember I ran 5km in the morning. I felt so tired. That day I said, ‘Life is hard.’ But I also knew, these are the struggles that build you.”

Even with a superstar sibling, Pamela never relied on the family name. 

“My sister always told me, ‘Life is yours. You have to work for it.’ She said, ‘If you keep saying “My sister has money,” remember—I have my own family.’ And she was right.”

The message: be self-reliant.

“When you grow up, you have to see your own potential,” she said. “Some people will start asking you for money, for clothes, for shoes. But you’re not ready for that life.”

Before discovering running, Pamela was a netball standout. 

“I loved netball,” she said. “Since primary school. I used to get sent to the county level every time. When I joined high school, I played more. I was even good at it.”

It was netball that led her to athletics. 

“People say netball is a train that leads to running. When you hear there’s a race, you go. That’s how we started.”

Now, having won both NCAA long-distance crowns as a freshman, Pamela stands not just as a rising star—but as a role model.

“There are girls like me back home who can blend running with education,” she said. 

“There are many with talent, but they don’t know opportunities exist.”

Her message is clear and hopeful: “Don’t lose hope. Losing hope is normal, but be patient. Some people go to trials ten times, twelve times before they succeed. But when you finally make it, you’ll realize those attempts made you strong. Just focus on what you want,” she said. “One day, you’ll achieve your dreams.”

With her double gold at Hayward Field, Pamela Kosgey now carries more than just medals. 

She carries the dreams of Kamurto, the legacy of her family name, and the strength of a young woman who doesn’t just run fast, she runs free. (All Photos: JOSH GRENADE)