By: Alieu Ceesay
Under the blazing sun on a sandy football field at Kinderdorf Technical School, Lamin Marong crouches at the starting line, his bare feet pressing into the uneven ground. The whistle blows, and he surges forward, each stride a testament to his determination—and a silent plea for better support. For Lamin and countless other Gambian student-athletes, running isn’t just a race against competitors; it’s a battle against bruises, blisters, and the long-term toll of inadequate shoes and crumbling infrastructure.
Photo Credit: I am DJ
In The Gambia, the pursuit of athletic greatness unfolds on a single, storied stage: Independence Stadium. Once a hub for competitive running, it’s been sidelined for years, deemed unfit by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and left in a state of perpetual renovation. With no proper track to train on, students like Lamin improvise on makeshift fields, their dreams of international stardom—like that of their idol, track star Lamin “Lan Basse” Camara—tested by every painful step.
“I feel pain every time I run, but I don’t have a choice,” Lamin confesses, his voice steady despite the odds stacked against him. At the inter-school heats, he’s not alone. Dozens of students line up in worn-out sneakers or no shoes at all, their grit shining through the dust.
Haruna Marenah, a Tujereng Upper and Senior Secondary School runner, limps across the finish line with a fresh wound, blaming the rocky terrain. “I can’t even tell you if I hit a stone,” he says, frustration lacing his words. “All of this is because of the poor ground.”
Then there’s Awa K. Darboe from St. Peter’s Technical Senior Secondary School, who takes third in the 200-meter girls’ open race—barefoot. “I’m not used to running with shoes,” she explains matter-of-factly, a reality shaped by necessity rather than preference. She dreams of a safer track where talent, not terrain, determines the outcome.
The stakes are high at these inter-school championships, a proving ground for Gambia’s next generation of champions. This year, the event made history by moving to rural Basse, spotlighting talent beyond the urban centers. Yet beneath the cheers lies a stark truth: for every medal won, there’s a story of struggle.
Ousman Kebbeh, First Vice President of the Gambia Secondary Schools Sports Association, doesn’t mince words. “Let them put the running tracks on track,” he urged at a press conference, calling for the stadium’s revival to give athletes a fighting chance.
The challenges run deeper than infrastructure. Ebrima KB Sonko, a Busumbala Farato Upper Basic School teacher and a sports journalist, sees the financial strain firsthand. “Our sports budget isn’t big enough to buy spikes,” he says. Teachers often dip into their own pockets to outfit their students, a labor of love for a system that’s stretched thin. Sonko mentors his athletes on more than just technique—he preaches the transformative power of sports, a lifeline for communities yearning for hope.
This year’s championships introduced a new twist: a medal-based scoring system replacing the old point tally. Maahad Senior Secondary School claimed the top spot, their haul of gold, silver, and bronze a symbol of triumph over adversity. Gone are the cash prizes of yesteryear; now, winners receive gear—running kits, jerseys, and shoes—practical tools to level the playing field.
“Athletes are going to benefit directly,” says Lamin Jammeh, Secretary General of the organizing committee, who sees the shift as a step toward sustainability.
But the fight is far from over. Omar Badjie of the Red Cross’s West Coast Region branch tends to the fallen—sprains, strains, and fatigue plaguing runners on uneven ground. “These are not proper rubber tracks,” he warns, noting the long-term risks for young bodies pushed to the limit.
Meanwhile, Initiatives like RunningReSole, a U.S.-based organization founded by Todd Robertson, an American, and Chilelu Kakanwa, a native of Zambia, have generously donated over 100 new running shoes to young athletes in The Gambia. The donation aims to support aspiring African athletes by providing them with essential sports gear.
RunningReSole’s mission is to collect new and gently used running shoes so that those who cannot afford them can enjoy the benefit of running and erase the sight of bare feet pounding the dirt.
The recent donation included 100 pairs of running shoes for Teameis Athletics. The first shipment, 44 pairs, was delivered in 2022, followed by a second shipment, 56 pairs, which arrived in January 2025.
For Lamin, Haruna, Awa, and their peers, every race is a defiant act of will. They run not just for victory but for a future where talent isn’t shackled by circumstance. As Sarjo Danso Sowe of the West Coast Region Secondary Schools Sports Association puts it, the new prize system could make scarcity a memory. “The issue of lack of sportswear will be a thing of the past,” he says, a flicker of optimism in a long race toward change.
Until then, Gambia’s student-athletes keep running—barefoot, bruised, and unbroken—proving that determination can outpace even the toughest odds.
