NN Running Team

NN Running Team
Name	NN Running Team
Founded	2017
Location	Heerde, Netherlands
President	Maarten van der Weijden (ambassador)
Coach	Patrick Sang (head coach)
Athletes	Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Geoffrey Kamworor, Brigid Kosgei
Sponsors	NN Group, Nike

NN Running Team NN Running Team is a professional long-distance running collective founded in 2017 that unites elite marathoners, half-marathoners, and cross-country athletes. The team is headquartered in the Netherlands and manages a global roster of athletes who train, compete, and set records across major marathons, World Athletics events, and championship competitions. It emphasizes high-performance programming, scientific coaching, and international competition presence.

History

The project began when the Dutch insurer NN Group partnered with Kenyan and Ethiopian coaches and athletes to create a centralized elite squad, drawing inspiration from existing professional groups such as Nike Oregon Project, HOKA, and regional training hubs in Iten, Kenya. Early signings included established marathoners from Kenya and Ethiopia, and the team rapidly entered grand major marathons like the Berlin Marathon, London Marathon, and Boston Marathon. High-profile performances at events including the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games elevated the team’s visibility, leading to expanded sponsorships and training bases across Europe and Africa.

Team Composition and Notable Athletes

The roster combines Olympic medalists, world record holders, and rising talents drawn largely from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Among notable figures are Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, world marathon record contender Kenenisa Bekele, multiple-time world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, and major marathon winner Brigid Kosgei. The squad also includes athletes who have medaled at the World Cross Country Championships, competed at the Commonwealth Games, and represented nations at the IAAF World Indoor Championships. National athletics federations such as the Athletics Kenya and the Ethiopian Athletics Federation are frequently represented on race rosters, and the team often features rising stars from regional competitions like the NN Zevenheuvelenloop and the Great North Run.

Training Philosophy and Coaching Staff

Coaching emphasizes periodization, altitude adaptation, and biomechanical efficiency, drawing on expertise from veteran coaches including head coaches with ties to Kenya’s high-altitude centers and sports scientists from Netherlands-based institutes. Training methodologies incorporate long runs, tempo sessions, and VO2 max work alongside recovery protocols influenced by research at institutions such as Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and collaborations with sports medicine specialists from University of Nairobi. Staff includes elite coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists, and performance analysts who prepare athletes for marathons staged in cities like Berlin, Tokyo, and Chicago.

Competitive Achievements and Records

Athletes from the team have claimed victories and podiums at the major marathon series, including wins at the London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, and Chicago Marathon. The roster has produced world records, course records, and Olympic medals at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games marathon events. Performances at the World Athletics Road Running Championships and the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships feature prominently in the team’s competitive résumé, along with multiple national championship titles across Kenya and Ethiopia. The squad’s athletes have also set benchmark times at high-profile road races such as the Rotterdam Marathon and the Valencia Marathon.

Sponsorship, Funding, and Organization

Primary corporate backing comes from NN Group alongside technical partnerships with athletic brands such as Nike. Funding flows support training camps, travel to events including the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, medical support, and grassroots development initiatives. Organizational structure pairs a Dutch administrative headquarters with regional training bases in African high-altitude towns, and governance involves collaboration with entities like national federations, event organizers, and global athletics bodies including World Athletics.

Community and Development Programs

The team engages in outreach through youth talent identification, community running events, and support for initiatives tied to health and active lifestyles in host regions. Programs collaborate with local clubs, schools, and non-governmental organizations to promote participation in athletics at grassroots levels, leveraging events such as the Eindhoven Marathon and regional road races for talent scouting. Ambassadors associated with the program participate in charitable initiatives and public campaigns to raise awareness for sport-related causes in Europe and East Africa.

Category:Running teams Category:Athletics organizations