Track and field is a sport of fine margins, where one small mistake or rule violation can end years of hard work. That’s what happened to Everlyn Kemboi, who had to work harder than most. Growing up in Kenya, her father earned only $200 a month, which he put towards her education. And in return, Kemboi made him proud when she won an NCAA national title in 2023. But that victory didn’t last.

Two years ago, during her final year at Utah Valley University, Kemboi ran a time of 32:39.08 to claim the 10,000-meter title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. She also earned a runner-up finish in the 5,000 meters.

Recently the Division I Women’s Outdoor Track Championships Records Book revealed that Kemboi’s results from 2023, including her 10,000-meter title, along with her 5,000-meter silver, had been revoked by the NCAA’s committee on infractions. But what prompted this delayed reversal?

The controversy began on December 19, when Emily Venters, a Utah alum and runner-up at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m, released a statement on Instagram claiming that Kemboi had tested positive for a banned substance.

Venters explained, “In June 2023 my final year competing for the University of Utah I finished second in the 10K and third in the 5K at the Division I Outdoor Championships. We later learned that the athlete who won the 10K and finished second in the 5K tested positive for a banned substance and had her results revoked.”

She continued, “This is something I never wanted to have to post, but staying quiet would mean accepting something that isn’t right.” Venters, who still holds Utah’s program records in the 10,000 and 5,000 meters, ran 32:47.70 in the 10K and 15:42.40 in the 5K, both the fastest times by a Utah athlete at an NCAA championship.

But most heartbreaking of all was that the NCAA refused to upgrade Venters’ and other runners’ scores as a result. In addition to her second-place finish in the 10,000m, Venters also placed third in the 5,000m.

“What hurts most is that I will never get that moment back,” she wrote. “I will never get to experience being named a national champion, standing on the top step of that podium, hearing my name called. That moment was taken from me by someone who chose to cheat and now by a system that refuses to fix it.”

She revealed that the decision has serious consequences for her future, including financial implications, as she is now a professional runner sponsored by Nike and Xendurance. Venters also warned about the precedent this sets for future NCAA athletes.

“This sets a dangerous standard for the next generation of NCAA athletes. It tells them that cheating can happen, that athletes can test positive, and yet the right thing still will not be done…”

She explained, “This is not just my story. It is about the future of our sport, and unless things change, the message being sent is that cheating is tolerated. That is a standard we should never accept.”

But before the controversy, there was the journey that made Kemboi a budding track and field star.

Everlyn Kemboi’s journey from Kenya to professional track and field glory

Everlyn Kemboi’s journey started at the age of five, running an average of 15 miles to school every day due to a lack of transport. But growing up, her dream wasn’t track and field; it was to become a nurse.

“I wanted to be a nurse, and my aunt is a nurse. So, admiring her,” she says. “My dad was really supportive. Education is everything.” But supporting that dream wasn’t easy. Her high school cost $1,000 a year, but her father earned only $200 a month.

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He made huge sacrifices for her education, even wearing just one pair of shoes throughout her school years. “I cried… I understand the sacrifice that they’re pouring into me. And I will do everything just to make you guys happy,” Kemboi recalled.

And with time, her desire to keep running competitively took her first to El Paso Community College, then to the University of Arizona, and eventually to Utah Valley University (UVU) in the fall of 2021 on a scholarship.

At UVU, she joined the cross-country and track teams, starting modestly but steadily improving. By the end of her first season, she earned spots in major meets. Along with it, she also completed a bachelor’s degree in public health.

Since leaving the NCAA, Kemboi has competed in 18 professional track and road races. She’s run at big events like The TEN, the Portland Track Festival, and the Falmouth Road Race. On July 28, 2024, she won the 52nd Wharf to Wharf six-mile race in California in 30:29, one of her biggest professional wins.

Despite overcoming poverty, long miles, and sacrifices to reach national glory, a single mistake has now cost her the all-important title.