The Sport Migrations of East African Athletics

International audienceQuantitatively, international sport migrations of East African athletics involve a rather small population: several hundred, maybe a few thousand people per year, both men and women, most on short-term stays. These migrations originate from all the countries in the region (Eritrea, Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti and Rwanda), but mainly radiate from two countries: Kenya and Ethiopia. Despite its small population size, it is a popular migration as it is well publicized and highly socially valued. Among all the migratory opportunities in the region, it is surely one of the most prestigious. How is this migration sector structured? Which are its different steps? What are the starting points, end points and hubs? This article aims to describe the national and international sports migrations of African athletics starting from the publicized champion after his victory in a great race in a Western country up to each of the social actors involved in the various stages of the migration chain, and finally reaching the sources of migration into the world of young Ethiopian or Kenyan apprentice runners