Gloria Kurgat

Bio

Gloria Kurgat is a cross country and track athlete hailing from rural Kenya. Her hometown of Iten in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya is listed as a World Athletics Heritage Landmark.

Kurgat attended Ole Tipis Girls Secondary School in Narok before making the long-distance move to Northwest Arkansas. 

Off the course, Kurgat is a polyglot, speaking fluent Swahili and French alongside English.

Spring 2026 - Track and Field

Shaving a minute and a half off her 5K time from the beginning to the end of the season, Kurgat was electric down the stretch for the Eagles in her freshman season. She chased down a national qualifying time and got down to within 30 seconds, posting a 19:02.57 at the Pittsburg State: The Almost Last Chance Invitational May 9. 

Across all three events on the year, Kurgat set seven PRs, a program record for a single season. Her 1500-meter best came April 24 at the John McDonnell Invite, with a 5:03.69, while her last and best 800-meter attempt of 2026 was a 2:36.19 at the David Suenram Gorilla Classic April 4.

Fall 2025 - Cross Country

After a blazing start to her college career, running a personal-best 20:15.1 at the NWACC Season Opener Sept. 5, Kurgat used the early momentum to her advantage and became a model for consistency. She finished in the top 100 in all six events of the season and all of her 5k times in the regular season fell within 20 seconds of one another.

She finished 100th indivudually with a 22:05.3 at the NJCAA Division II National Championship and led th Eagles to a program-record finish of 9th as a team. She also placed 5th in the NJCAA Region 2 Championship, helping NWACC win its third region title in five seasons.

Fun Facts

Favorite athlete: Faith Kipyegon

Favorite food: Pilau