About Us
Garrett Ash, NSCA-CSCS, Co-Founder
Garrett Ash brings to his Director role experience as an exercise physiologist, performance analyst, and project manager, in addition to an athlete and coach. He has authored two publications in top academic journals and served as a principal investigator or project manager for five funded grant proposals, with sponsors ranging from the Keble Association at Oxford University to the United States National Institutes of Health. He is currently a Graduate Assistant at both the University of Connecticut Department of Kinesiology and Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention, and in his 2nd year of study for a PhD in Kinesiology. Garrett first travelled to Ethiopia in March 2008 as part of a student project, with the assignment of observing the training and nutrition of the Ethiopian athletes. By the end of hte month, however, he realized that the athletes did not need research so much as thy needed organization and infrastructure to help them achieve economic sustainability. Hence he devoted himself to pursuing the mission of Running Across Borders. Since then he has served the organization in project management and organization, performance analysis for all athletes, and public relations in the USA.
As an athlete Garrett hols honors as a conference champion, state championship qualifier, college event record holder, and a personal best marathon of 2:32. He regularly places on the podium at USA Track and Field (USATF) Connecticut circuit race and other regional road and track competitions. Garrett has head coached a high school varsity team and open athletes, holding certifications from USATF and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS).
Malcolm brings to his Director role experience in athlete representation and race negotiation, media, project and event management experience, as well as his own personal interest in running. He first travelled to Kenya in 2001/2002 for an 11 month experience teaching Physical Education, English and Geography at a remote Kenyan secondary school 7 hours North West of Nairobi. He was responsible for the school’s Cross-country and Athletics Club during this time. Living at an altitude of 6,500 feet in the Kenyan Rift Valley opened Malcolm’s eyes to the world of East African running, education in the region and the challenges that high unemployment has on youth.
He returned to Kenya under a research internship with the African Youth Foundation (AYF) (June-Sept 2004) and in November 2005 travelled to Ghana under the auspices of the Universal Leaders Group, an initiative of AYF. Travel to Kenya in March and April 2008 gave Malcolm the opportunity to complete a 9 month research project on the development of the Kenyan Amateur Athletics Association (now Athletics Kenya) as part of his Master of Science (MSc) degree in African Studies at Oxford University. On return from his fieldwork Malcolm was inspired to establish, in partnership with Garret Ash, Running Across Borders. He acts as principle athlete representative, planning athletes’ racing schedule, negotiating with races and managing all athletes media and PR in addition to his project management role for the RAB Foundation the focus of which is presently the ‘Town of Runners’ training camp project.
Malcolm formerly worked in Scotland at the Scottish Government then at Holyrood Communications, a leading political communications firm in Edinburgh. He presently resides and works in London as the Events Manager within the central communications team for the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) a leading independent think tank on International Development.
Malcolm Anderson, Co-Founder
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO EAST AFRICAN YOUTH THROUGH RUNNING
Running Across Borders
Malcolm holds a Masters degree in African Studies (Oxford 2008) an MA in International Relations (St Andrews 2006) and was the Canadian Robert T Jones Jnr. (Bobby Jones) Scholar at the University of Western Ontario, Canada (2005). He is a keen runner and all round sportsman having captaining St Andrews University Men’s Tennis Team played competitively for St Andrews and Oxford University’s Golf teams and represented St Hugh’s College 1st Tennis Team.
