About Us
Garrett Ash, NSCA-CSCS, Co-Founder
Garrett Ash is involved with the sport of running as an athlete, coach, and now as a co-director of Running Across Borders. He was a high school All-Sectional runner in Illinois, a collegiate school record holder at Swarthmore College, and currently is working to improve his personal best marathon of 2:36. As a coach, he has experience as the head coach of a high school varsity team and also with open-level athletes. He completed his M.Sc. at Oxford University in Science and Medicine of Athletic Performance, and holds certifications from USA Track and Field (USATF) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS).
Garrett first travelled to Ethiopia in March of 2008 as part of a student project, with the assignment of observing the training and nutrition of the Ethiopian athletes. By the end of the month, however, he realized that not only could he take from the country fantastic experiences, but he could give to it his scientific knowledge, coaching expertise, and ability to mobilize western-standard resources. Hence he devoted himself to pursuing the mission of Running Across Borders.
Currently Garrett is pursuing a Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut in the USA.
Malcolm Anderson's interest and involvement with running stems from an 11 month experience in Kenya in 2001/2002, where he taught Physical Education, English and Geography at the remote Bonjoge Boy’s Secondary School, Nandi Hills, 7 hours North West of Nairobi. He was responsible for the school’s Cross-country and Athletics Club, training with the students and travelling with them to athletics competitions. Living at an altitude of 6,500 feet in the famous Kenya 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 he travelled to Ghana under the auspices of the Universal Leaders Group, an initiative of AYF. Most recently travel to Kenya in March/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.
With the same self belief, determination and ambition that drives an East African Runner, Malcolm was inspired to establish, in partnership with Garret Ash, the mission of Running Across Borders.
Malcolm formerly worked as an Assistant Performance Manager within the Scottish Government Department of Health and now works for a leading political communications firm in Edinburgh. He 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).
Malcolm is an all round sportsman with athletics having always been a part of his fitness regime. As well as captaining St Andrews University Men’s Tennis Team (2004) he played competitively for St Andrews and Oxford University’s Golf teams (2006 &2008) and represented St Hugh’s College 1st Tennis Team (2008)
Malcolm Anderson, Co-Founder
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO EAST AFRICAN YOUTH THROUGH RUNNING
Running Across Borders
