Athlete Refugee Team

World Athletics collaborated with Kenyan long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe to form the team in 2014 as a short-term response to the growing refugee crisis that left millions of people dislocated or stateless.

However, it has since turned into a sort of permanent feature at World Athletics events due to the refugee crisis only worsening.

Loroupe finds young, aspiring recruits at local running events and carefully selects them to be on the Athlete Refugee Team.

[1] The Athlete Refugee Team's first appearance was at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Additionally, the organisation commits to financially sustaining and investing in the programme by continually seeking out coaches and competitive opportunities for the athletes.