Masai's journey at Hofstra cemented in history

Two years ago, Alex Masai was trying to make history at the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Championships. The Hofstra student was already accomplished in his time there. He had set two Hofstra program records at the Lehigh Paul Short Run College Men’s Gold 8K Race and the NCAA Northeast Region Championships. He won his second CAA Cross Country Championship that year as well. But when the lights shined the brightest, he said he was disappointed with his finish.

“I didn’t do well at Indiana [in 2019],” Masai said. “This season, I was very prepared. Fewer racing opportunities, so I knew it would be a nice time to come back and showcase what I’m capable of doing.”

The 2020-21 season had fewer races than previous seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first race was the 2020 CAA Championships on March 5 where Masai ran a 22:53.3 8K, breaking his previous record by 24 seconds to win his third straight conference title. But the main event for him was the NCAA Division I Race.

“On that day, I woke up nicely and prepared for the other quality runners in the NCAA,” Masai said. “I went there excited as always to race, to get the opportunity to wear Hofstra colors, and I did my best to hang out with the top guys, and I was happy with the results.”

Masai crossed the finish-line at the 10K with a time of 30:39.1, finishing in 32nd place and making him the first All-American cross country runner in Hofstra history.

He’s been dreaming of this moment his whole life. Growing up in Kenya with his older brother, Moses, who is a former Olympic runner, he knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps eventually. But Alex’s parents wanted to set the tone early on while he was growing up.

“African parents always want you to grow up knowing that there’s always a path for running, but my dad wanted me to pursue an education first,” Masai said. “I grew up knowing at one point I would probably have a chance to try and see how well I could get at running, but it was probably going to be after college. That was until I learned about American scholarships and NCAA running.”

After running in high school and capturing district cross country championships, he stayed in Kenya and attended Moi University, but did not participate in any sports there. It was only when he came to the U.S. that he took on running at the collegiate level. He attended Monroe College in New York for one semester where he captured a cross country regional title. But the transition to Hofstra was an easy one for Masai.

“I met a great group of guys who welcomed me nicely and I adapted quickly enough,” Masai recalled. “I had some friends from Kenya already here, so it was easy for me to get into it.”

After all the accomplishments in the blue and gold, Masai has high aspirations for what he wants to do once he graduates.

“My plan is to be in the Olympics somewhere in the future, and maybe win a medal, you never know,” Masai said. “I’ll put my [master’s] degree to the side and venture into running and see how much better I can get.”

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics