By MOIRA SMITH/ For centuries, the Maasai of East Africa practiced a traditional rite of passage to manhood: the hunting and killing of a lion. Today, the hunt is for medals, not animals, and it takes place at what has become the Maasai Olympics.
A conservation program like no other, this biennial event has been held in Kenya since 2012, showcasing traditional Maasai tribal skills, while also protecting endangered animals.
A traditional part of Maasai culture for centuries, the hunt for a lion was long considered a way for men to prove their bravery, establish themselves as potential leaders, and perhaps most importantly, impress women.
In the 21st century, a growing population with changing attitudes about Kenya’s wildlife prompted the Menye Layiok, or cultural fathers, and Big Life Foundation to establish the Maasai Olympics, which has grown to be one of Kenya’s greatest celebrations of Maasai culture.
Inspired by traditional hunting practices, events include 200m and 800m springs, a 5km run, high jumping (Maasai style, of course!), and javelin throwing.
Competitors also throw a traditional hunting club known as the rungu in a contest that’s all about accuracy, not distance.
The Maasai tribe inhabit parts of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania and are recognized as one of the most iconic tribes in Africa. Communities in six different regions hold individual competitions before meeting at the event, which will take place this December (2026).
(South African-born Moira Smith is a vice president at Goway Travel, based in Toronto; her column is part of a series that has appeared in Globetrotting magazine and can be found on goway.com)
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