Athlete Migration in Global Sports: The Case of East-African Runners in Brazil

Sport-related migration is becoming more evident as globalization intensifies. Some countries have become references in certain sports and export their talent to different parts of the world. In the case of road races, East-African athletes have had evident hegemony for decades, and such a qualified workforce is also found in Brazil. Given that, this study analyzes the migration process of African road runners to Brazil. For this purpose, a study was conducted using observational research, document analysis, and interviews. As a result, Brazil’s easy athlete permit acquisition, economic opportunities in road races, favorable home conditions, and positive agent relationships attract internationally less prominent athletes to migrate.