Howdy & aloha! We’re joined by Coach James Majenge, Head Cross Country Coach at Ranger College (@rangersxctf1926).  In just two seasons, Majenge has guided the Ranger women to a conference title and top-12 NJCAA finish, while leading the men to a top-15 national finish and producing multiple All-Americans and national qualifiers.We dig into his journey from South Africa → JUCO → NCAA All-American, mentoring international student-athletes, building a culture of family and discipline, and how Ranger’s small-town gravel-loop training grounds have become a distance runner’s dream.Highlights

• Origin story & culture shock arriving in New York
  
  
• Recruiting international and local athletes to West Texas
  
  
• Team bonding & Friday ugali nights 🍲
  
  
• Mileage-first training philosophy and “Kenyan track” approach
  
  
• Managing academics & mental health on a small campus
  
  
• Preparing for Fort Dodge Nationals & the NJCAA Half Marathon
  
  
• Afro House music, Mountain Dew addiction 😅 and life in Texas
  
  

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⏱ Timestamps / Show Notes

• 0:00 Intro – Howdy & aloha / ABR mission
  
  
• 1:18 Meet Coach Majenge – Ranger’s rise to JUCO power
  
  
• 4:15 From South Africa to the U.S. — Monroe → Cameron → LMU → Ranger
  
  
• 7:47 Culture shock & finding community
  
  
• 12:08 Recruiting balance — locals vs internationals
  
  
• 13:57 Parent trust & team meals (ugali Fridays)
  
  
• 16:54 Challenges for international athletes & support systems
  
  
• 24:51 Training environment — gravel “Kenyan track” & open roads
  
  
• 27:49 Coaching philosophy — steady mileage builds & development
  
  
• 29:05 Season recap & summer accountability
  
  
• 33:35 A day in the life of a JUCO head coach
  
  
• 35:13 Schedule preview — DBU Classic & Hobbs altitude runs
  
  
• 36:53 Preparing for Fort Dodge cold and the Half Marathon
  
  
• 38:13 Athletes to watch & program goals
  
  
• 41:44 Training cycles for older vs younger runners
  
  
• 42:23 Why he avoids double-threshold workouts (for now)
  
  
• 43:42 Advice to future international recruits
  
  
• 45:10 Language, identity & speaking seven tongues
  
  
• 47:02 Ranger’s small-campus advantage
  
  
• 48:17 Life & vibes — dogs, tea, Mountain Dew & house music
  
  
• 55:28 Closing thoughts + Fort Dodge outlook + next ABR guests