Ferdinand Omanyala Breaks Down Typical Training Routine, Diet That Has Made Him Africa's Fastest Man

When Ferdinand Omanyala lines up on the track, few pause to consider the meticulous preparation behind every explosive stride.

Africa’s fastest man has now opened up on the grueling daily schedule, nutrition plan, and training science that fuel his sprinting dominance.

The day begins early. “I usually wake up around six,” Omanyala explained on a guest appearance on Sporty FM.

 “Breakfast is ready by then, and I take about 45 minutes to eat and prepare.” Unlike many athletes who rely on light meals, Omanyala emphasizes energy-dense food. “I always go for proteins and carbs. Sometimes I’ll even have rice in the morning—it carries you through the day. I also add electrolytes and supplements because you lose a lot of sweat during training.”

Once fueled, the sprinter heads to the gym. By 8 a.m., he is already locked in for a two-hour strength session before transitioning to the track for interval work. 

On endurance days, that means punishing sets of 200- or 300-meter repeats—12 at a time. “You have to maintain a consistent pace,” he says. “If you run too fast, the workout loses purpose. Too slow, and it means the body is tiring. It’s all calculated around your target times.”

Afternoons bring a different intensity. After lunch and rest, Omanyala returns to the field at 3:30 p.m. for a second session targeting speed, core, and mobility.

 “The morning is endurance,” he notes. “The evening session focuses on core strength, hip mobility, and then sprints—six reps of 80 meters, for example.”

His training drills are not random but carefully designed around the biomechanics of the 100 meters. “The sprint is broken into segments,” he explains. 

“From zero to 30 meters is the drive phase, pure acceleration. Between 30 and 80 is upright high-speed running. Then the last 20 meters, that’s where the body hits its physical limit—it’s about managing deceleration.”

Even breathing is choreographed. “Usually I breathe three times in a 100-meter race. Once in at the blocks, out around 30 meters, then another breath in at 80 to carry me to the finish. It must be subconscious. There’s no time to think.”

This structured approach, repeated day after day, is what allows Omanyala to clock sub-10-second times while holding his form against the world’s best.

 “Everything we do in training has to happen within nine seconds on the track,” he says. “That’s why discipline is everything.”

For Omanyala, the speed that has made him Africa’s fastest man is no accident—it is the product of science, discipline, and countless hours of calculated grind.