When Rita Jeptoo tore through the blue finish line on Monday, winning the Boston Marathon, it probably came as no surprise that another Kenyan distance runner topped the field. Distance running is deeply embedded in certain regions of the country’s culture.
Jeptoo trains in the town of Iten, the home base for many past Olympians and marathon champions, considered the mecca of running. Prize money from professional races is a huge boost to the community’s economy.
Iten’s high altitude makes it an ideal destination for elite runners, as training at a higher altitude leads their bodies to use oxygen more efficiently. World half-marathon champion Lornah Kiplagat seized this opportunity and created the High Altitude Training Center, which attracts professionals from all over the world.
I observed Kenya’s running culture first-hand my sophomore spring, when I took a trip to the Kip Keino High Performance Training Center in the town of Eldoret (which, like Iten, is home to many Kenyan running legends). Kip Keino, its founder, rose to prominence after his upset victory over American Jim Ryun in the 1968 Olympics, taking home the gold in the 1,500 meter race. Keino is now the chair of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya.
Kenyan runners vying for the Olympics train on that compound. When I entered Eldoret in 2011, a sign at the town’s entrance read: “Welcome to Eldoret, home of champions. Only champions go to London.”
It was just months until the Olympic trials would determine who would qualify for the 2012 Summer Games.
Keino told me he started the training center as a way to give back to his country. He sees it as part of his obligation to do whatever he can to ensure that Kenya continues producing world-class runners, which he knows has brought great global recognition to his country.
Keino, as head of the Olympic Committee, could easily have decided to live in an upscale part of the capital city. But he has stayed in his hometown, where he can work directly with the runners.
Some runners attributed their success to Brother Colm O’Connell, an Irish missionary who traveled to Kenya in the 1970s and has since trained many of the top runners who attended St. Patrick’s School. The Guardian even called him the “godfather of Kenyan running.” The combination of school and training is a great example of how academics need not be sacrificed in pursuit of an athletic career.
Indeed, balancing athletics and academics has helped some Kenyan runners enter elite universities. The Kenya Scholar-Athlete Project, started by Kenyan Olympian Mike Boit, prepares top students for an education at elite American universities, including SAT instruction and guidance through the application process. It has thus far helped 103 Kenyans gain entry into the most selective colleges in the U.S.
The value of the program, in my view, is its ability to recruit talented student-athletes from even the most remote parts of the country. Students from these isolated regions would otherwise likely have no access to an American education, not because of their academic ability, but because they simply don’t have an understanding of the U.S. application process and the opportunities for financial aid.
Kenya’s strength in competitive running brings national pride and global respect.
Instead of just recognizing that Kenya happens to produce world class distance runners, though, let’s appreciate the people, like Kip Keino and Mike Boit, who are working behind the scenes to build a culture of athletic excellence. Their loyalty to their country’s youth is something that American sports can learn from.
