Kenyan runners remain pervasive

The Kenyans may have been dethroned in the men8217;s group in Sunday8217;s Delhi Half Marathon...

The Kenyans may have been dethroned in the men8217;s group in Sunday8217;s Delhi Half Marathon, but that does little to alter their position as the leading nation when it comes to distance running. The verdict is unanimous if we go by what the participating Kenyan athletes had to say.

Isaac Machauria, who closely lost the title to Rwanda8217;s Deiudonne Disi in the Sunday race, said: 8220;When athletes from Kenya are racing, there is an outside chance for runners from other nations to dominate. There are hoards of runners back home8221;

Even the results of last weekend8217;s major marathon competitions across two continents8212;Europe and Asia8212; suggest Kenyans are pervasive.

From October 21-28, in major marathons held right from the German city of Frankfurt to the Asian city of Beijing, Kenyan athletes walked away with top honours in each of the five major marathons 8212;Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vince, Carpi and Beijing. In Vince and Amsterdam, it was a clean sweep.

The Kenyan success story, says Ian Ladbrooke, elite athlete coordinator, is the result of sustained hard work over a long period of time. 8220;They train pretty hard. And they continue to do so for years before they emerge on the top,8221; explains Ladbrooke, who supervises the training of some top Kenyans.

The recent results of the major marathons across Europe and China also indicate the depth of the field that Kenya has in distance running.

8220;Our nation is like a bottomless pit that churns out champion after champion,8221; added Isaac.

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8220;Running is a way of life. It helps us support ourselves, which otherwise would have been difficult.8221;

Perhaps that could be the reason that in all major marathons, at least five top slots out of ten go to Kenya. Sometimes the figure is more8212; depending on the purse.

Take for example, yesterday in Frankfurt, the eventual winner Wilfred Kigen, a father of four, finished the race in 2:08. Of the top nine Kenyans, four were sub 2:09. In Carpi, Italy, Noah Kiplagat, the eventual winner from Kenya clocked 2:11.18. And in the top five, four were Kenyans.

In Amsterdam last Sunday, the Kenyans made a clean sweep, with Emmanuel Mutai running the fastest time of 2:06:29. Also in Vince, a Kenyan clean sweep saw Janathan Kipkorir Kosgei taking top honours with a time of 2:12:27. In Beijing, Nephat Kinyangui clocked2:08:04. However, only five Kenyans could figure in the top ten. There were a Japanese and Chinese figuring among the top ten.

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The area of Rift Valley in central Kenya, which possesses high altitude and soft terrain, continues to be a gold mine of long distance stars, no wonder the region is home to several champions. The region not only offers a good running surface which is less injurious to joints, but it is also a major farming region of the country. 8220;The region is conducive to distance running. There is also abundance of food. It contributes to running,8221; added Ladbrooke.