Jambo from Kenya my little and big feetlings,

I was not telling lies last week when I said I was in Kenya hanging out with the stars of the marathon world. If you don’t believe me here is some proof of who I was hanging out with last week.

Martin Lel, Stefano Baldini, Footnote, Sammy Wanjiru

Sorry for hiding my identity but this international man/foot needs to keep his mystery!

Why Kenya? I was sitting at home with snow all around me and then I asked myself- How can I exchange this country for some sun? Then it hit me, I will tell the boss something along the lines of: “My readers need to learn from the best in the world, I will promise to write something that will mirror Hunter S. Thompson’s ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ that will probably be turned into a major film in the future and my boss will have a starring part! Somehow he bought it and here I am in Eldoret, Kenya with two Olympic champions and a 5 times Marathon Major winner next too me.

For the next few weeks I will try and give you an insight to Kenyan life and find out the secret to their training so we can all become champion runners!

One of the first Kenyan’s I met was Martin Lel and I hope you liked the quick fire Q&A’s. Martin’s record speaks for itself and he is busy in preparation for the Virgin London Marathon. What immediately hit me about Martin was that unlike many successful Kenyan runners Martin has not changed much about his life since becoming a star. Eldoret is a very fast growing town in Kenya but the majority of work is agriculturally related. Martin is from the Kaligen tribe who seem to produce a conveyor belt of running champions. Like most Kaligen Martin grew up on a farm and spent a lot of his weekends herding cows or ploughing fields.

The stereotype of Kenyan’s running to school each day actually holds up with Martin. His school was 10km away that would give him a basic of 100km of walking/running a week (from age 6 upwards). Two questions for you: How far did you walk to school when you were younger? How far do western kids walk to school today?

At school, Martin joined in training with some of his older friends and was spotted in a half marathon race by an Italian agent. The most talented runners are then offered a wage to train full time and live in a camp with other runners. Training is hard but not that different to western training principles which is not surprising, as most of the coaches are westerners
paid for by western agents.

Success in Kenya is all about money! I think it is true to say winning a race with big financial bonuses is more important than the prestige of the race itself. At least this is definitely true when it comes to how the general public views athletics in Kenya. I don’t suppose this any different
to how we look at footballers in the west? This is still a third world country where a gardener will earn 1,500 Kenyan Shillings a month that equates to about £15.

Being a World Marathon Major’s Champion financially means you are set up for life in Kenya. Many Kenyan’s lose the hunger to run when they strike it rich. They will change their environment and forget about the hard work they put in to get there in the first place. This is what makes repeat champions so special and Martin Lel falls under this category. Despite being able to afford a big mansion and the top lifestyle Martin still trains in the environment that made him great.

This is a picture of where Martin sleeps with three other athletes. No shower or bath and a hole in the ground for your one’s and two’s!

Very cosy indeed but, why change a winning formula? Martin invests his money wisely in local businesses and is heavily involved in raising money for a new orphanage. As a person he is a very down too earth guy. Like many Kenyan’s he has a heart of gold and a laugh too match!

Before I visited Kenya I knew very little about life in East Africa and how these amazing runners lived. I am certainly not an expert on the subject but please get in touch with me if you have any questions about life in Kenya as I write about my experiences in land of champions! 

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