Kenya’s long-distance runners
There are 17 American men in history who have run under 2:10 hours in a marathon, but there are 32 Kalenjins who did it in 2011. Sound fascinating isn’t it? Who would have known how Kenya produces such good long-distance runners. Through all the semester, we have been discussing and learning about Africa, mostly about how the media viewed Africa negatively and the stressful topics circulating the continent. There are a lot of political, racial problems, and health issues in Africa, but are more emphasized in media. How about the good things? It is sad how good things are viewed as a second choice because they do not ‘sell’ as good as the bad ones. For this last blog post, let us end up the semester with something amazing about Kenya: its Olympics and marathon runners!
Kalenjin is a small Nilotic tribe living in Great Rift Valley, Kenya. The population is about 4.9 million. There is no definite reason why they are so good at running. Scientist has proposed that it is related to their diet, socioeconomic, and the altitude they inhabit. They have high-starch diet and live in a high-altitude, which trained their lungs to be used to lesser amount of oxygen. Making oxygen at a normal altitude a power boost when they are actually on the racetrack. Also, it came form determination and training. Other beliefs were that because they have a unique body structure that supports them to run faster than others.
Surprisingly in the Boston marathon 2012, the first place winners for men and women were Kenyans, also the second and third places for both categories. Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich is a long-distance athlete specialized in marathon running. He was a former world recorder in 2013 Berlin marathon and he won the 2014 London marathon. He won a total of 13 gold medals from marathons since 2009 to 2014 as well. Kenya first participated in the Olympics in 1956 and they are very famous for long distance running events. In Kenya history, it won a total of 79 Olympic running medals, 24 of which are gold.
Pamela Jenimo is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. She won a gold medal in Beijing Olympics in 2008 at the age of 18, making her the first Kenya woman to win an Olympic gold medal and also the first to win the Golden League Jackpot. Growing up in a poor but supportive family, Jenimo attended Kenya’s distance running centre with help from her school’s headmaster. She kept improving throughout the season and became successful as she is now.
Another successful runner is David Lekuta Rudisha. He is the current Olympic champion runner for 800m. He was the first person to run under 1:41 minutes for the event. Thus achieving the world record. He went to a runners’ school as a kid and in 2006 he became a world junior champion. In 2010, he won Track & Field Athlete of the Year awards and IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.
I think I’ve learned so much in this class. My original thinking would be like other people that got tricked by the media. My views about Africa changed completely throughout the semester. It is scary how the media played a tremendous amount of influence on people’s behavior and views towards Africa. However, from now on, I know I would be able to view Africa more positively than before. After writing this blog, I’ve discovered something amazing about Kenya. They have the best runners in the world. Since I’m not a sports person, I do not keep track of the Olympics and wouldn’t have known. Not only they are the first, they are the second and third as well. I find it very interesting that Kenyan runners dominate these events. All the stereotype and bias doesn’t matter, because everyone, despite race, has the potential to be great at something.
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