Living Lean, Winning Big
Many a Western athlete travels to Kenya in order to benefit from the high altitude and the plethora of elite training groups. But that is only part of the puzzle because not too many truly embrace the lifestyle and live like a Kenyan athlete. Live like a Kenyan athlete? Well, a simple lifestyle of morning, midday and late-afternoon running is complemented by making ones own food on a gas stove, cleaning ones own shoes in a bucket and just resting in the most spartan of living conditions could pretty much sum up the daily existence of the worlds best. A roof over their heads and running water is pretty much all they need and, for the most part, is pretty much all they have. And this extends to the top athletes for that matter.
When Justin Kemboi was checking in at Cape Town International Airport to fly home on Sunday, he was taken aback by the media and public interest. Having decimated the field in the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon the day before, the previously unheralded Justin was suddenly hot property. Not exactly standing out with his running credentials (2:20ish standard marathon PB), things are set to change for the Kenyan athlete, especially in terms of finance. And good for him.
Like most Kenyan runners, Justin hails from a subsistence farming community, where athletic talent often means avenue to more financial security. In a region like the Rift Valley where talent is aplenty, only the cream of the crop (sic) rise to the very top in terms of race invitations and endorsements. Then there are the journeymen, those athletes with innate talent who fall just below the top flight, but who also benefit financially from their running prowess. And these guys and girls are the masters of calculation. 'I've won so much money at these races, which will last me and my family for so many months, then I need another few races.' This is could pretty much some up the mindset of many a Kenyan and African distance runner for that matter, where the motivation to run well translates directly into their ability to survive. Sure, sponsorships do come along the way but only after good results, and keeping up those good results.
Justin is back in Kenya now and probably resting. The race has been run and won and now it is time to recover before his next big outing. He'll probably start jogging in a few days, if he has not done so already. Not that his new found fame is set to change him – he'll be cooking his own Ugali tonight on a small gas stove.
Rest well Justin, you've earned it.
*Header image courtesy of Shawn Benjamin and Ark Images.
