Commentators can be surprised for the number of titles and medals Kenya won, compared with big Countries.
But the reality is still different : if we look at the origin of the athletes and their site of training, we can see that ALL OF THEM come from an area having less than 50 km of ray, with Eldoret at the center.
This is the list :
GOLD MEDALS :
Vivian Cheruiyot (5000 / 10000) : Chepkoilel (12 km from Eldoret, 20 from Iten)
Edna Kiplagat (Marathon) : Iten
David Rudisha (800) : Masai, but living and training in Iten
Asbel Kiprop (1500) : sometimes in Eldoret, sometime in Iten
Ezekiel Kemboi (Steeple) : Eldoret
Abel Kirui (Marathon) : from Kapsabet, but trains in Iten
SILVER MEDALS :
Sylvia Kibet (5000) : Iten
Sally Kipyego (10000) : Now in US, but from Kaptagat and trained in Iten
Prisca Jeptoo (Marathon) : Kapsabet
Silas Kiplagat (1500) : Between Eldoret and Iten (Chepkoilel)
Brimin Kipruto (steeple) : Kaptagat
Vincent Kipruto (Marathon) : Kaptagat
BRONZE MEDALS :
Janet Jepkosgei (800) : Eldoret
Lineth Masai (10000) : Iten
Sharon Cherop (Marathon) : Iten
Milka Chemos (steeple) : Eldoret
This, better than any other comment, can explain why the center of middle distances in the World is the area Eldoret (the most important town in Rift Valley) – Iten.
Next year in Eldoret we can have a new track in tartan, and this is a good step for the possibility to train also during the rain season (never long as this year : are 45 days that every day there is rain, and the roads and the track are full of mud). But, till this year, sometime we could see in the track of Chepkoilel 400 athletes in training, and among them 15 medals in World Championships…..
What is important here is the air that is possible to breathe. Everybody can run, many times very fast, everybody tries to train hard according to his own talent, everybody hopes to have a chance for changing his life. Training softly means to cheat themselves, because everybody knows the only chance for becoming a top runners is to train hard, because this is the common behavior of the athletes. So, when we are able to direct the best talents in the right type of training, and they are ready to learn something about professionalism, and we are able to learn something else from their normal life, to produce top champions is the natural effect of the passion for running that here is possible to find everywhere.