Home Of Champions’ Insightful Take From Typical Track Day

On a typical track intervals day, a visit to one of the busy tracks in Eldoret (the home of champions), Kapsabet, or Iten is enough to show the level of competition and the depth of the country’s athletic talent.

Runners flood track facilities in Eldoret all year round

All year round, runners of all fitness levels flood the few track facilities across the Rift Valley highlands to sharpen their speed ahead of their various racing seasons. As early as January, some train for the Indoor track season, some for upcoming road races, while others try to get an early start on the outdoor track season. The ideal training weather and environments around these famous destinations not only attract runners from other parts of Kenya, but also from other nations across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and America.

At 7:00 AM, it was a cold and cloudy morning in Eldoret on Tuesday, the 12th of January 2021. This would usually be a warm, sunny, dusty morning every other year, but the weather was quite different this time. With some light clouds blocking the sun, it was good for both the runners, who got cool weather and could push harder in their intervals, and for the photographers, who didn’t have to face the right direction while taking their pictures.

Most of the tracks in the country had been closed after the social distancing rules were set. But these restrictions were recently eased, and some sporting activities began to be held in the country, and the track facilities were also opened for runners.

Judging from the overgrown grass on the field and the conversations I had with the runners and coaches on the track, it was the first track visit for most of them.
Some renovations were underway at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, and it was hard for runners to find their way inside because the usual entrances had either been closed or were under construction.

But once inside the stadium, you would be reminded that it was an Olympic year after all! There were runners not just from different parts of the region but also from different nationalities, warming up for their track interval sessions.

Track facilities in the home of champions are where predictions can be made ahead of major championships

In the less than one hour I spent at the unfinished stadium, I saw Olympic hopefuls from three different countries training. There was Noelie Yorigo of Benin, Geoffrey Kipkorir Ruto of Uganda, and Benson Seurei of Bahrain. Had I stayed longer, I definitely would have seen more stars from other nations as well. There were a good number of big Kenyan stars, too.

Besides the well-known big stars, there were also foreign runners, one of whom caught my attention as he trained in the rare Nike Alphafly racing shoes.

From this track visit, I think one of the best places to gauge talent and make early predictions about who will likely take major titles in the year ahead will be these track facilities in Kenya.

In the years ahead, with major global championships like the Budapest 23 World Championships or the Paris Olympic Games, the number of foreign runners seen at track facilities around Eldoret and other nearby towns is high. This provides a great economic boost to the communities around here. Runners who are still new to running can benefit from professional foreign runners, who can act as route guides and pacers in exchange for either monetary compensation or access to training facilities. The hospitality industry in the area benefits as well from guest houses, hotels and other businesses.