World
Kenya's Iten Town, famous for producing champion athletes, is attracting more Chinese runners
The unique temperature of Iten has a lot to do with the success of the training as it is mostly cool highland weather almost all year round.
By Gitonga Njeru  ·  2021-10-29  ·   Source: VOL. 13 NOVEMBER 2021
The climate and altitude of Iten make it one of the most perfect locations in the world for athletic training (HELLORF)

Kenyan veteran athletics coach David Letting has trained many prominent athletes, a large number of whom have gone on to win Olympic medals. He admits that he cannot recall the exact number of successful athletes who have been trained by him. While his focus is on Kenyans, he also trains foreign athletes who spend time in the country.

This includes long distance event training of European and Chinese athletes, who make their way to the small town of Iten, located high up in the great Rift Valley region. The world-famous town, seen by many to be the spiritual home of running, is known to produce some of the world's best sportsmen and sportswomen each year. Iten lies about 353 km from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, about a six-and-a-half hour drive.

Ideal geographical running location

Letting said he has seen an annual increase in the number of Chinese athletes who have come to him for training.

"Between June and September [each year], the athletes come to train in Iten. The climate is extremely cool and favorable. I train an average of 20 Chinese athletes in that period [each year]. Many go on to become professionals, while a few just want to keep fit," said Letting.

"Chinese athletes train in Kenya's rift valley to hone their running skills. Kenya is an athletic nation. They want to know our secret [of success], but obviously, they also want to be better [runners]," he added.

As Letting said, the unique temperature of Iten has a lot to do with the success of the training as it is mostly cool highland weather almost all year round. Temperatures vary between 9 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius in the coldest months of June and July.

"The climate and altitude make it unique for the body to adjust to physical fitness. Most of Kenya's well-known runners have at some point trained in this historical town," said Letting. "Iten's altitude is 2,400 meters, making it very favorable for extensive training, one of the most perfect locations in the world for any athlete. Among the many successful athletes Letting has trained are current Olympic 800-meter gold medallist Emmanuel Korir, and current 1,500-meter Olympic silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot.

Chinese athlete Zhang Yanxin in a race in April (XINHUA)

Attraction for Chinese athletes

According to information from the Kenyan Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, an increasing number of Chinese athletes have trained in this location since 2018.

A number of the Chinese athletes have competed and won various medals in international athletic sporting events.

"We do accredit many Chinese athletes to train in the country in different time intervals. Many of them choose the famous town of Iten. As many as 20 to 30 in a month [arrive], especially in the periods between June and September when the climate is cool," said Amina Mohamed, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture.

Among the Chinese athletes who have been training in Iten is 27-year-old Zhang Xinyan, who visited in April 2018 to participate in a month-long training inside and outside Eldoret and Iten towns, an area which is fondly referred to as the Home of Champions.

The middle-distance runner from northwest China's Gansu Province competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

It was a once in a lifetime experience for Zhang and five other Chinese track and field athletes when they came to Kenya during the rainy season in April to meet the country's big names in middle and long-distance races. They also participated in a joint special training course.

Zhang and her colleagues from southwest China's Yunnan Province pushed themselves physically through the rough terrain in Eldoret. During the training at the modern track owned by Moi University, located on the outskirts of Eldoret Town, Zhang reunited with Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi, a 26-year-old Kenyan 3,000-meter steeplechase icon who bagged gold at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and a silver medal at 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Despite the language barrier, the pair had an instant chemistry as they shared fond memories of participating in the highly competitive races where they earned global recognition. Training together with their Kenyan counterparts from middle-and-long-distance races who come from unique cultural, economic and geographical diversities made a big impression on the Chinese athletes.

"Training together with Kenyan athletes is a lifetime experience. They are the world's greatest athletes. I competed with them in the Rio Olympics. I did not win a medal but I am improving with time. I believe I will also rank high [higher] someday," Zhang told ChinAfrica in a telephonic interview from China.

"I could also not imagine a reunion with somebody I consider a heroine in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and our training here in the Home of Champions will definitely be a [unique] experience in our careers in track and field," Zhang added.

She said that she hopes to return to Kenya next year for hard training.

She revealed that she has always held Kenyan middle-and-long-distance runners with high esteem and participating in a joint training with them would be a boom to her track and field career.

Financial incentive

Up and coming athlete Paul Jepkosgei, who hopes to compete in 2024 Olympics 3,000-meter steeplechase, said he has enjoyed training with Chinese athletes.

"I have trained with many Chinese and it really motivates them. I can say I have at least trained with 30 athletes from China," said Jepkosgei.

Information coming from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage shows that Chinese athletes are taking athletics seriously and want to train together with their Kenyan counterparts so as to increase their chances of many athletic medals in international sporting events such as the Olympics.

Athletics is Kenya's main sport and no country in Africa has more medals than the East African country based on figures. China has also gained ground in athletics and wants to improve.

"We are in discussions with the Chinese Government to put up a major track and field academy in the Rift Valley. We have identified two sites in Iten and another in Eldoret. The discussions are at an advanced stage," said Mohamed.

She says that the importance of athletics, especially long and middle-distance running, is the reason why many people are gaining an interest in the sport. An added attraction is the big money that can be earned for top athletes. In Kenya many elite track and field stars are dollar millionaires.

"It is a foreign exchange earner and at some point the government thought of introducing new taxes for the athletes. Many drop out of school to participate in the athletics," added Mohamed.

She said that once the academy is up and running, it will accommodate athletes from around the world, including those from China, and that the facility will be the only of its kind in Africa once complete.

Reporting from Kenya

(Print Edition Title: Spiritual Home of Running)

Comments to zanjifang@chinafrica.cn

China
Opinion
World
Business
Lifestyle
Video
Multimedia
 
China Focus
Documents
Special Reports
 
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise with Us
Subscribe
Partners: China.org.cn   |   China Today   |   China Pictorial   |   People's Daily Online   |   Women of China   |   Xinhua News Agency   |   China Daily
CGTN   |   China Tibet Online   |   China Radio International   |   Global Times   |   Qiushi Journal
Copyright Beijing Review All rights reserved 京ICP备08005356号 京公网安备110102005860