How we plan to erase Kipchoge’s world record

Like all Kenyans, I followed Eliud Kipchoge’s Ineos Challenge very closely even though I got to know about it just a day before it happened.

We watched it on live TV and while we agreed that he was a good runner, we disagreed with the commentators that Kipchoge is the greatest marathoner ever.

“Huyu hafukuzwi, kama haufukuzwi hauwezi kimbia,” said Alphayo, adding that he knows a good number of people who can run much faster and farther than Kipchoge only that they have never been given an opportunity to appear on TV. He gave an example of Nyayo.

In his hey days, Nyayo was quite a runner — he used to lead in all zonal competitions. He would represent the school in many running competitions, going all the way to provincials.

GREAT SWIMMER

“If I had shoes, I wonder where I would have reached,” said Nyayo. “Ni mimi ningekua kwa TV saa hii.” We used to call the runs cross country, which Nyayo was so good at. And it was not just running.

Nyayo was and is still a great swimmer. And I am not talking about swimming in a pool. Mwisho wa Lami people don’t play in swimming pools. They swim in moving water. Even todate, however overflowing and raging River Yala (we call it Lake Lukose) is, Nyayo ties his clothes on his head and crosses the river within minutes.

We discussed more about running a week later when Pius came around. On Sunday morning, he had woken up early to run. From our home, he went to Mwisho wa Lami market then all the way to St Theresa’s Girls and well past Fiolina’s village.

Those who saw him running thought he had gone mad, and before long, people started coming home to report that he was unwell.

MALARIA

“It is not normal to wake up early to run,” reported Anindo, Nyayo’s wife. “And he is just wearing a vest yet it is raining. Huyo atapata malaria na hii mvua.”

By the time Pius got home, Apostle Elkana, The Revered Spiritual Superintendent of THOAG (The Holiest Of All Ghosts) Tabernacle Assembly, had arrived to pray for him. Pius declined, and told him to relax since he was preparing for StanChart Marathon.

Later that evening at Hitlers, he told us more about running, saying Kipchoge was a great runner and that there was no one on earth who could beat him. However, he was told off.

“Wewe ni mtoto,” said Alphayo. “Haujaona wakimbizi.” We assured him that even Nyayo would beat Kipchoge in a fair contest — and that is without any training. Pius challenged anyone who thought they could run to go with him to Nairobi and participate in StanChart Marathon.

Nyayo asked him how much he would be paid to run. We all laughed when Pius said we would need to pay Sh2,500 each to be allowed to run.

SEND MONEY

“Mimi ndio nafaa kulipwa kukimbia,” said Nyayo. “Sio kulipa.” We were shocked to learn that Pius had paid all that amount to run in that marathon, and others. “How do you pay to go run when you could just wake up and run, and send me the money?” Alphayo wondered. “Pesa ndio inawasumbua,” he concluded.

Nyayo said while he was ready to prove to anyone that he was a great runner, he could not travel all the way to Nairobi just to run.

Two days after running in the Nairobi StanChart Marathon, Pius came back to the village, and was very happy to have completed 21kms.

“That is very little,” said Nyayo. “I can run 60kms in that time.” I also told Pius that 21kms was not something worth talking about.

When growing up, we used to run 12 kms to school everyday, and still go home for lunch. It took us a few minutes.

But it is only when Pius measured the kilometres using his car and a watch that we started appreciating distance. For example, from our home to Mwisho wa Lami market, a distance we always considered 12kms, turned out to be just about 2kms.

And St Theresa Secondary was not 22 kms away. It was just 3.5 kms. We grew up knowing that Kakamega town was 150 kms away. But from Pius’ measurements, it was just 38 kms away.

Even with that, we still believed that we could beat Kipchoge, and may other popular runners.

GREAT RUNNER

“Then why don’t you try running in the Kakamega Forest Marathon?” Asked Pius. He said the marathon was scheduled for end of November, and that if we were serious, he would make plans for us to compete.

“Kama ni hapa Kakamega nitakimbia,” said Nyayo, adding that he would show the world what a great runner he was. I also accepted the challenge. I was always a better runner than Pius although I never took running seriously.

“But you need to train,” said Pius. “Don’t think you can wake up and just run.” Nyayo said he saw no need for training. He said training would make him deplete the energy that he would need for the race. “I need all that energy to show the world what I can do.”

We managed to convince him that training would be good for him, and he agreed to it.

We started the training last Friday. Early that morning, Pius, Nyayo and I woke up early to train. Pius wore an expensive yellow running vest, tight shorts, yellow Nike shoes and matching socks. He carried a water bottle in his right hand and wore a wristwatch on his left hand, which he kept looking at.

KILIMAMBOGO TRACKSUIT

I had worn my old Kilimambogo tracksuit but Pius advised against the attire, saying I would sweat a lot. So I removed it and remained with a vest and a short kaptula. Both were a little torn but true runners don’t care about such small matters.

I wore my old Reebok Sports shoes. Pius was in older Reebok shoes that I had given him during a past occasion, old jeans and a Safaricom T-shirt. He said he could run in anything.

It was a slow run, with Pius controlling the speed. We went past Mwisho wa Lami market, then to St Theresa’s Girls.

Nyayo alerted Pius that it would be an abomination if we ran anywhere near Fiolina’s village. “You can’t go near your in-law’s village wearing a vest and a short. What if I bumped into my mother-in-Law?

Se we took the opposite direction, ran for some time then came back home. Those who know me will tell you that I am tall and athletic, which makes me handsome. Even appealing. Being taller than both Pius and Nyayo, I was the star attraction throughout the journey, and people kept looking at me, especially ladies, who stopped just to admire me.

THREE PEOPLE

It was a little over an hour later when we returned. Nyayo and I were sure we had done about 30 kms, but Pius’s watch indicated that we had done about 6.6 kms.

Word spread quickly and that day, we already had three people who wanted to train with us. They will join us today morning for our second run.

You too can train from wherever you are and come run with us in Kakamega Forest Marathon, where we will show the whole world that we too are not limited... including Kipchoge, whose record we will beat!