While I may have mentioned I am not entirely a sporty kind of girl in my introduction post, I must admit the more time I spend on here curating content the more I get drawn in, the more I find some kind of relief and warmth, I have never met such a group of such passionate content creators,(well, except Steemians) let alone sports. I am loving how everyone seems to respect the niche of this amazing platform, keeping true to the course.
In my attempted to brainstorm on the kind of content I should bring to the table, something to add value on to this platform, I realized I have always been passionate on showcasing what my country has to offer. It may not be one of the greatest niches yet, but it's something to get me going and keep me active. There's always a sense of pride when one highlights their country's best, after all, East or West, Home is Best...Which leads me to today's topic, and the first among the many to come.
What Really Makes My Country, Kenya, World's Best When it Comes to Marathon Runners?
To be honest, I do not have a definitive answers, infact, noone does...yet.. A lot of scientists and researchers have come to very many conclusions and what not. I will not focus on that, I will share with you guys why we truly believe as a country, we always emerge victorious in ALL the global Marathons we take part in.
For those of you that haven't an idea, we have 43 tribes across the country. What is really fascinating, each tribe is know for each one attributes, history, culture and what not, noone is similar to the other in terms of culture and traditions. When it comes to Marathoners, which is the basis of this post, Most of these Marathon Winners come from one ethnic community, The Kalenjins- Located in the Western Part of Kenya Called the The Great Rift Valley Province.
No other tribe in the country can run as these group of individuals, they are entirely responsible for My Country's great success in Marathons and Athletics. In fact, no other tribe can match up to their excellence. So What Makes then so great? Like I mentioned earlier, I do not have a definitive answer, but I can share from a Cultural & Traditional Perspective on Why we believe they excess so much in this sport
Poverty- A Way Out
The Great Rift Valley Religion is Endowed with one of the best sceneries we have in the country. It is very pleasant to the eyes, very beautiful mountains and valleys.
But beautiful as it is, it is still one of those areas in Kenya that have clung on to their traditional beliefs and ways of life, as such, there aren't many schools, industries, or infrastructure. Kids in this walk/ run 7-10km to make it to the nearest school, barefoot...Their main livelihood source is subsistence farming which sometimes lenders very many youth jobless, so when an opportunity to make a living running, they run with it!Literally...
Long Distance Trading
Long distance travel is a way of life among the Kalenjins, they grow up being very active, covering long distances from one city to the next to get their commodities. This, combined with a little bit of hard work during exercise plays a very huge contribution.
High Altitude Region
The Great Rift Valley region is a very high altitude region. An environment these grow up in and subsequently, it means they have the added advantage when it comes to oxygen uptake during exercise and during running. Research shows kids in this region that run to school have very incredible VO2 Maxes, levels most of us would only dream of. This simply means their maximum oxygen intake during exercise is pretty high compared to most of us. This, combined with active living, and zeal and determination to succeed is a recipe for success.
Running/Athletic Gene
Researchers have failed to pinpoint any special gene among the Kalenjins, however, they have been keen to mention just because they haven't found it, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist...this research is still on going.
Nutrition/Lifestyle
Though this is still an aspect under research, I strongly believe it is one of the major factors that contributes to their success health wise. Like I mentioned earlier, this community has clung on to their traditional way of life, so it goes without a say, they still eat what they have know time in memorial. What this means is, the don't consume processed foods, they solely depend on their subsistence farming and herds of cattle for their livelihood.
Final Remarks
You would be surprised to know, as Kenyans, we really don't have a keep fit fitness culture. On the Contrary, once these marathons retire, they stop running all together, for them it is just a business, a way to combat poverty and get ahead in life. Majority of the population hardly exercise for health benefits. I do however think, these are some of the major factors that have greatly contributed to the success of Kenyan Marathoners!
See You on The Next Blog
Sincerely,
El.
Comments