Who likes to run? This is certainly a question many people usually ask those that run cross country or some other event that requires running long distances. The answer is, people from Kenya do. Kenyans tend to have interesting philosophies when it comes to the sport of running which are definitely incomparable to those from everywhere else in the world. It is a way of life.
That is according to Pomona College Associate Professor of Physical Education Kirk Reynolds who spoke last week about the voyage he took in the spring of 2004 to Kenya. Reynolds studied Kenyans in the midst of their training for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Reynolds is also the school’s track and field and cross country coach.
“It’s magical to see 70 of the world’s greatest runners at one time,” Reynolds said.
Kenya is a small country in Africa with roughly 32 million people. With unemployment in the country spiking at around 46 percent, one can only imagine what that half of the population does on a daily basis. Remember, Kenya has a completely different social and economic atmosphere than that of the United States.
“Kenyans walk everywhere,” Reynolds said. “They always walk barefoot.”
When it comes to running, there really is no other way of life for a lot of people in Kenya. How seriously the sport is taken is something that most people may never understand until coming into contact with it.
“Kenyans train extremely hard,” Reynolds said.
The purpose of Reynolds trip was to study Kenyan philosophies and training regiments.
“They are hard working, health conscious when it comes to diet and their pain threshold is amazing,” Reynolds said. “That is their pyramid of importance.”
In US culture, we rely heavily on automobiles for transportation and place much of our personal value on material objects. In Kenya, people walk everywhere and generally do not covet material things. There aren’t large office buildings there or even a corporate structure for that matter.
“The average yearly income for someone in Kenya is 360 dollars,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds also provided some basic fitness comparisons to Americans through statistical analysis. Through his own studies, Reynolds concluded that an average 12 year old in Kenya takes 16,215 steps per day compared to the average American who takes 9,599.
Though more advanced in the sport of running, Kenya is behind when it comes to particular social issues.
“Women working out and running is still extremely new to the culture,” Reynolds said. “In Kenya, when you see a woman training or running it makes you look twice.”
In fact, Kenyan women have just recently been permitted to train and compete with men.
Motivation to succeed and take care of their families is something that drives these remarkable athletes,” Reynolds said.
Still, even for Kenyans, money holds some power. With the power of large shoe companies offering lucrative shoe endorsements, for example, one can hardly blame someone for choosing such a determined and earnest path to achieving success in a sport which they tend to be naturally good at.
“The prize money they win in a race is something they can take care of their families with,” Reynolds said.
Not only is running a way of life for many Kenyans, it is everything.
Steven Falls can be reached at sfalls21@msn.com.