Kenyan athletes have been a staple in the sports industry amassing over six decades of dominance on track events and fields.
The sport has brought forth legends such as Kipchoge Keino, Eliud Kipchoge, Paul Tergat, David Rudisha among others.
In the case of certain athletes, they had to overcome unique odds in order to scoop a medal. Kenyans.co.ke takes a look at four of these athletes.
Nyandika Maiyoro
Maiyoro astounded the sports industry during the 1953 Indian Ocean games when he began running 100 meters after his opponents but eventually won the race.
Maiyoro, who had dropped out of school only understood Swahili and Kisii hence needed a translator, a colonial administrator, during the race.
However, a few minutes before the race, his translator dashed off for a bathroom break only to come back and find the race had already started but Maiyoro was still in the starting lines.
Screaming at the top of his voice to alert the athlete, Maiyoro took off, 100 metres distance between his opponents. Maiyoro eventually caught up with the competition and left them behind, clinching the first place in the process.
Henry Rono
Synonymous with having a good time, Rono once broke a world record in the 5000 metres after taking a bottle of Whisky (13 minutes and 9 seconds).
Despite his challenges with the bottle, Rono smashed four world records (10k, 5k 3k steeplechase and 3k race) in a span of 81 days in 1978- a tremendous feat for the athlete.
The extravagant Rono made Ksh15 million and stipulated in his contract that he be paid his annual salary in one day, with five different cheques.
However, his drinking problem took a toll on him, to the point of him forgetting banks where he had opened accounts.
His drinking habits also led him to get placed under custody multiple times. The athlete, however, reformed his lifestyle after going to rehab and is currently a high school athletics coach in Mexico.
Hyvon Ngetich
Ngetich left a notable memory for all fans who watched the February 15, 2015, Austin Marathon after finishing the race by crawling.
Reports indicate that her body gave up while she was fifty metres from the finish line. The athlete collapsed which led to race medics rushing to her side to offer first aid. Relentless in her quest, Ngetich declined the medical attention and crawled her way to the finish line, scooping third place in the process.
Amazed by her determination, the race organizers doubled her prize money (Ksh200,000) for "running the bravest race and crawling the bravest crawl they had ever seen."
Legend Kipchoge Keino
The legend that is Kipchoge Keino rounds up this list with his exuberant yet sterling performance at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
While preparing for the race, he started suffering abdominal pains, but he disregarded the pain and qualified for the finals. However, seeking a doctor's opinion, he was diagnosed with gallstones and warned that further stress to his body could kill him.
With total disregard for his body, Kip Keino resolved to run the race. He took a bus at a station in Mexico City in a bid to head to the stadium. However, the bus got stuck in traffic, leading to Keino to alight and run the rest of the way.
The legend sprinted a full 3.21 kilometres to the stadium and proceeded to run the finals. Outwitting his competition, Keino emerged with a victory- leaving silver medalist Ben Jipcho with a 20-metre distance.
