Kenyans don’t love running- they run for money!

Yawn. Why is this a surprise to you? It's the same for the overwhelming majority of us at our job grind.

It’s not a surprise to me. But it’s irritating seeing westerners drooling from sentences of Kipchoge like “marathon is life”, and “it’s not the legs but the mind”, trying to give it a spiritual motive. They don’t love it anymore than an average fat American who tries to lose weight!

That's why they're surprised when they see hobby joggers in the U.S. Running's a job, not something you do for fun. Why would you do it if you were slow with no hopes of winning?

That said, I don't think the myth is that they all love running. The myth is that they all ran to school with no shoes on. And that myth is half true.

In other words its just a job at which they are very talented.

Nothing new here bud.

I agree that most African pros enjoy it less than we expect, especially when looking at top tier guys. However, there are plenty of exceptions. In my area there are a fair number of 35-45 year old Africans that continue to race. They’re obviously still fast, but nothing above regionally competitive so I think it’s safe to say they’d quit if their hearts weren’t in it.

Agreed that running is an occupation for professional runners.

Somewhere in a different context, I heard the term “sports slaves”, and thought there was some validity to that idea. They run, so we can watch. It’s fun for slow white people to watch fast Kenyans run. Kinda like being on safari, right?

And if one top kenyan dies or gets injured, someone else is right there to take their place. I mean, it’s not as though we really even keep track of them, with their interchangeable names. Like, I kinda forget how the succession of female Kiplagats went, historically. Was it Edna Kiplagat, who was at the top of the sport when I was in college? Or . . . Lorna? Or . . . Wasn’t there a Florence Kiplagat?

Furthermore, i DO suspect that doping is part of the performance. Watching someone drag their heavy legs to the finish in the last few miles, is vicariously painful to watch. But watching people cruise like a gazelle is superfun. It makes running look fun. When they are living in liver failure, they won’t be on the international stage anymore anyways, right?

I was watching one of the German road races a few years ago — I think it was the frankfurt marathon —where the “top german” was an Ethiopian-born woman with german citizenship, name Fata Tola. And she was sick with a cold or something, but lined up at the starting line all the same, presumably to try to collect the appearance fee, and/or whatever lesser prize money is available to top german finisher. And she couldn’t do it; she was sick. She dropped out after running several miles of the race.

But she was making every effort, to support herself and/or her family, as a sub-elite with a poorly timed cold. I don’t know why that race stands out for me, but it does.

Ggggggg wrote:

It’s not a surprise to me. But it’s irritating seeing westerners drooling from sentences of Kipchoge like “marathon is life”, and “it’s not the legs but the mind”, trying to give it a spiritual motive. They don’t love it anymore than an average fat American who tries to lose weight!

Then the title of your thread should have been Westerners Project Onto African Runners or I Was So Naive Or I Don't Feel Good So I'll Nag Y'all or even better: Hey Everybody, Something Only Exists When I Happen To See It.

fairgamez wrote:

That's why they're surprised when they see hobby joggers in the U.S. Running's a job, not something you do for fun. Why would you do it if you were slow with no hopes of winning?

That said, I don't think the myth is that they all love running. The myth is that they all ran to school with no shoes on. And that myth is half true.

I've never heard the myth that they love running any more than any other group. I'm sure some do, but the opportunity to provide for your extended family for generations is a pretty good motivation.

btw, I saw a piece on one of the top Kenyan marathoners. He grew up across the street from school, wore shoes every day, and ran no more than I did as a kid. The running to school barefoot myth probably had some true examples, but is not "the" explanation.

Of course they only do it for the money. This is why they dope without question. No integrity. Win at all costs.

Congrats to her for being the first human in history to work while sick because they had to provide for a themselves and family.

A female friend of mine (sub-15 5000) was on a training camp i St Moritz a few years ago. When the world class Kenyans who were there at the same time heard that she had a job, they looked on her like she was completely nuts. "If you have a job, why do you run?"

Gggggg wrote:

Enough with the myth of the west that running is in the Kenyans culture and that they love running and that crap. They don’t love it anymore than a tipica average American bum. They run for money- said on 1:22 of this video. The interviewer expects for some deep answer, but simply gets: “I run for money” you dig? They run the same reason that that the cleaning woman cleans the toilet- she doesn’t like it, but she has to do it in order to live, and if she could she would abandon it in a second

https://youtu.be/J0ej5k_SxUs

Naa.....of course some of them just love to run, and in the same time try to make a living out of it. We must understand Kenya`s very different conditions for the individual compared to most of us.

Ha! Yes and no.

I mean, if a tax accountant works through a cold, just because it’s tax season, then yes, that’s in the same general categaory.

But to be racing is so physically demanding, and to put yourself through that with an underlying illness, under financial duress, seems like a particular torture.

I imagine that there are runners who cannot get by on sponsor money alone, no matter how humbly they live, but need to supplement with prize money and appearance fees. So no calling in sick, but gotta pick cotton no matter what.

fairgamez wrote:

That's why they're surprised when they see hobby joggers in the U.S. Running's a job, not something you do for fun. Why would you do it if you were slow with no hopes of winning?

That said, I don't think the myth is that they all love running. The myth is that they all ran to school with no shoes on. And that myth is half true.

So they wore only one shoe?

I love teaching, and I teach for money. I don't see the conflict.

And you think Sherpas climb the Himalayas for the view?

Was this a surprise? Did anyone forget we're referring to an impoverished country in Africa?

Gggggg wrote:

Kenyans don’t love running- they run for money!

Wow! Next you're probably gonna tell me politicians don't care about representing their constituents, but rather for the money and power!

The myth that Kenyans are somehow superior than all others in running will one day be disproved once drug testing catches up.

Compare them to the Jamaicans in sprinting. Remember all the articles about how they have some awesome gene and that they had all this talent in the pipeline? Where is that now that they are getting drug tested?

Once the Kenyans are busted, then the Ethiopians, distance running will hopefully return to an equilibrium. Right now it is a joke.

Same people can’t figure out why most d1 runners hang it up after college.