American author launches free facility to nurture young athletics talents in Kenya

No town in Kenya has contributed more to athletics than Iten, an area nestled in the heart of Elgeyo Marakwet county.

The slow-paced town has long been recognized as the epicentre of athletics, producing numerous Olympic medalists, world champions, and Big City Marathon winners.

The town's immense influence on the global athletics scene was further cemented in 2020 when it was awarded the prestigious World Athletics Heritage Plaque for its exceptional contribution to the history and development of track and field, as well as out-of-stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain road running, trail and ultra running, and race walking.

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Iten has birthed remarkable athletes like former marathon champion Joycilline Jepkosgei, women’s-only World Marathon record holder Mary Keitany, 800m world record holder David Rudisha, former 5,000m silver medalist Sylvia Kibet, and former World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai.

Now, thanks to a generous initiative by American author and philanthropist Toby Tanser, the town’s status as an athletics powerhouse is set to grow even further.

Tanser, who has had a long-standing connection with Kenya's athletics scene, has launched the Shoe4Africa Alpha Running Porridge Club in Iten, designed to nurture the next generation of athletics talents.

The newly established club offers free training to young athletes between the ages of 8 and 16.

But that’s not all; the children will also get to enjoy a cup of porridge as part of their training routine.

"We want to mentor children from a young age and once they reach a certain age, we can guide them to become professional runners," Tanser said during his visit.

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Tanser aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for young athletes. The facility will serve free breakfast to local children, many of whom attend public schools and often lack the means to eat a proper meal before class.

His goal is to provide free breakfast to 1,000 children at the Shoe4Africa Running Club.

“They will come here, take a cup of porridge before going to school, so they’re not sitting in class with empty stomachs waiting for lunch,” Tanser shared.

The author first came to Kenya in 1995 and has witnessed the transformative power of athletics. During his time, he ran alongside Kenyan legends like Paul Tergat, Moses Tanui, and Moses Kiptanui.

Over the years, he has become deeply involved in uplifting Kenyan communities. In addition to starting Shoe4Running 10km in Iten, he has built six public schools in the region and is now working on the first children’s cancer hospital in Eldoret through Shoe4Africa.

“We never forget children and community. For them to join here, we have to identify those who are passionate about athletics and want to become professionals. The club is free for all children, and they are part of our family.

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Our motto is health, education, and sports are key to success. I support children because they are the future of the country,” Tanser concluded.