Athletic Prowess
The Kalenjin have been called by some "the running tribe." Since the mid-1960s, Kenyan men have earned the largest share of major honors in international athletics at distances from 800 meters to the marathon; the vast majority of these Kenyan running stars have been Kalenjin. From 1980 on, about 40% of the top honors available to men in international athletics at these distances (Olympic medals, World Championships medals, and World Cross Country Championships honors) have been earned by Kalenjin. In recent years, Kenyan women have become a major presence in international athletics at the distances; most of these women are also Kalenjin. Amby Burfoot of Runner's World, stated that the odds of Kenya achieving the success they did at the 1988 Olympics were below 1: 160 billion. Kenya had an even more successful Olympics in 2008; documented in Toby Tanser's 'More Fire' book; How to run the Kenyan Way.
Read more about this topic: Kalenjin People
Famous quotes containing the word athletic:
“In everything from athletic ability to popularity to looks, brains, and clothes, children rank themselves against others. At this age [7 and 8], children can tell you with amazing accuracy who has the coolest clothes, who tells the biggest lies, who is the best reader, who runs the fastest, and who is the most popular boy in the third grade.”
—Stanley I. Greenspan (20th century)