Back to Asics -- keep your head and your heart going in the right direction and you will never have to worry about your feet


This post talked about

Kenyan political upheaval bringing running to a halt

Published on 13/01/08
by Maureen

This appeared on page 12 of the Chicago Tribune today:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-runners_bdjan13,0,1619982.story

It’s the story of how runners in Kenya, many of whom are marathon champions, aren’t running anymore for fear of being killed while they’re in training. A former Olympic runner was killed and a contender attacked with a rock while on a training run, saving himself by running away from his machete-wielding attackers.

Kenyans have long been known for their running prowess, winning many of America’s top marathons. I can imagine for many Kenyans, running is life. Running, for many, is a way out of poverty and a lot of hard work. What will happen to the state of Kenyan running if the political situation continues? As many of the runners belong to the tribe that opposed the presidential candidate who won the elections, they often find themselves the targets of the political attacks.

In the western world, we run for competition, for fun or to get our minds off of work or other daily stressors. Now, Kenyans fear for their lives while out running. I can’t imagine what that feels like. Even as a young woman who runs alone, I rarely feel afraid for my safety while running. There’s NO WAY I would be able to step outside if I thought I might die on that day’s run.

In addition to running, Kenya’s other major industry is tourism, which is also becoming obsolete with the political battles. It’s hard to imagine what Kenyans will do to get out of their turmoil without their two major industries. What can runners do to protect themselves while training in their own country? Schools and shoe company-sponsored charities are helping give runners a chance. I hope American runners continue to donate shoes and money to such charities to help our Kenyan counterparts get through their hard time, and of course, that the hard time won’t last too long. The running world would suffer if Kenyans can’t train, and the world in general needs less violence. If running can help solve that, let’s help it out.

The run is over. Now what?

Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.