African runners in it for the long run

Gradual change

Tekla Chemabwai Sang, a retired sprinter and middle-distance runner from Kenya who is studying at Moi University in Eldoret, a town in western Kenya, said: "I think Kenyans had very little information about races in China. Besides, there were no agents promoting China, and so Kenyan athletes only knew of European meets."

This has gradually changed. With three training bases, one in Kenya and two in Ethiopia, Tao Camp handles more than 100 athletes in these two countries.

It also trains and organizes athletes' participation in races, mainly in China, a market it understands well. "But we also register them in the United States and Europe, as these are more mature markets," Wang said.

Wang has witnessed the transformation that prize money earned in China can bring to rural Kenya.

Rodah Jepkorir Tanui joined the camp five years ago when she was only 18, motivated by poverty at home and with few prospects of pursuing the further education that would probably have improved her employment chances. She and her three siblings put time and energy into their training and were soon on their way to competing in China.

She took part in three races annually and, although the earnings were not high, she was able to sustain her family back home and pay for her training. She and her siblings have managed to buy three parcels of land for their parents and build a stone house that stands out amid the mud-walled homes in rural Kenya.

Wang said, "These changes come from their own hard work and trust in us as their agent."

Kenyan world champions have started to take note of China.

Two-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, who clinched his first marathon victory at the prestigious event in New York last year, said China is entering the world marathon stage.

The runner, who also won the World Cross Country Championship in 2015 in China, said the conditions are right for elite athletes to enter road races in the country as well.

"Up-and-coming runners are competing in China, not only for the rewards but to build their names. This is important, especially in recording good times, since organizers of major events take this seriously," he said.

While Kenyans are visiting China to compete, Chinese athletes are setting up camp in Kenya to train with champions.

Kenyan marathon runners currently hold 11 of the 12 fastest times set worldwide.

Several researchers have attributed this success to the athletes' genes, with many of the runners coming from the Kalenjin community, which is located at high altitude. Others put the athletes' exemplary performances down to their childhood experience of running long distances to school.

However, poverty and a desire to improve their lives－coupled with discipline and focus－are the key reasons, according to Chemabwai, the retired sprinter. "Kenya also has many role models in the long-distance field, unlike many other countries," she said.

Kamworor said Chinese runners have realized the benefits of training with Kenyans. "I think they will make it and will get a lot of experience and improve their performance," he said, adding that although Kenyans come from humble backgrounds and start early, the Chinese athletes only need strength and self-discipline to improve their performances.

He said that many of his compatriots are traveling to China to compete, and the Chinese presence at Kenyan training camps has raised the visibility of the African country. "We are working together, training together, and I believe this is a good bridge of cooperation," he said.

Kamworor's views are echoed by Eliud Kipchoge, multiple Olympic medalist and considered one of the greatest marathon champions of his era, who said a lot is happening in China.

He took part in a one-week Nike-sponsored tour of China last year, where he met with coaches and junior athletes.

Kipchoge said he was amazed by the facilities and the management of sports in China. Comparing the two countries, he said: "The Chinese are really working hard using state-of-the-art facilities, unlike Kenya, where we are working hard without facilities. Nevertheless, Kenyans have altitude and good terrain, especially dirt roads that build endurance and strength."

He said technical exchanges between the two countries will improve marathon running, but dismissed fears that Kenya is "giving away its running secrets", saying talent is inborn. "One only needs to train hard, be disciplined and have the right attitude," he said.

Kipchoge said the Sino-Kenyan partnership in athletics can look to innovation and technology, in which China has the upper hand.

"Chinese marathons have opened more opportunities for Kenyans," he said. "China is a big sports market and many marathons are held there. Young runners can hone their talent while earning money."

Three years ago, Italian coach Renato Canova led 16 members of the Chinese women's middle-and long-distance running teams to train at a high-altitude area in Kenya in preparation for the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

Despite the growth and success of athletics globally, challenges continue to emerge in Africa. These include foreign agents failing to pay their proteges, "burning them out" by registering them in consecutive races, and encouraging the use of banned substances to enhance performances.