Watching the Big City Marathons

Warning: don’t read this if you are planning to watch a time delay of the London Marathon later today.

The crowd watching the Paris Marathon at the petrol station.

In 2007 a group of 10 runners from Ellensburg (including Carey and me) ran the Boston Marathon.  A handful of runners from Iten have run in the big city marathons this spring: Paris, Rotterdam, London, and Boston tomorrow.  The difference is that these Kenyan runners are in the lead pack and have been winning or finishing on the podium.  Watching big races here feels like we are at the epicenter of the action; perhaps even more so than being at the race itself.  After all, the runners spend most of their time here, and we are watching with their friends and training partners.

We watched the Paris marathon last week at the petrol station that is in front of our house.  About 100 viewers crammed into the room, many sitting on the shoulders of chairs, to watch.  Carey observed that I was probably the slowest man in the room.  When the race began a pack of Kenyans and Ethiopians rocketed out of the start.  The TV coverage then showed thousands of other (white/mzungu) participants, some holding banners, most smiling, many waving to the cameras.  These participants looked like they were out for a good time.  I thought of the contrast to the lead pack, where the Kenyans and Ethiopians were all business.  I wondered how the mzungus looked to the audience, most of whom are dedicating their lives to getting to the starting line of a major international race.

The crowd at the petrol station was very noisy; I don’t think I heard the TV announcer at all.  Many cheered for familiar faces.  Most of the Kenyan athletes live and train near here.  Our neighbor pointed out one man who runs with the training group that meets about 100m from our front door.  The crowd was obviously knowledgeable.  When Kenyan Benjamin Kiptoo surged into the lead late in the race, the crowd gave a huge cheer.  Another Kenyan overtook an Ethiopian for 2^nd and there was another raucous cheer.  When each Kenyan crossed the line, there was a round of applause.  Many of the men didn’t wait to see the women finish.  Priscah Jeptoo and Agnes Kiprop made it 1-2 for the women to match the 1-2 finish for the men.

Today was the London Marathon.  The petrol station was completely packed.   We had been invited to Silvia Kibet’s house to watch London.  Whereas the crowd at the petrol station was about 80% male, at Silvia’s house there were mostly women.  When Carey and I arrived, Silvia graciously offered us her own chair.  I tried to refuse, but she insisted.  Most sports fans wouldn’t give up their favorite chair to guests!

There were lots of familiar faces in the London race, as the winner and 3^rd place women are both from Iten.  Mary Kaitany demolished the field to run the fastest time of the year so far.  “She lives up by the police station.  Have you seen her?”  Silvia asked me.  Edna Kiplagat finished 3^rd; Edna lives about 200m from us and won New York last fall.  There were also cheers for local runner Lornah Kiplagat, world champion, former half-marathon world record holder and Silvia’s cousin.  Lornah finished a bit off the pace.  Lornah owns the High Altitude Training Center in Iten, where we stayed for our first 3 nights in Iten.  When we were leaving, Lornah grabbed one of our duffle bags and carried it to the truck.

On the men’s side Kenya went 1-2-3, with Emmanuel Muthai running the fastest time in the world this year.  The real excitement came in the battle for 2^nd, where Martin Lel caught Makau by surprise with a sudden burst about 50m from the finish.  The women were on their feet cheering and high fiving.

Silvia invited us back to watch Boston tomorrow.  There is a husband and wife from Iten in the race: Florence Kiplagat and Moses Mosop.  Like Silvia, they are coached by Renato Canova.  I talked to Renato a couple weeks ago.  He said “They both have a chance to win.  A husband and wife have never both won Boston.  That would be something.”

There is a strong field of Americans in the race.  I’ll be rooting for them, of course.  But I think I’d bet on the Kenyans.  However it turns out, it will be exciting to watch it here, at the epicenter.