Abstract

The last chapter of this book is dedicated to Kenyan cross-country running. To say that the Kenyans have dominated world cross-country running is something of an understatement. During the last decade, beginning with the Mike Kosgei era, Kenyans have annihilated the opposition with their depth of talent. With just three individuals (Ngugi, Sigei and Tergat), the senior men have taken ten individual titles in twelve years. What is the secret of Kenyan success? The answer is that the Kenyans take cross-country running seriously, equal in importance to track and field. Kenyan runners fight tooth and nail for a place on the national squad and believe that victory is secured before the race is even run. This chapter focuses on the training of the world-class cross-country runners John Ngugi, Paul Tergat and Rose Cheruiyot. Schiffer