Athletes in Iten have started training in earnest in the hope that with the resumption of indoor athletics, outdoor races will similarly resume soon.
The athletes said since March when the first corona case was reported in the country, they have been training just to keep fit as sportsmen.
A two-time marathon champion Lawrence Cherono said they started training as a team so that they can be in good shape, saying they are hoping that athletic activities will fully resume in December.
The athlete who won both the Boston and Chicago marathons 2019 said he was training to attend the Boston marathon in April when corona struck stopping all sporting activities.
“From March-May I stayed at home before resuming training in June to August alone at home. However the start of the indoor races has given us hope that we may start competing soon.”
Dennis Chirchir another marathoner said he was lucky to have been among the selected few to run in Turkey in the next one week.
He said training in the last six months has been quite a tough exercise saying there was no motivation as they were training without targeting any race.
Kaya Aras, a Turkish citizen said he is training to participate in a race in Poland next month saying two weeks ago he won the club competition in Turkey.
The athletes are calling on the government to hasten the completion of Kamariny Stadium saying they are forced to travel to Kipchoge Stadium in Eldoret for training yet not all of them can afford.
Aras said previously they would train in University of Eldoret and Tambach Teachers Training College but they are yet to open since they closed after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rehabilitation works at Kamariny stadium have since stalled after the county development implementation and coordination committee recommended the immediate termination of the contract after the contractor abandoned the site.
By Alice Wanjiru
