World Cross Country bronze medallist, Agnes Jebet Ngetich represents the new generation of athletes who have inherited the talents from their parents just like former Kass Marathon champion Cynthia Cherop, who was trained by her late mother Rhoda Bulbul.
She says that her mother, who was an athlete, started training her. She could cycle the bicycle as she ran just to give her a head-start.
Ngetich and Cherop are a good example of how children can beat their parents’ performance unlike others who could not beat their parents’ records.
Ngetich who broke the women-only world 10km record in the Transylvania 10km in Brasov, Romania, with a time of 29.24, dedicated her record to her mother Veronica Cheruto saying that she developed her.
Cheruto, was one of Kenya’s top runners in the 1990s competing in the 10,000m, which Ngetich has taken over in the same discipline.
Two time Olympic Games champion who is also referred to us as the father of athletics in the country, Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino, who won gold at the medal in 1968 in Mexico City, is the father of Martin Keino, the only child who could try to fit in his father’s shoes.
Double Olympic and world 800m champion David Rudisha surpassed his father’s ambitions.
Popularly called King David, the young Rudisha ran better than his father Daniel Rudisha, then the silver in the 4x400m relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Rudisha won two gold medals at the Olympics games held in London and Rio de Janeiro in England and Brazil respectively.
He also won a double at the world championships in the two lap race in Daegu and Beijing world championships in 2011 and 2016, two gold at Africa championships, Continental Cup title and world junior title with a silver at Commonwealth Games.
DOWNLOAD AK WORLD ATHLETICS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2023-2024 SEASON
His young brother Francis Leporon, who was a student at St Francis Kimuron high school, the same school that David attended, tried running but little is known about his career.
James Seurei, the father of Kenyan born Bahraini Benson Kiplagat Seurei. The senior Seurei who passed on last Friday, is set to be buried tomorrow at his Eldoret home
James was the 10,000m record holder in the 1970 before his son Benson took over winning the World Athletics 1,500m Diamond League title.
David Kebenei won gold at the 1987 All Africa Games 1,500m final at Kasarani. Kebenei who also finished 4th at the All Africa Games, is the father of all time World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop.
Kipkosgei Chepsiya, the then bronze medalist at All Africa Games, has a son called Andrew Rotich, who has had a good run in the 1,500m.
Former world cross country bronze medalist the late Some Muge sired three running sons led by Mathew Kisorio, Peter Kimeli and Nicholas Togom.
Muge, the first Kenyan to win a medal at the world cross country championships in 1983 had identical sons to represent Kenya in major championships.
The elder son Kisorio, is the most decorated despite being banned by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for violating anti-doping rules twice.
Kisorio won bronze at the World cross country junior championships in 2007. He went ahead to win both 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2007 Africa Junior championships.
Apart from track, he also won the Philadelphia, Kagawa, Stramilo marathons. Kisorio is credited to represent the country in various cross country championships like the Mombasa in 2007, Edinburgh (2008), Amman (2009) and Punta Umbria (2011).
Kimeli, who together with Kisorio attended Kosirai Boys, won the Paris and Brighton marathons among other major road races. On track, he was the Africa Junior 10,000m bronze medalist.
Togom, who attended Cheptil High School, won bronze at the Africa cross-country junior title in South Africa.
The 1991 world 800m champion Billy Konchella’s son Gregory Konchella who changed his name to Yusuf Saad Kamel and competed for Bahrain. He gifted his adopted country the 2009 World 1500m gold. In early 2009 he stopped competing for Bahrain over unpaid salary and bonuses. He was willing to compete for Kenya, but his Kenyan passport was held by Bahraini officials. Without a passport, he was unable to compete in any competition.
Mike Mokamba and Walker Moenga have followed the footsteps of their father Elkana Nyang’au, who represented Kenya in two Olympic Games. The sprinting Mokamba was part of team Kenya at the World Youth Championships in Lille, France. Mokamba was accompanied by his brother Moenga who competed in the 4x200m relay.
Barnaba Kinyor is the father of Job Koech Kinyor.
The 61 year-old won Kenya bronze medal in 400m hurdles at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and finished eighth at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, as his son Kinyor was the double All-Africa Games 800m bronze medallist. Kinyor was part of the gold medal-winning team in the 4×800m relay at the 2014 World Relays.
Another athletics family is of Christopher Soget and son his Justus Soget. The junior Soget won the 2019 World U20 1,500m bronze medal. He also won the Mumias Athletics Kenya 1,500m title last season. The former student at the Kirobon High school in Nakuru won the 3,000m title at the Muller World Indoor Grand prix title.
Facebook Comments