Help Kenyan Runners Realize Their Dream

 

Overlooking Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, there is a rural town called Iten, sitting at 7,900 feet above sea level. At nearly any time of day, you can see hundreds of runners around town skimming over the red dirt rocky roads, dreaming of success, dreaming of making enough money from running that they can escape poverty. Some even dream of making it to the Olympics.

 

There's not a lot to do in the running epicenter of Iten other than run. It's a very simple life. Like a monastery, with running at the center of everything.

 

My name is Jason. I am an American distance running coach who has moved to Iten, Kenya to coach Kenyan runners. While these runners have a lot of talent, they don't have money for basic things, like food and shoes. They also don't have money to travel to races outside of Kenya, so they never have the chance to attract an agent and sponsorship. As a result, they remain in poverty, running twice per day in used, hand-me-down shoes and little food to eat in hopes of someday realizing their dream.

 

I'm calling on my fellow runners and colleagues from around the U.S. and the world who would like to help support the enormous amount of talent in Kenya, and specifically our training group, Nguvu Running Club. "Nguvu" is the Swahili word for "strength."

A little money goes very far in Kenya. All money donated will be used to buy food and shoes and pay for athletes' travel to races so that they can share their talent with the world.