ELGEYO MARAKWET, Kenya : On a cloudy day at a school in Elgeyo Marakwet county in Kenya's west, children jump over wooden desks serving as hurdles placed on the course of a steeplechase race, as their classmates cheer excitedly from the side.
Tiren believes that defeat will force Kenya to pay more attention to its athletics development programmes, especially at the grassroots level in places like Elgeyo Marakwet.Officials need to invest in training the girls and boys at a young age, equipping them with the skills necessary to progress into the next crop of gold medallists in the race, Tiren said.
Past Olympic gold medallists in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase who hail from the area include Conseslus Kipruto, the 2016 Olympic champion, Brimin Kipruto who won gold in 2008 and Ezekiel Kemboi, who took the crown in 2012 and 2004.