Soul therapy: In conversation with a passionate runner from Kenya

Patrick with his running buddies

You don’t have to be a runner to appreciate the beauty that is African running. What is the thing that is most stunning about it? Is it the lean, ripped bodies? Or the butter-smooth, injury-free form? Is it the machine-like crunching of miles, or the scary consistency of it all? Or is it the pace? Perhaps it is the fact that there exist runners who possess all of these ultimate qualities in a land where perfection is the norm.

For the most part of my cycling miles, I had them logged on www.dailymile.com, a social media platform for cyclists and runners. On “DM”, just like on any social site, you add people you know to your friends’ list. And every once in a while, strangers become the people you know. The nature of this sport is such… bonds are formed, many times blindly, based simply on the fact that just like you, they too put on shoes and get out in the morning and run.

One such friend I made is a remarkable gentleman called Patrick Kahoro Omari. At first it was the stunning numbers that he would put up for us, week in week out, day in day out that fascinated me. The man crunches miles as though he were using a faulty odometer. Then we got to saw the charm that he exudes, which helped him gain popularity among runners of all nationalities. Finally, it was the unbelievable warmth about Patrick that sealed it – the same warmth that makes it a pleasure to talk to him even after so long. This post is going to be the story that Patrick wants to tell us.

With his permission, I’ve tried to feature some pictures of the superb setting that Patrick runs in. To gain access to more, please follow Patrick on www.dailymile.com/people/kimbia

Q: Hello Patrick, this gives me a chance to break protocol and ask you what I’ve always wanted to know. How old are you?

PK: I am 36 years old. How old do I look? (laughs)

Patrick after one of his runs

Q: I would have believed you if you had said anything. Tell us which town you live and train in.

PK: I live in Limuru, a small and beautiful town near the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.

Q: What’s your running story? When did you start running and why?

PK: I started running in the year 2003, in high school. But I started training to become a serious runner about four years after high school. Now I am the team leader of 20 athletes in my village.

Q: So would you call your group of 20 runners a running club?

PK: Yes, we are a running club and we train together. Our club started in 2009 and now we are 14 men and 6 women and are growing in number and talent. In our group we have runners as young as 23 years of age and as old as 36 years of age (which would be me).

Team Meeting

Q: And how does one get selected in your squad? Is it based on performance?

PK: Absolutely! It is 100% based on performance and I always select the top athletes of my area. I organizing races between 5km and 10km to pick my men and women.

Q: What are the goals of these runners?

PK: Our ultimate running goals are to break world records in long distances races – the marathon and the half marathon. Yes, at this point all our racing is local but we are raring to go international. All my runners are super-motivated. All day, every day (we) only think about running. You could say that it is our full time occupation. We don’t keep other jobs – we only commit to volunteers jobs. They don’t pay us that well but it keeps us focused on running.

At the start of a race

Q: We are all aware that sport is an expensive proposition. How, then, do you manage your finances?

PK: Most of us live with our parents and we get a lot of support from them – so as to keep running. In the year 2007 our country went to general elections and soon after, in January 2008, a great number of clashes between tribes took place in Kenya. After heavy fighting for three to four months, things seemed to have settled. But the losses were heavy and many. Many children were orphaned and left helpless. Half of my team are such orphans – they have no parents or have no home to live in. Poverty is a constant in our lives.

Q: What does the best runner in your club time?

PK: Our fastest runner clocks 2:15 for the marathon and has a PR of 1:05 for the half.

Q: That’s very impressive! That’s faster than the fastest Indian, in fact. What kind of facilities do the runners enjoy?

The shoes used by Patrick and his group

PK: Sadly we don’t have a great deal of facilities. Like I said earlier, poverty is a huge burden on us. For example, in Kenya, one new pair of shoes costs 55$ and that is a dream! To get that kind of money or get a new pair of shoes worth that kind of money is a dream for us. Current we have 11 worn out shoes and we get by by sharing them among 20 athletes.

Q: Patrick, could you give us a list of your personal best timings?

PK: My current time is 2hr 20min, half 1hr 08min, 10km 30min, 5km 15min 30 sec.

Q: Thank you very much for your time. Our readers from around the world will surely follow your success stories. Good luck to you Patrick Kahoro!

PK: Thanks and keep going, love running!

Despite the pressing needs in his own life and those of the people who depend on him, Patrick routinely goes out to charity events and fundraising. His “Interests” section on his profile reads: “Looking ahead to breaking world records in long distances races. And changing life of poor majority in Kenya.

This interview was done many months ago. Even on this day, at the time of the interview going live on Sportskeeda, Patrick tells me that they are in dire need of shoes just to continue training in Kenya. If your heart goes out to this remarkable story, and if you have new/old shoes or funds that you would like to donate to Patrick Kahoro and his team of 20 success-hungry runners, please get in touch with him on his Facebook page. We do not want record breaking souls to be in want of just a pair of soles.