Running With the Kenyans

Last week, I finished reading Running With the Kenyans, by Adharanand Finn, so this is my first ever book review. I've since returned the book to the library, but I will try to get the spirit and details of the book right.

Adharanand Finn is an Englishman who ran as an adolescent, but life started happening, and he more or less gave up the sport. Later, as a husband and father of three, he puts a decent number on the board at a race, and starts to wonder 'what if.' He'd also spent some time being hurt, and he explores minimalist and barefoot running as a way of staying healthy.

He then travels to Iten, Kenya, where the greatest runners on planet Earth train, to see if he can tap in to what makes Kenyans (specifically, Kalenjin) so special as distance runners. I think this is what stunned me the most, because it seemed you couldn't walk down the street without finding a champion marathoner. Finn trains with them, eats with them, and immerses himself in the culture as he prepares for the Lewa Marathon. Obviously, he had to adjust to a whole new way of life. It was an eye opener for me to see the lives of a completely different culture, viewed through the lens of distance running.

So many reasons have been put forth as to why they run so well, so I won't rehash them here, but I thoroughly enjoyed this firsthand account of a man who trains for 26.2 in a completely new locale. It was amazing to see how the locals view our sport-- they see it as a way to succeed and to get ahead. Runners there are introduced to others by where they placed in whatever marathon. However, that recognition is fleeting, since the next wave is also traveling abroad and winning races, making today's winner yesterday's news.

I don't want to tell you everything about the book, but I'll tell you, that just as in his marathon training, Finn puts in the work and gets the results. This is recommended reading.