STORY: From grass to grace: how distance-running changed Kenya's Iten
DATELINE: Sept. 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:06:28
LOCATION: ITEN, Kenya
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Iten
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
3. various of Kibichiy's daily training with teammate
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
5. various of Kibichiy's interactions with teammate
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
7. various of Iten
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
9. various of Kerio View Hotel
10. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): JOSEPH MWANGI, Manager of Kerio View Hotel
11. various of a training base and Elgeyo-Marakwet County Office
12. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): PURITY KOIMA, County executive committee member of sports, youth affairs, culture, children and social services of Elgeyo-Marakwet County
14. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): ABABU NAMWAMBA, Cabinet secretary for youth affairs, sports and arts of Kenya

STORYLINE:

Iten, a small village located in western Kenya's Elgeyo-Marakwet County, has become world-renowned as the home of long-running champions.

Its high-altitude, favorable climate, and splendid landscapes bring both local and foreign athletes and running enthusiasts here for training and visiting.
   
But in the old days, Iten was nothing different from other small villages in Kenya.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
"I grew up with little to nothing. We used to own a few farms, but we struggled to go to school. My father didn't have a job."
   
Edwin started running to school for three miles at the age of five.

Day-to-day running has laid a solid physics foundation for Edwin and he started to seriously consider running as his livelihood.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
"I started venturing into the sport so that I can get a living. And I was lucky to get a scholarship in 2012 to go and study. Then when I ran, I won a national title in 2017. I was lucky to get a sponsor to continue my running career. When I got an opportunity to run as a career, I took the opportunity to be a professional athlete."
   
Running turns out to be the right way and Edwin, an epitome of many, made it.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
"So since then, I've been able to purchase my own land, I have more than three acres of land that I put from the money I got from running. And then I pay school fees for my brother's children, and I provide for my family. And as of now, I will be running the Shanghai International 10-kilometer race. And I look forward to getting more money so that I can invest back into my family and maybe do some business. To be who I am right now, if it wasn't for running, I would struggle to make a living."

Beyond the presence of athletic academies and expert coaching teams, Iten has developed an array of specialized training facilities and services encompassing hotels, restaurants, athlete dormitories, and training camps to cater to the demand of the increasing number of athletes flocking to the town.
   
SOUNDBITE 4 (English): EDWIN KIBICHIY, Kenyan athlete
"Iten has changed a lot, I can say, because I stayed here in around 2011 and 2012. There were a few shops. And there was a place that was empty. We have so many hotels that were not there before."

Joseph Mwangi has been working for Kerio View Hotel for 21 years since it opened. He's grateful for Iten's development.

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): JOSEPH MWANGI, Manager of Kerio View Hotel
"Most people who are working with us here are from the surrounding communities. Also, the local farmers, Iten is also a farming place, we have people who have a lot of milk, vegetables, and they've got an opportunity to supply us with fresh milk, vegetables, and fruits. That is also very important because we now don't have to go for a long distance to the marketplace. So, the local population is also grateful that they are able to supply to this hotel."
   
With a population of more than 40,000, Iten has more than 3,000 professional resident runners.

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): PURITY KOIMA, County executive committee member of sports, youth affairs, culture, children and social services of Elgeyo-Marakwet County
"Iten is a small town but is a big town when it comes to the matter of athletics. So people come here to train as a team, some come on individual experience and leave it in and become champions back in their countries. We've seen people put up hotels just to meet the demand. We've seen rental houses come up in the town to accommodate our athletes. We've seen businesses grow because there is a need, we've seen shoe shops like sports equipment, shops coming up."
   
SOUNDBITE 7 (English): ABABU NAMWAMBA, Cabinet secretary for youth affairs, sports and arts of Kenya
"For Kenya, sports is part of our heritage. This is one of the things that defines Kenya in a very significant way. Sports is our No. 1 branding outlets as a country. But the one thing that has never happened in this country is turning sports into an industry, making it a mega industry, making it a key driver of the economy. Sports can be a very powerful platform of employment. You can get a lot of young people who can use sports professionally to build sustainable livelihoods. I also believe that sports is an incredible platform to mobilize young people from many challenges like drug abuse, alcoholism, substance abuse, and all sorts of defiant behavior. One of the areas where we are very keen to invest is turning places like Iten into destinations for elite training." 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Iten, Kenya.
(XHTV)