[Kenya’s veteran long distance runner, Leah Malot at a past competition. Photo/Courtesy]
Veteran Leah Malot, the Kenya’s long distance runner competed with the country’s athletic top cream who retired several years ago, but she remained strong and continued her career running with her fellow athletes’ children.
She ran her athletic career for 26 successful years until about two years ago, when she decided to hang her spikes.
Born at Chepkero village in Uasin Gishu County, 1972, Malot started running with David Kebenei in 1987.
Kebenei is the father to world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop.
She also ran with the late Some Muge who won Kenya a bronze medal at the year 1983 world cross country championships.
The 2013 Paris Marathon winner Peter Kimeli, Mathew Kisorio and Nicholas Togom are Muge’s children who are also athletes and Malot competed in their period too.
Many athletes who competed with her retired, but she is among the few Kenya’s athletes that have remained in the sport for a long time.
Malot represented Kenya in many championships, impressing in most of the competitions.
Malot made her maiden appearance in the Team Kenya for the world cross country championships at the age of 15 years in 1987, but failed to make it to the podium.
That year while still a Form One student at Kapkenda Girls High School and running barefooted, she bagged a gold medal in the women’s 10,000m race during the All Africa Games held in Nairobi.
“When I look back from where I started, it is unbelievable because I have been active in athletics despite all my colleagues whom I began with retiring earlier,'' Malot said.
“I willingly decided to retire from athletics not because I can’t run but decided to relax. I am still strong and capable,'' she added.
Malot led the Kenyan cross country team to victory in 1998 world cross country championships in Marrakech, Morocco.
The 2000 the ISTAF meeting of IAAF Golden league in Berlin will remain her highlight in her athletic career.
She stunned the world by becoming the first African woman to defeat Gabriel Szabo-the 1999-woman athlete of the year from Romania.
She clocked 14.39.83 minutes in 5000m, setting a new Africa Course record previously held by Zahra Ouaziz of Morocco at 14.40.19.
“Szabo was a household name in the distance and no one ever imagine that she could be beaten that year owing to the caliber of the athletes entered for the competition.''
“I thank God because I won the race amazing the crowds in the stadium,” Malot said.
She would then anchor Kenya’s cross country women team to victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Oostende-Belgium.
This article first appeared on: www.laneonesport.com