Pamela Jelimo participates in a race. She is considered to be one of the best middle-distance runners Kenya ever had. [Photo/Courtesy]
Kipchoge Keino
Kip Keino is a retired track and field athlete, who represented the country in various races in the early years of his successful career.
He won two Olympic gold medals (Mexico City 1968 in 1,500m and Munich 1972 in 5,000m).
He also has two Olympic silver medals (Mexico City 1968 in 5,000m and Munich 1972 in 1,500m).
His success in the games was inspiring to many of budding talents, who looked up to him as their mentor. He helped many realise their dreams.
Moses Tanui
Born on the 20th of August in 1965 in Marakwet District, the former long-distance runner won a gold medal in the 10,000 meters race at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo, Japan.
He was the first athlete to run a half marathon in less than one hour by running 59:47 in Milan in 1993 and improved the previous world record by remarkable 59 seconds.
His record was broken five years later by fellow Kenyan Paul Tergat.
He retired after sustaining a knee injury, and now runs a training camp in Kaptagat.
Pamela Jelimo
Pamela Jelimo was born on December 5, 1989, and has participated in the middle-distance races specializing in the 800 metres race.
She won the gold medal in 2008 Olympics in Beijing at the age of 18 years.
By so doing, she became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal and also the first Kenyan to win the Golden League Jackpot.
She holds both the 800 m world junior record and the senior African record over the same distance. Jelimo is also one of the youngest women to win an Olympic gold medal for Kenya.
Catherine Ndereba
Catherine Nyambura Ndereba was born on 21 July 1972 in Nyeri. She is a specialist in Marathon and long distance races, where she managed to twice win the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics.
She also won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008.
She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and broke the women’s Marathon World Record in 2001, where she posted at the time of 2:18:47 at the Chicago Marathon.
She is considered by many as the greatest women's marathoner of all time
Paul Tergat
Tergat was born in 1969 in Baringo District.
He is remembered to have won the country numerous gold medals, with the most memorable being the five straight IAAF World Cross Country Championships titles from 1995 to 1999, setting a world record in the process.
He is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time.
He set many world records, winning numerous titles in the process and engraving his name in many Kenyans’ hearts.