Diaspora savour Boston Marathon clean sweep

By Chris Wamalwa in Boston

Kenya’s sweep in Boston Marathon races was mostly expected and makes the event an entirely Kenyan thing.

Stop any American in the streets or their homes and ask them whom they thought was likely to win the marathon and the answer, without any hesitation will be, "Kenyans".

So when Wesley Korir, a Kenyan born citizen but permanent resident of the US, won the Boston Marathon on Monday in a heat-slowed time of two hours, 12 minutes, 40 seconds, nobody was surprised.

Sharon Cherop smiles after lifting the Boston Marathon trophy, which probably sealed her spot in Kenya Olympics marathon team. [Photo: Reuters]

A spot check at Logan International Airport, Boston soon after the marathon ended confirmed it.

"Who won the just ended marathon? I don’t know but it must be the Kenyans," said a businessman travelling from Boston to New York. "Who do you think won the marathon? "Kenyans!" said nine-year-old Renee Monica of Los Angeles at the Boston airport.

"We believe in our runners so much so that what we are now praying for is a clean sweep. Number one in both the men and women categories are almost guaranteed. We have that much confidence in our team!" said Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Onyonka, during a prayer meeting for the team on Sunday in Boston.

Mr Onyonka and Kenya’s Ambassador to the US Mr Elkanah Odembo were among the top government officials who had travelled to Boston to cheer the team.

Korir’s win is said to have been the second-slowest Boston race since 1985, as temperatures rising into the 32 ˚C slowed the leaders and may have convinced over 4,300 entrants to sit this one out.

For the Kenyans that travelled from around the US to cheer their compatriots, nothing mattered — Kenya had once again conquered the world.

Geoffrey Mutai, who had assured Feverpitch on Thursday that he would try his utmost best to win, a performance, which he was hoping could earn him a spot on the Kenyan Olympic marathon team, dropped out after 18 miles with cramps.

Sharon Cherop won the women’s race to complete the Kenyan sweep, outsprinting Jemima Jelagat Sumgong to be credited with a time of 2:31:50. Korir was the 19th Kenyan man winner in 22 years. That is why many believed the Boston marathon has become a Kenyan affair.

On Thursday, the athletes were treated to sumptuous dinner of Ugali, Sukuma Wiki, beef stew, fish and a glass of milk. "We now send you out there as Kenya’s best of the best. Go out there and make your country proud. We believe in you, we cherish you and we love you," Odembo said

Athletics Kenya (AK) chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat who captured the moment. "These young men and women represent not a tribe, a region or a group of anything. They represent Kenya. We are not interested in politics but in winning for our motherland."

All Kenyans present rose to respond to the chants of Emmy Kosgey’s song ‘Taunet ne lel, knowing it was to be another Kenyan victory.