In the early years of the 20th century, travel writers were awed by the physical presence and athletic prowess of the East African Maasai. Today, the record-breaking and championship-winning performances of Kenyan athletes are regularly part of the media sports circus. This book explores, for the first time in any depth, the phenomenon of Kenyan running.

1997 British Society of Sports History - Lord Aberdare Literary Prize for Sports History

The record-breaking achievements of Kenyan athletes have caught the imagination of the world of sport. How significant really is Kenya in the world of sports? This book, the first to look in detail at the evolution and significance of a single sport in an African country, seeks to answer these and many other questions. Kenyan Running blends history, geography, sociology and anthropology in its quest to describe the emergence of Kenyan athletics from its pre-colonial traditions to...