With her world 10km record failing to meet World Athletics ratification over shorter distance, Agbes Jebet Ngetich has entered her name in the history books for top Kenyan households where running is an inherited talent from parents to their kin.
Ngetich, whose mother Veronica Cheruto was a 10,000m runner way back in 1990s broke the world record two weeks ago at the Brasov Running Festival in Romania, the World Athletics Elite Label road race, which will not be ratified after it emerged that the distance was 25m short.
The 22-year-old an alumnus of Kimwogo enters into the history books just like multiple world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, 800m world record holder David Rudisha among others.
Sports has been a hereditary talent among many world leading athletes just like Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan who inherited the talent from her parents Liz and Peter McColgan
The fashions of the pioneer runners pass on the athletic baton to their sons and daughters to take charge after retirement or death.
The two time East Africa 1,500m and 5,000m champion represents the new generation of athletes who have inherited the talents from their parents just like former Kass Marathon champion Cynthia Cherop, who was trained by her late mother Rhoda Bulbul.
She says that her mother, who was an athlete, started training her. She could cycle the bicycle as she ran just to give her a head-start.
“It was tears of sorrow that when her career picked up, winning races across the world, her mother, the mentor, who served as her coach passed on, leaving her languishing, thinking on how to start a new life without her. Almost giving up her career but as young as she was, she had to extend her training skills to secure a chance in marathons,” said Cherop in a past interview.
Ngetich and Cherop is a good example of how children can beat their parents’ performance unlike others who could not beat their parents’ records.
Ngetich dedicated her world record to her mother Cheruto saying that she developed her.
Cheruto, was one of Kenya’s top runners in the 1990s competing in the 10,000m, which Ngetich has taken over in the same discipline.
“I had to dedicate the world record to her because she has been pushing me to set the world record. She is my morale booster in my career,” said Ngetich.
She added after breaking the world record, she was the first family member to make a call.
“She immediately called me after the record. And shows how close we are with her,” said Ngetich.
Referred to us the father of athletics in the country, Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino
Another family includes Christopher and son Justus Soget.
Justus won the 2019 world under 1,500m bronze medal. He also won the Mumias Athletics Kenya 1,500m title last season among other top titles.
The former student at the Kirobon High school in Nakuru won the 3,000m title at the Muller World Indoor Grand prix title.
The double Olympic Games Kipchoge, who won gold at the medal in 1968 in Mexico City, is the father of Martin Keino, the only child who could try to fit in his father’s shoes.
Double Olympic and world 800m champion David Rudisha surpassed his father’s ambitions.
Popularly called King David, the young Rudisha ran better than his father Daniel Rudisha, then the silver in the 4x400m relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Rudisha won two gold medals at the Olympics games held in London and Rio de Janeiro in England and Brazil respectively.
He also won a double at the world championships in the two lap race in Daegu and Beijing world championships in 2011 and 2016, two gold at Africa championships, Continental Cup title and world junior title with a silver at Commonwealth Games.
His young brother Francis Leporon, who was a student at St Francis Kimuron high school, the same school that David attended, tried running but little is known about his career.
James Seurei, the father of Kenyan born Bahraini Benson Kiplagat Seurei. The senior Seurei who passed on last Friday, is set to be buried tomorrow at his Eldoret home
James was the 10,000m record holder in the 1970 before his son Benson took over winning the World Athletics 1,500m Diamond League title.
Chepsiya, the then bronze medalist, has his son Andrew Rotich, another versatile IAAF Diamond League runner.
David Kebenei won gold at the 1987 All Africa Games 1,500m final at Kasarani.
Kebenei who also finished 4th at the All Africa Games, is the father of all time World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop.
Kipkosgei Chepsiya, the then bronze medalist at All Africa Games, has a son called Andrew Rotich, who has had a good run in the 1,500m.
Former world cross country bronze medalist the late Some Muge sired three running sons led by Mathew Kisorio, Peter Kimeli and Nicholas Togom.
Muge, the first Kenyan to win a medal at the world cross country championships in 1983 had identical sons to represent Kenya in major championships.
The elder son Kisorio, is the most decorated despite being banned by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for violating anti-doping rules twice.
Kisorio won bronze at the World cross country junior championships in 2007. He went ahead to win both 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2007 Africa Junior championships.
Apart from track, he also won the Philadelphia, Kagawa, Stramilo marathons.
He is credited to represent the country in various cross country championships like the Mombasa in 2007, Edinburgh (2008), Amman (2009) and Punta Umbria (2011).
Kimeli, who together with Kisorio attended Kosirai Boys, won the Paris and Brighton marathons among other major road races.
On track, he was the Africa Junior 10,000m bronze medalist.
Togom, who attended Cheptil High School, won bronze at the Africa cross-country junior title in South Africa.
The 1991 world 800m champion Billy Konchella’s son Gregory who competes in the 1,500m.
Mike Mokamba and Walker Moenga have followed the footsteps of their father Elkana Nyang’au, who represented Kenya in two Olympic Games.
The sprinting Mokamba was part of team Kenya at the World Youth Championships in Lille, France.
Mokamba was accompanied by his brother Moenga who competed in the 4x200m relay.
Barnaba Kinyor is the father of Job Kinyor.
Barnaba competed in the 400m hurdles at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada as his son Job runs 800m.
After setting the world record, the Kamwosor Junior Training Camp where she trains under coach Ruth Bundotich was in celebration.
She had a lead of 10 seconds ahead of her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point. Racing on the loop course, Ng’etich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01.
Bundotich said the news was not just great for the camp but was also celebrated at the church, where Jebet congregates for spiritual nourishment.
“Today, I was the preacher and my preaching focused on success. I then received the great news of Agnes (Ng’etich) winning and breaking the world record while I was still on the pulpit,” said Bundotich.
As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third-quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.
Reline held on to finish second in 30:14, while Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34. The men’s race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05. He was followed by Amos Kurgat (27:12).