Former Commonwealth Games John Kelai is one of the celebrated athletes in Turkana County that prides in a number of the world, Olympic and Commonwealth Games champions.
Kelai, who won the Commonwealth Games marathon title in 2010 is one of the brains behind Tubong Lore road race held on Thursday to usher in Tubong Lore (Return Home) road race in the county that is the latest African destination with huge petroleum deposits despite its unsuitability for arable farming.
“The county is known as the cradle of mankind and we can’t leave behind athletes who have raised the flag of Kenya in major races across the world” said Kelai.
Growing up as an orphan, Kelai is an icon of the county after all his parents passed on while he was at a young age at their Katilu village.
“At 13 years, I lost my parents and I was raised in my uncle’s house,” said Kelai who is known for leading athletes to Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in Eldoret.
He is among top runners list like 1998 Seoul Olympic Games 800m champion Paul Ereng while 2015 Seoul International Marathon winner Wilson Loyanae Erupe who changed his citizenship to Korea after he tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in 2013.
Kelai says sports especially athletics is seriously growing in the county.
“According to me, the sport is growing in the county. In the recent years, many athletes have been reaching national trials unlike in the past as many young athletes are coming up to replace some of us who are exiting active running,” added Kelai.
On the list is the 2010 world cross country champion, Joseph Ebuya, who runs alongside his young sister Alice Aprot, the All Africa games 10,000m champion. Aprot is also the 2010 world 5,000m bronze medallist Aprot.
Others are Irene Limika who finished 20th at 2009 IAAF World Championships marathon in Berlin, Elizabeth Ewoi and world cross country runner Jane Ekimat.
To ensure that they remain relevant, Kelai says that they identify young athletes and are taken to high altitude training areas like Iten, Eldoret and Kapsabet to foster their career.