Race For Kenya – Pat Butcher and his 48min documentary featuring a veritable Who’s Who? of the running world as it pertains to Kenya.

Written, produced and directed by Pat Butcher, this 48min documentary features a veritable Who’s Who? of the running world as it pertains to Kenya. This film is an attempt to explain the multiple and diverse reasons for Kenyan running success which, half a dozen years later, had reached the extraordinary extent that in 2006, there were over 500 Kenyan performancess under two hours twenty minutes for the marathon.

Contrast that with the dozen or, at most a score of sub-2.20 runners from First World countries, the USA, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, et al. Even Ethiopians could muster no more than thirty or so sub 2.20 men, according to the greatest of them all, Haile Gebrselassie.

The documentary features interviews with Paul Tergat, Kipchoge Keino, Moses Kiptanui, Moses Tanui, Patrick Sang, Yobes Ondieki, with legendary coach, Bro Colm O’Connell, with administrator John Velzian, with manager/coaches Kim McDonald and Dr Gabriele Rosa, with foreign rivals, Dieter Baumann (Olympic 5000m champ in 1992), and US record holder Bob Kennedy, and perhaps most importantly, with world renowned muscle biologist, Dr Bengt Saltin.

 

 

The documentary has not been widely seen on television, only getting several viewings in Europe around the time of the World Championships in Seville 1999 and the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000.

But its examination of the reasons for East African success, which tacitly includes Ethiopians, Tanzanians, Ugandans, Eriteans and Somalians remain even more valid today, and are worthy of wider dissemination.

 

The documentary covers discussion and debate on the potential benefits of altitude, group training, genetics and socio-economics on performance.

 

There is also footage of international racing, and some of the first footage ever shot of Kenyans training at altitude.

For every running-related piece of footage you’re ever likely to want, also visit: www.runningmovies.com the brainchild of the estimable Mark Hale-Brown

 

Source: Butchers BLOG

GLOBE Runner.org