Kenyan Violence Puts Runners at Risk

The once-stable African country of Kenya is tearing itself apart, and its famed runners are feeling the strain, reports the New York Times today (story). In the wake of a contested election between president Mwai Kibaki and challenger Raila Odinga, violence and riots have broken out across the country, putting at risk not only the training schedules but also the very lives of its elite runners. Marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat, and four-time Boston Marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba, call Kenya home.

Postscript: (1-23-08) Update on victims of Kenyan violence (post).

(Map used with permission from the Applied Language Translation Site)