Habari za Wiki - 29 Dec, 2020
This has been an unbelievable year. We have all been challenged and tested in ways we never imagined. We’ve lost loved ones. Cancelled weddings. Found ourselves suddenly out of work.
But we’ve also found new strength: more people are running than ever. We’ve found global solidarity and community as voices around the world united for justice.
Through it all, thank you for being part of the Enda Community. Thank you for bringing Kenyan running news into your life each Tuesday and putting our shoes on your feet. We hope we’ve been some small part of the good you’ve experienced this year, and hope we can do even more together in the year to come.
Now, onto the news!
End the Year with San Silvestre Vallecana this Thursday
We truly deserve to say goodbye to 2020 in a big way, and the organizers of San Silvestre Vallecana are giving it to us. The last day of 2020 a limited number of elite athletes will be lining up in the streets of Madrid for the last 10km event of the year. World champion Ruth Chepngetich will compete as will former Enda Elite athlete Daniel Simiu. American Paul Chelimo will be there and is going after the American record.
Why Jepchirchir, Kiptanui and Rudisha Are In Elite Club of Greats
World records in athletics are falling pretty fast. We are no longer waiting for years for one to be broken. This year for instance this year only, five world records were broken on the track. However Standard newspaper looks at the unique world records over the years featuring David Rudisha’s 800m, Moses Kiptanui, the late Ben Jipcho who broke the world record in the 3000m steeplechase twice over the course of eight days. And the latest Peres Jepchirchir who broke the half marathon world records in a span of one month.
These are athletes who ventured into a distinctive field of breaking their own records. Often in quick succession.
And this certainly was a year for records in running. With everything shut down, athletes focused on good training and not over competing. With wavelight technology on track and looped courses on the roads, we saw so many records. Peres sprinting for the finish at the World Half Marathon Championships stands out as our favourite.
World Indoor Winner Kipruto Hoping a Tokyo Medal
Collins Kipruto was the 800m winner of the World Indoor Tour this year. He won 800m at the Madrid Du Pas and De Calas Lievin indoor meetings. The upcoming athlete hopes to medal in Tokyo as he follows in the footsteps of David Rudisha and Fergsuon Rotich. Kenyan men certainly have been great at 800m in recent years. If Kipruto comes in as the next generation of 800m runners, it could create a new tradition.
Let Athletes Protest
World Athletics President Seb Coe has no issue at all with athletes taking a knee at next summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo although current IOC rules forbid any gesture, statement or demonstration that could be construed as religious, racial, or political. Coe says the IOC needs to relax rule 50 of the Olympic Charter which prevents athletes from protesting.
Obviously we agree. Athletes have a moment with all the world’s attention upon them. To deny them a chance to express what’s in their hearts in that moment is shameful.
Non-Kenyan News
Chiang Mai to Host Inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships
The first edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will be held on 11-14 November 2021 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Over the four days, the action-packed championships programme will include vertical uphill mountain races, short and long trail races for senior athletes and the classic mountain races for both seniors and U20s. This new biennial event further develops the partnership between the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) and the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), with support from World Athletics.
Hopefully it means we start to see more Kenyan athletes making the leap into trail running!
From Us At Enda
While there’s been lots of hardship this year, there have also been some great joys. Here are some of our favorite things:
5: Mount Kenya FKT
Enda Elite Athletes Susy Chebet and Kenneth Kemboi set new records running up and down Mt Kenya. They pushed the boundaries of what is humanly possible, and keep inspiring us as they prepare to set even more records on the mountain.
4: ISPO Brand New Award
Following in the footsteps of companies like GoPro, we won an ISPO Brand New award, recognising great new innovations in sports.
3: Making Masks
We are proud to have been able to quickly make great fabric masks and help a group of mothers of disabled children earn income as we started selling thousands of reusable masks around the world. If you haven’t seen the video of these inspirational women, it’s well worth a watch.
2: The First Lapatets
It was only in March that the first Lapatets launched. They were an instant hit, and we raced to make more. We’ve now launched a total of 6 colorways, but we can barely keep up with demand often selling out of several sizes within a few days of launching a new color. Of course you can get the ones we have available any time, just hit the shop links!
Nothing makes us happier than seeing you enjoying life that much more with our shoes, shirts, or masks. We try to highlight 1 post we see each week, but there are more than we can share. Here is just a sampling of ones we don’t think had a chance to feature this past year.
