Tegla Loroupe Race for Peace

In December last year, former marathon record holder Tegla Loroupe organised a 10 kilometre race in her home country. As Ottavio Castellini reports, the race wasn’t just another competition but a means for spreading the need for peace in the world.

The story begins in Kapenguria, in the district of West Pokot, Kenya. If you head for Eldoret, pass Kitale, dominated to the left by the 4310 metre peak of Mount Elgon, on the right are the Cherangani Hills. From there, you can gaze with wonder at one of the most beautiful sights in the world: the Elgeyo Escarpment, in the stunning Rift Valley.

I arrived in Kapenguria in January 1996, on my first visit to Kenya. The previous day I had landed at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport, in company of my good friend, Gabriele Rosa.
We arrived in Eldoret late that afternoon, after a long and dusty drive, and had dinner as guests of Moses Tanui. Moses told us of a welcome home parade that was set to take place the following day in Kapenguria in honour of Tegla Loroupe. Loroupe had just won the New York City Marathon for the second time in a row, and her fellow Kenyans were gearing up to welcome her back. This sounded fascinating, and Moses promptly encouraged me to go and witness the event for myself.

He arranged for one of his trusted drivers to take me, together with Enrico, a top Italian camera operator, to see the party for ourselves.

The event in Kapenguria was truly mesmerising – a seemingly never-ending succession of music, dancing, speeches, prizes and emotional outbursts...

One of the main aspects I recall from that 27th of January 1996, is the unbelievably strong feeling of affection and admiration for Tegla that one could sense flowing from all the many women present. They gave the impression that Tegla represented every single one of them, that part of her victory was theirs.

This was perfectly illustrated by the speech given by Mrs Rodda Rotino, the head teacher of a girl’s secondary school of the area. She said: "Thanks to Tegla, today is an important day for the women of Kapenguria. They will not be spending their whole day cooking, cleaning and clearing up after their children." And you could truly feel that this was momentous for all these women. It was as though, through Tegla's achievement, they were suddenly coming to realize that they did not have to submit to a life dedicated to raising children, but that it was possible to take their fate into their own hands.

I returned to Kapenguria on the 13th of December 2003. The occasion was the ‘First Tegla Loroupe Race for Peace', an event she had set up in the face of huge difficulties of all type, a true testimony to her will to succeed.

Again, as on the 27th of January 1996, I felt privileged to be present.
Back then it had been mostly her own tribe, the Pokots (or the Suks, as they used to be known by the Masai) who had been celebrating their champion.

This time she was playing a more challenging role. She was using her sport to promote peace, to gather together people from different nations and different tribes and to unite them with a common goal – that of promoting 'a peaceful, prosperous and just world', as explained in the event’s promotional flyers and posters.

Tegla has decided to take on many of the unjust and criminal situations she feels she has a duty to speak out against, and this race is one of the ways in which she is drawing attention to the plight of the under-privileged.

Among the situations she is looking to eradicate are the illegal gun running operations, rife in the regions between Pokot, Uganda, Turkana and Marakwet; the tribal wars which, each day, shed more blood and take more innocent lives; the poacher wars, which takes a terrible toll on the local populations, due to the relentless revenge killings they bring with them; the famine and diseases decimating children; violence against women...

Above all, Tegla has decided to take on the root of all evil on this planet – ignorance.
It was truly amazing to behold this frail-looking young woman addressing the crowds with the ferociousness of a lioness protecting her cubs against predators.

Her determination and inner strength had drawn to the event a host of diplomats and officials, all fascinated by the charisma of this extraordinary woman. Present were the Swedish Ambassador, dignitaries representing both the USA and the United Kingdom, a personal envoy of Mwai Kibaki, the President of Kenya, various MPs, as well every politician from West Pokot.

Everyone from the world of Kenyan athletics was in attendance: along with the Chairman himself, Isaiah Kiplagat, there was the General Secretary, David Okeyo, and champions of both yesterday and today - Paul Tergat, Joyce Chepchumba, Moses Tanui, Susan Chepkemei, Ibrahim Hussein, Elijah Lagat, Nixon Kiprotich, Julius Sang, Mike Boit, Eric Kimaiyo, Ester Kiplagat, Roger Rop, Daniel Komen, Judy Kiplimo, Samson Kimobwa to name but a few.

There were people from Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan...

All had come out of respect, to show their admiration for Tegla and her work.
I recall one young girl, by the name of Lilian Chemweno, who had travelled from Uganda, having prepared herself for running a Marathon. Upon discovering that the race she was signed up for would 'only' be a 10k one, she promptly approached Tegla, and asked her: "Listen, could you not arrange for a Marathon race for tomorrow for me? I am ready!"

There were numerous exciting stories I remember from that day, but three of them stand out.
One of the races was reserved for warriors – not ones acting out a role to entertain tourists, but 'real' ones.

Together with my friend Gianni Lombardo (The Director of the 'Multistars' Meeting', the IAAF Combined Events' Challenge) we were following the race from the back of a jeep.
I noticed on the starting line an athlete with a strangely shaped head. When this runner went on to win the event, I inquired about him and discovered, to my horror, that his head was thus shaped because he had been scalped whilst held prisoner by another tribe...

Another memory etched in my mind is that of seeing a portly housewife, barefoot, and holding her dress up to allow her to run, finish her race before seeking out Tegla and clasping her hand in her own. She then told her, in her Pokot dialect, "I wish to thank you for all you are doing for us. Next Christmas will be my happiest ever, because, thanks to you, I will feel safe in my home, surrounded by my children, and will not worry about hiding in the forest from killers."

Another illustration of the achievements of Tegla could be the letter sent by Dr John Garang, SPLM/SPLA, New Sudan. It read: "I am one of your greatest admirers for the spirit of struggle, honour and dignity for the Pokot people, Kenya, Sudan, and Africa and Humanity in general. We have a lot in common being strugglers from our different dimensions. As we achieve peace in the Sudan, the Tegla Loroupe Peace Race and Foundation is very much welcome. Again, thanks for your contributions."

In the same week in which the Tegla Loroupe Peace Race took place, an international peace conference was held on the banks of the Naivasha Lake, in Kenya, between the factions that have been fighting in the Sudan for over twenty years.

In Kapenguria there had been a delegate from the Southern Sudan Popular Liberation Army (SPLA) who had observed the whole event.

A few weeks later Tegla was invited to a meeting regarding peace negotiations. Her speech made a huge impact on all the parties involved, as is readily testified by the letter reproduced above.

I am not presumptuous enough to believe that Mr Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations - incidentally an ex athlete himself - will ever read this article, but, were it by miracle to happen, then I would like him to consider the following plea:

"Mr Annan, Our current world is one in which, every day, man’s folly and murderous instincts take their toll on us. This is a world filled with tragedies – from Manhattan to Madrid, Nassiriya to Tel Aviv... What we need, Mr Secretary General, if we are to stop shedding so many tears of pain, are men and women committed to spreading the message of peace, people ready and willing, not only to speak out for peace but to act, to accomplish things.

What you need, Mr Annan, what we all need, is for you to be surrounded by people such as Tegla Loroupe..."

Published in IAAF Magazine Issue 1 - 2004