Definitional sports in a nation say a lot about that place, either historically or geographically. So it is with baseball in Cuba and Japan, cricket in India, rugby in New Zealand, hockey in sa国际传媒 and cross-country skiing in Norway.
And equally, and as famously, running in Kenya.
That latter story spills over and plays out on the streets of Victoria every spring in the sa国际传媒 10K and each fall in the GoodLife Fitness Marathon as Kenyan-born runners have come to dominate both events at the elite level.
It will be no different in the 29th sa国际传媒 10K on Sunday with two-time defending champion Daniel Kipkoech, 2013-champion Paul Kimugul and breathlessly fast newcomer Haron Kiptoo-Sirma among those expected to battle it out at the front of a heaving pack of more than 9,000 runners, walkers and rollers.
Kenya is notable on the women鈥檚 side, as well. Four-time sa国际传媒 10K female champion Jane Murage (winner from 2013 to 2016 before Dayna Pidhoresky of Windsor, Ont., ended Murage鈥檚 streak last year) returns and the Kenyan is looking to make it a fast five in total in Victoria.
鈥淚t is the favourite sport of Kenya but the best runners come from just one area 鈥� the Rift Valley,鈥� explained Kiptoo-Sirma, during the sa国际传媒 10K pre-race media conference held Friday at the Crystal Garden.
The Rift Valley is from where Kiptoo-Sirma hails. He had no shortage of Olympic, world championships and Commonwealth and African Games heroes around him to emulate, and one of his mentors included the legendary Kip Keino. Yet Kiptoo-Sirma was a late starter, by Kenyan standards, and didn鈥檛 really get serious about running until three years ago. He proved a natural, like so many from the Rift Valley before him. His personal best in the 10K is a head-spinning 28 minutes and 50 seconds, and a world-class 2:13 in the marathon, and he comes to the Island after winning the Around The Bay 30K in Hamilton, Ont., last month.
鈥淚 was late [in taking up serious running], and it is very competitive in Kenya,鈥� said the 27-year-old.
But this guy proved he had what it takes and has joined the legion of Kenyan running pros who criss-cross North America, Europe and Asia competing for prize money in road races and marathons.
鈥淵ou can travel all over the world, and see so many different places, as a pro runner,鈥� said Kiptoo-Sirma.
That鈥檚 a job many might envy.
This weekend, it鈥檚 taken the Kenyan runners to Victoria. Last weekend, it was the Vancouver Sun Run. Next weekend, it鈥檚 the Vancouver Half-Marathon. All feature prize purses for the top finishers.
This is Kiptoo-Sirma鈥檚 first time racing the Canadian road circuit.
鈥淰ictoria is a very beautiful city 鈥� very nice,鈥� he said.
Kiptoo-Sirma will be looking to break 30 minutes on Sunday but it鈥檚 weather-dependent, he said. Friday was bright, beautiful and sunny, but the weather is expected to deteriorate into the weekend. Spring-time road races in sa国际传媒 can be uncertain in terms of conditions.
鈥淚 found Hamilton very cold last month,鈥� said Kiptoo-Sirma.
Victoria might only be marginally better Sunday.
鈥淭he times in the race will all depend on the weather,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 mind the wet so much. It鈥檚 wind that is the big thing.鈥�
Kipkoech fought a fierce headwind along Dallas Road to win last year in 29:59.
Organizers said there were more than 8,600 registered, combined, for both the sa国际传媒 10K and the 1.5K Family Run at the end of the online registration period. In-person registration runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the Crystal Garden. More than 400 people registered in person last year, so organizers are looking to crack the 9,000-participant plateau on Sunday.
There is no race-day registration.
The turnout last year, including the Family Run, was 8,679, of whom 7,947 ran the 10K. That was down from the 2016 total of 9,474. Participation has been slipping in recent years, following a continent-wide trend for road races, which are being challenged by triathlons and off-road racing as active people keep pushing into new avenues to discharge their energies. There were 13,086 participants registered for the 2011 sa国际传媒 10K. But classic road racing will always remain a staple of the scene.
The sa国际传媒 10K start time Sunday is 8 a.m. at the corner of Government and Belleville, with the finish line on Belleville in front of the legislature.
Legendary race caller Steve King will again be announcing at the finish line.
