Kapsabet — Construction works at the multi-million Eliud Kipchoge Training facility in Kapsabet town is almost complete.
The project began after Kipchoge broke the world marathon record in Berlin 2018, clocking 2 Hours, 01 Minute and 39 Seconds.
The Nandi County government celebrated the feat by building the facility and naming after him.
The two-year-old sports complex whose construction work is at 95 percent, comprise of training track, athletes’ lounge, conference hall, modern gym, clinic, swimming pool, an art studio, physiotherapy rooms and a restaurant.
Speaking during an inspection tour at the facility, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang said the training centre build to international standards will offer a ray of hope for many upcoming athletes within and outside the County.
“As we speak now, it’s only elite athletes who can access a gym. All the other upcoming young athletes who are hustling their way into profitable running do not access a gym,” he pointed out.
The Governor said the sports complex which will have residential area of a 200-bed capacity will be used by athletes preparing for major events as one way of getting revenue for the county government.
“It will be residential because some of our athletes come from far. So, they will have a place to train and live instead of looking for accommodation elsewhere,” he said.
Nandi County which prides itself as ‘the source of champions’ has produced a number of legendary athletes from Kipchoge Keino in the 1960s to Henry Rono in the 70s and now Eliud Kipchoge.
The training facility will offer relief to athletes who have been using roads in Tea plantations in Nandi Hills for speed sessions while others have to travel about 15 kilometres to the University of East Africa, Baraton from Kapsabet.
The county has 23 athletics camps which train track athletes, scholarship marathoners, road race athletes and master athletes.
Sports fraternity have thanked the county administration for the project saying it will help in nurturing talents among youths and promoting sporting activity in the county.
-By KNA-