Irish roads paved with gold for Kenyans

In recent times Kenyan distance runners have become regular visitors to Ireland where they run for local clubs and hoover up prizes on the road racing scene before returning to the Rift Valley.

Lezan Kimutai (Athenry AC) is one of the travelling band of Kenyans, and leading entrants, for the Irish Examiner Cork City marathon this Bank Holiday Monday. In his younger days he won the 25th edition of the Dublin marathon in 2004 in a new course record of 2:13:07.

Kimutai has been a regular on the Irish road racing circuit most summers since 2004. The prizes on offer typically provide an income of five to ten times more in a year for Kenyans than in other professions in their own country.