Coach Erick Kimaiyo (left), who coaches women’s world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei (second left, in white top),  and other athletes at the Kapsait Nike Athletics Training Camp in Elgeyo Marakwet County, gives instructions before the start of a morning speed work session on the Kachibora-Ziwa road in Trans Nzoia County on January 19, 2021.

| Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

How Kimaiyo keeps athletes on toes with unpredictable training sessions

What you need to know:

  • On average, Kimaiyo’s athletes cover a total of 35 kilometres each day in training!
  • Last week, the Nation Sport team of Elias Makori, Jared Nyataya (photojournalist) and Bernard Rotich spent some time in Kapsait to soak in the ecosystem and work ethic around Kenya’s world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei.

It’s 8.15pm on Monday and after dinner at the Kapsait Nike Athletics Camp, we bid coach Erick “Commando” Kimaiyo and his athletes goodnight as we retreat to our accommodation for the night.

“Let’s meet at 6am at Kachibora for the morning session,” the 51-year-old coach tells us before melting away into the dark Kapsait night.

Coach Erick Kimaiyo (right) briefs his athletes before a morning training session at the Kipteber-Kapcherop Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County on January 20, 2021.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

After knocking off early, even skipping the 11pm Arsenal vs Newcastle United English Premier League match in order to gain maximum rest, we’re up at 4am to make sure 5.30am finds us at the Kachibora-Ziwa road in Trans Nzoia County.

The location “Commando” had described as our meeting place is basically one hour’s drive from Kapenguria town, turning in at the Maili Saba junction. As we wait, parked by the roadside, suddenly, at 7.15am, women’s world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei appears from a distance as night gives way to day, jogging gingerly with pupils from Tulon Primary School in tow.

One wonders if they know in whose revered company they are!

A short distance away, a group of athletes from Kapsait is assembling outside Favour Academy Mixed Primary School. “Commando” calls them to order and gives instructions: “Today, it’s 3,000 times one; 2,000 times one and 1,000 times seven.”

Sounds gobbledygook or gibberish to non-athletics enthusiasts...

But, basically, “Commando” is telling the athletes that their workout would feature one run of 3,000 metres, another of 2,000 metres and seven 1,000-metre runs.

There is a three minute interval (pace reduced to a jog) between the 3,000 and 2,000 metres sessions, with the athletes breaking for one-and-a-half minutes between each of the seven 1,000-metre runs.

Hamstring injury

“This session helps me gauge the readiness of athletes for competition. I compare their times, and if there are consistent, then I can even predict what time an athlete will run in a particular race,” the coach explains.

Athletics coach Erick Kimaiyo of Kapsait Nike Athletics Training Camp in Elgeyo Marakwet County explains a point on January 19, 2021.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

He is happy with Brigid Kosgei’s performance this particular morning, given that the world marathon record holder is recovering from a hamstring injury that prompted her management company, Rosa Associati, to fly in a physiotherapist from Europe to spend time with her and fix the problem.

“She is recovering well from the injury, but for sure she will be 100 percent ready for the Olympics,” the coach assures us.

Kosgei’s Italian physio, Sebastiano Erbi, was born in Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy, but is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of the Wintcare physiotherapy team.

Early next week, “Commando” and Rosa Associati officials — based on the feedback from Kosgei and Erbi —  will decide whether the world record holder will have recovered well enough to run at the star-studded, February 19 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in Abu Dhabi.

“But definitely there will be no marathon for Brigid before the Olympics, perhaps a half marathon in April or May,” the coach adds.

Athletics coach Erick Kimaiyo looks on as Betty Kipkore, Leah Kibet and World U-20, 3,000m finalist Zena Chemutai train at a slanting field at St Francis Korongoi Mixed Day Secondary School in Elgeyo Marakwet County on January 20, 2021.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

Random programmes

After the tough morning session, the routine for Kosgei and co. is the same: shower-tea and chapati-sleep-lunch-sleep and then a light evening session. The athletes would never know what next session is lined up with coach Kimaiyo happily surprising them with random programmes.

“The training programme is not cast in stone,” he explains. “What I settle for depends on how the athletes are feeling.

“I would rather not tell them what session they are going to do at a particular time, because once they know, it will psychologically affect them. They are like soldiers – prepared for war any time!”

When we visited the Kapsait camp, there were 34 athletes at the training sessions with 27 resident there and others joining the sessions from their homes.

With Tuesday done and dusted, the athletes now look forward to Wednesday morning’s session.  Wherever, or whatever,  it will be!

It’s another 4am wake-up call for us and with the morning temperature down to six degrees Celcius, “Commando” drives the athletes in his Toyota Landcruiser pick-up to the Kipteber-Kapcherop Forest. That the “cruiser” is packed with 34 athletes and manages to effortlessly navigate the hilly terrain must make Toyota Kenya proud indeed. And despite the superstar she is, Kosgei endures the discomfort,  just like the rest of the team.

“This (forest training session) is very important for the recovery of muscles after the speed work session,” the coach explains as he steps out of the driver’s seat, stopwatch in hand.  

“In the morning, the air in the forest is very clean and there’s no dust on the paths. It’s the best environment for recovery,” he adds as he sets his charges off on an 18-kilometre run.

On average, Kimaiyo’s athletes cover a total of 35 kilometres each day in training!

Sunday: Oh dear! You won’t believe this is the track where Brigid Kosgei and other world beaters hold speedwork sessions!