How coach Kimaiyo pushed Rosa to build Kapsait camp that nurtured Kosgei

Thirty years ago, silver-haired Italian Gabriele Rosa opened his first training camp in Kenya.

Rosa, founder of the Rosa Associati stable, went on to popularise marathon running in the country, with his two most famous proteges being two-time Boston Marathon champion Moses Tanui and former world marathon record holder Paul Tergat.

Also training at Rosa’s first camp in Kaptagat was Erick Kimaiyo.

“One day he (Kimaiyo) told me ‘I stay in a difficult place (Kapsait) because it’s a mountain - very high – and I’d like to do something so that I’m able to improve the performance of athletes… You must help me to build a training camp there…” Rosa recalled in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

So, in 1999, the Italian decided to rent a small house in a Kapsait village where around 20 athletes resided.

“It was not easy, but the athletes were very smart and agreed to stay there. Kimaiyo was still an athlete and I was the coach. At that time, he had some good athletes who were improving, like Joseph Chebet, Sammy Korir, Biwott Simon, Fred Kiprop and others,” Rosa added.

“In 2003, I decided to build the training camp. We bought land and then built the camp. Initially the camp wasn’t too bad or too good, but nothing to worry about. Then four or five years ago, the camp started improving, with more facilities.”

At 3,000 metres above sea level, Rosa thought Kapsait had the best training conditions.

“Training at 3,000 metres above sea level is very good to build the body and to improve completely,” Rosa explained.

Kimaiyo was certain that he would train an athlete who would break the world marathon record.

“We worked hard to produce good athletes, and Kimaiyo promised me that he would like one of these athletes to break the world record,” Rosa added.

And then came Brigid Kosgei.

“Brigid joined the camp around 2013-15,” recalls Kimaiyo.

“I used to see her training with her husband (Mathew Kosgei) and asked if she could join our camp. I asked her husband to bring her to the camp because I saw she was talented.”

Interestingly, Kosgei, 26, is one of the few athletes who went straight to the marathon without competing on the track.

“I asked her if she could start training for the marathon and she agreed. We sent her to her first marathon in Porto and she won in 2:47, and then she started improving.”

Kimaiyo says Kosgei has been focused, especially after having her twins - Faith Chepchumba and Brian Kibet - herself having been raised by a single mother and forced to drop out of school due to lack of fees.

“I liked her because when she didn’t finish school, and when after she delivered her twins, she was troubled but determined to work hard,” Kimaiyo says.

“From my experience, women athletes with children are more focused and train harder – another example is Chemokil Chilapong whom I trained to victory at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2004. At the time, she was a mother of four.

“Brigid loves training, she loves her sport and is disciplined especially because there’s no luxury at our camp.”

Rosa is impressed by the progress Kosgei has made over the years.

“Brigid started off her marathon running very slowly with 2:47, but within a short time she improved in every marathon.

“Brigid is a big talent and Kimaiyo is a good coach – I think he’s one of the main coaches in the world because many good athletes, including Vivian (Kiplagat) have come through him.

“I follow the marathon closely and every time he (Kimaiyo) sends me the training results, mainly from the interval training, and he’d like to know my opinion.

“I’ve seen Brigid improve gradually but very fast. She’s won all her marathons with improving times.

“Before her world record in Chicago, I saw that the training she had done was incredible.

“Kimaiyo and myself were sure that she would break the world record.

“What she has done is incredible because the record (2:14:04) was one minute and 21 seconds better than Paula Radcliffe’s previous record. Everybody thought it wasn’t possible to run faster than Paula.

“Now we are working towards the Olympics because the dream is (for Brigid) to win at the Olympics. I think she can do it because now she is three minutes faster than the second fastest athlete in the world,” the Italian says.

Kimaiyo has been including Kosgei in the men’s training programmes, saying this got the best out of her.

“The best training for women is with the men,” he says. “That’s why I detail men to help female athletes.

“Training for the Olympics is not the same as training for the city marathons because at the Olympics, there will be no pacemakers and it’s just about time and mind games.

“One needs speed, endurance and resistance, and I’m confident and comfortable that Brigid will win in Tokyo.”

Tomorrow: How Erick Kimayo and Gabriele Rosa used the Kapsait Nike Training Camp and schools to help keep the peace between the Pokot and Marakwet people, and how Rosa nurtured Kenyan marathon running.