Leap of faith: Faith Kipyegon’s meteoric rise from Keringet to the world

As global athletics fans intensify their background search on Faith Kipyegon after she set a new 1,500 metres world record last Friday, not many know she hails from a humble background in Keringet.

Kipyegon, 29, set the new mark in Florence, beating the pace-setting “wavelights” to clock three minutes, 49.11 seconds in the Diamond League meeting.

“Keringet” - which derives its name from the Kalenjin meaning of “a well” - is sandwiched between Mau East and Mau Forest blocks and is about 80 kilometres west of Nakuru City.

Unbeknownst to many, it is also famous because it has many underground wells thanks to the adjacent Mau Forest Complex water tower, a crucial water tower in Kenya that supports millions of livelihoods nationally.

It has a rich colonial history as many white settlers lived there and constructed tunnels that they mostly used as a means to approach and threaten fortified positions.

Driving through the tarmac road from the Molo “Keep Left” junction to Keringet, the enchanting view of a meandering road through a lush garden forest and a patch of grass along the beautifully made road evokes a sense of exploration and tranquility.

The winding road with sharp and breathtaking bends has a dozen corners for a mere 25-kilometre stretch.

It meanders to above 2,500 metres above sea level and it is a real test for endurance for real, manual gear shift drivers, and not those enjoying the trappings of the automatic gearbox.

One cruises past vibrant trading centres, including Muchorwe, Seguton, Kimalany, to finally reach Keringet Trading Centre. The vibrant trading centre has a population of about 20,000 people and lacks a drainage system, piped water, and a proper road network.

A walk in the centre reveals the dire need to upgrade it to match its fast-rising global attention. The temperatures in Keringet could be freezing cold and falls up to 10 degrees and rises to 27 degrees.

It is evident that the region is a rich agricultural area as it is thriving with crops that include pyrethrum, beans, potatoes, peas, and maize and merino sheep and Ayrshire and Jersey cattle breeds that are grazing on the farmlands.

Kipyegon hails from Ndabibit Village which is named after invasive indigenous plant species that resemble lucerne and killed cattle after eating them.

The village has no piped water but was connected to the national grid after Kipyegon broke the world record.

"The government should make sure we have clean water because we still depend on borehole and river water. The road network is also horrible and in honour of Faith the government should upgrade the basic infrastructure in Ndabibit village and Keringet as a whole," said her neighbour Christina Koech.

The 2.5-kilometre road to Kipyegon's home off Molo-Olenguruone road is an earth road that has just been upgraded and the unpaved road is lined up with cypress and blue gum trees which form a canopy that forms a beautiful shade.

Inside the compound, there is a four-bedroom stone house and beautiful trees some of which were planted by the record-breaking athlete.

The house was constructed by Kipyegon to honour her parents.

“This house is a reminder to me that there is joy in raising your children in a discipline manner. There is joy in hard work and there is joy in believing in God. When I sleep in the house I pray to God to continue protecting my daughter,” said Faith's father, Samuel Kipyegon Koech.

“I am not surprised that my daughter broke the world 1,500 metres record. At Chebaraa Primary School she loved athletics and as a former athlete in my heyday I encouraged her to keep pushing hard and today the world can see the results,” said Koech.

Koech described her seventh-born daughter as a “very disciplined girl”.

“All my children are disciplined but Faith disciplined is above board,” said a visibly happy Koech.

Her mother Jane Chepkosgei said: “We were sleeping in an iron sheet house that was very cold at night. The house is warm and beautiful.”

The record breaker rose from humble beginnings at the tender age of 10 years that is when her games teacher at Chebaraa Primary School Alexander Kiplangat Cheruioyt discovered her talent in Class Four.

Kiplangat, 67, who is the unsung hero behind Kipyegon's success story says he was a happy man after learning that she has broken the world 1,500m record.

“I have coached many athletes but Faith has been my favourite since I discovered her in 2005 at Chebaraa Primary School,” said Kiplangat who retired in 2016.

He added: “I knew she had hidden talent and would conquer the world and true to my predictions she has conquered the world. I’m so proud of her.”

Interestingly, when Kiplangat discovered Kipyegon, some of the teachers at the school thought she was underage.

“I stood my ground and said Faith must participate in school athletics. I’m happy those teachers who were opposed to Faith starting her career at an early age are now seeing the sense of my argument,” said Kiplangat.

He said Kipyegon specialized in the 1,500m and was also participating in 3,000m steeplechase races.

Athletics Kenya Kuresoi South official Joseph Misoi described her as an exemplary athlete.

“Faith has all the habits of a highly disciplined woman. She is very self-aware. She knows her goals. She creates an environment to win by removing many obstacles on her way,” said Misoi.

The Keringet High Altitude Sports Training Academy where Kipyegon is supposed to train is about one and a half kilometers from her home.

The road leading to the academy is impassable as it is under construction.
About 70 percent of the Academy is complete.

The drainage work is also complete while the pavilion and the track are not ready.
The Academy is ringed with a chain link fence, perhaps symbolizing the fact that the future of Kenyan middle distance running is ring-fenced and secure.

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