Today's Headlines
- Two Exhibitions Are On At Ramoma, Nairobi
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- Taking Up a Women's Agenda
- More Than 6,000 Christian Youth Converge for Prayers
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- Silverbird Acquires Kenya's Nu Metro, Starts Operations in Ghana
- Raila is Evil, Says Minister
- Man Charged With Abduction of Two Catholic Sisters
- UN Censures State On Torture
- Agencies Seek $390 Million to Offset Climate And Food Risks
- UN-Backed Scheme Gives 3,000 Prisoners Clean Water and Sanitation
- Samosa Festival is On in Nairobi
- Heartstrings in Another Comedy
- Govts, Investors Engage RVR in Rail Bid
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- ICTR Petitions UN for Arrest of Kabuga
- UBA to Invest SH360 Billion in Kenya
- Free Movement of People Too, Not Just Goods and Capital
- Judges Running Out of Money?
The East African Standard (Nairobi)
April 21, 2008
News Article By Mutwiri Mutuota
Last evening, Robert 'Mwafrika' Cheruiyot etched his name in Boston Marathon and Kenyan distance running folklore when he equalled compatriot Catherine Ndereba's record as a four-time winner of the event.
Immediately after he ran 2:07:45 to become only the third man to win the 112 year-old-city marathon, congratulatory messages hit our newsroom.
Cheruiyot was tied as the third Kenyan, after Ibrahim Hussein (1988, 1991 and 1992) and Cosmas Ndeti (1993, 1994, 1995) to have won the oldest city marathon thrice before last evening's conquest. Moses Tanui won it in 1996 and 1998.
It was the 23rd Boston title for Kenya (17 for men and six for women). Ndereba won her Boston titles in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005.
"We wish to congratulate "Mwafrika" for doing this country proud. He has pressed a strong case to be on the Olympics team and he deserves the chance," Athletics Kenya relations' officer, Peter Angwenyi, told SportFest moments after Cheruiyot powered to victory.
The reigning Boston course record holder (2:07:14, 2006) joined the hallowed company of US runner, Bill Rodgers (1975, 1978, 1979 and 1980) and Canadian Gerard Cote (1940, 1943, 1944 and 1948) as the only quadruple winners of the event.
Born on September 26, 1978 in Kapsabet, Cheruiyot trained running while at school, but was unable to pay school fees and became a high school drop out. He ended up working at a barbershop in Mosoriot, earning Sh20 per day, but could hardly buy a meal with his low salary.
Later he managed to access Moses Tanui's training camp in Kaptagat. He launched what is shaping up to be a stellar marathon career when he the 2002 Milan Marathon in Italy, and the Saint Silvester Marathon at the end of 2002.Cheruiyot then won the Boston Marathon in 2003, in 2006, 2007 and again this year. His 2006 Boston finishing time of 2:07:14 broke a Boston marathon course record set by Cosmas Ndeti that had lasted 12 years.
He finished 4th in the 2005 New York Marathon and finished fifth at Boston the same year.
During his win at Chicago in 2006, Cheruiyot did not actually break the tape at the finish line. He slipped at the end and crossed the finish line as he slipped forward making him the winner.
