Back when we started the Shoe4Africa races I thought what would be the best way to inspire runners to keep with the sport and get the AIDS awareness message across in a community friendly environment. I came across the idea that to hold a race was fine, but would it not be better if I could have some world champion athletes at the finishing line welcoming the runners as they crossed the line to give the event a memorable feel...

So...Holding the Finishers' tape---2006 & 2007 World Champion Lornah Kiplagat, and Moses Kiptanui, five-time world record holder, the first man to run a Sub 8-minute Steeple, and on the other side, Moses Tanui, the first man to run under an hour for the half marathon, world half and 10,000m champion, former African Marathon record holder and centennial Boston Marathon winner (and Shoe4Africa Ambassador), and Paul Tergat, five time world xc champion, two time half marathon champion, and world marathon record holder--what a line up!

The preps for this race started a long time before. One of the first jobs was getting the T shirts and getting them printed up with Shoe4Africa. The T shirts, nearly three thousand, were hand printed at the High Altitude Coffee shop. Funnily enough the men who did the printing were imprisoned last year on Christmas Eve due to some problems we had with a lack of T shirts paid for (See Kenyan sagas 05/06). This year they were great,and really got behind the whole thing, even volunteering to come on the race day and help... Giving people a second chance sometimes works out nicely.

We wanted this to be a festival more than a race, so it was imperative to have other acts for the spectators to enjoy. Anyway the day before the race we had a visitor. Leonard the Masai, with cell phone, comes to collect payment for the Masai entertainment the following day.

Anthony Edwards (Nick Goose/Dr. Mark Greene) and family meet World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat. Anthony is a friend of mine from NYC, a really nice guy. I must admit I am not familiar with his on-screen self but everyone I have met says that he comes across over the screen as being nice--in real life he is even better. Anyway he agreed to start the race,and let me tell you the Kenyans were so excited, it is so rare a celebrity makes the effort to visit a town in the Highlands.

The crowds settle in. Luckily with 1 in 180 having a TV we did not have much competition with events to vie for attention on a Saturday morning.

On the Central Lawn of Iten, the 'Location Field.' This is where we held the race. Last year it was at Pieter and Lornah's camp but the numbers grew so much we had to move to this field.

The Masai's warm up for their entertainment--we had three groups of entertainers. I wish I could give you the sound to this picture too--quite remarkable.

And jumped higher still! this is a trait of their tribe. Strnage that they do not have many runners from this tribe. They specialize in the 800m the ones that do come from there -- Think Billy, Patrick,and Geofrey Konchellah, (All three world class), think this year's Junior World Champion David Rudisha, or the Commonwealth Bronze medallist John Litei-- both who were at this event.

This is a group of actors from Baringo with Tergat and Moses Kiptanui, former world record holder in the Steeple, I3000m, and 5000m, not to forget three world titles. Paul Tergat is from the Baringo district.

We had an ambulance and an AIDS/HIV Awareness tent with 900 testing kits, and leaflets to hand out. This is a mainstay of S4A's mission, getting an unpopular word out there, and giving information at a community event.

Some of the faster runners rolled in--World Silver medallist Jeruto Kiptum, Silvia Kibet who was third in the African Championships behind Defar and Dibaba, Joseph Cheromei, Irene Kwambai, 14:49 for the 5000m this season, and one more.

Luckily no rain! There had been heavy rain the month before, even two days before, and that would have drastically cut the participation. **ALl Shoe4Africa events are totally free to enter**

Tergat and Anthony, with Poppy.

Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi, and Boston and Chicago '06 winner Robert Cheruiyot, come over to talk. Ezekiel had been playing ping pong with the family the night before, he has been helping with every shoe4africa event.

Isaiah Kiplagat, the CEO of Athletics Kenya was another guest, here with a reporter from the Daily Nation from Canada. Kiplagat has the hard job of trying to make everyone happy in the politics of Kenyan Athletics; a tough task.

The 2km healthwalk came first with participants from 3 to 80-years old. We had to close the registration at 8:50 (twenty minutes late) as people just kept on coming. The healthwalk is added so Mothers, Grandma's, and little kids can join in. In January 2006 when we had the first healthwalk it was the first of its kind in the Iten area.

Leading the Healthwalk were Lornah Kiplagat, Susan Sirma, Phyllis Keino, Anthony's wife and school teachers amongst two thousand others.

And others.

The walk went down to the famous Iten Viewpoint where you can see for miles and miles over the Kerio Valley.

The women RUN Iten. A nice thing is it was there day, 'A woman who usually tends to her market space selling fruits woke up on Saturday morning. She told her husband 'Today I am going to run the walk, you have to work' and off she went!' We heard loads of endearing stories like this.

And they walked back up to the field. Of course most participants had run the route.

In how many countries will the reigning Olympic Champion (Yellow and blue T shirt) volunteer to work all day as a course marshal? the great thing about Shoe4Africa events is how people pull together to put on these races.

The Kogo (grandmother) marches in.

We had to meanwhile bus all the 5k runners out to the start in vehicles as the 5k course was point to point. We had a mapped out 5k route but the heavy rains had bogged down the road, two days before event even the LandRover could not make it past the bog, so we decided on the road option.

Off they went to Salaba Academy, where Christopher Cheboiboch's school is, for the starting line.

This is also the road to Eldoret Town. From Post Office to Post Office it is twenty miles, and if you run from Eldoret it has a 440-meter incline. I know, I have ran it, so has Jose Abascal by the way before he won an Olympic 1500m bronze back in 1984.

Dutch Champion, Selma Borst, was one of few foreigners to compete. She was in Iten for a training camp with a Dutch team called TDR whom I got to know over the ensuing weeks.

And they were off... Hellen Kirop leads, she was #2 in the Amsterdam Marathon where she used a slightly longer surname. She is a Pokwot but lives 100m from the camp and trains with Lornah.

On a 5k course that was at 2,500-meters altitude, and hilly, the going was tough. But they were pushing!

Thanks to Ezekiel who gave us the press truck, again.

Chasing the eventual winner Chemutai Consolata #2, eighth at the World Cross Country this year leads Sleepy Silvia, #4 after a couple of miles.

Irene Kwambai, #11, was just behind.

Lydia Njeri, #13, and Monicah Jepchirchir, #17

Meanwhile Healthwalkers continued to finish on the location field as we were setting up the start of the 5km.

And finish...

And Still finish!

And out on the roads meanwhile...

We had a loop inside the town center to try and give the race a 'center' feel. Then making the last turn before the field and the finish, having pushed ahead from the 2k mark, was the eventual winner Pauline Atodonyang. 'A mother of three' as the Daily Nation exclaimed the following day.

Beatrice Jepchumba, another Internationalist, finished third, here rounding the corner.

In eighth place Pamela Lisoreng.

Chemutai, second place, won $400, and she will use the money to help her continue training.

US road racer Jane Kibii, placed 30th, winning $100.

The performance standard was very high, 31-minute 10k runners not getting in the top 30! (EldoLise in the background).

Watched by loads of spectators.

upon loads.

Who stayed all day and listened and watched all the proceedings.

Brother Colm watching the runners flow in.

Many barefooted.

Thanks to Marcel from Holland who donated an electronic clock to the race so we had electornic timing--a rarity in Kenya I can tell you.

Following the race the Baringo dancers performed.

With sharp spears.

Some of the many celebrities were introduced. Kiptanui, Kiplagat, Tanui, Kenyan 800m record holder Sammy Kosgei, Susan Sirma (Kenya's first ever T&F medalist), and Kemboi.

Then Florence gave her speech, "I was sick I lost 20-kgs, then I doscovered I had HIV. By knowing I was able to act accordingly and regain my health. You need to know your status..." She talked for 15-minutes inspiring hundreds to use our faacilities to get tested. Thanks Florence!

Isaac Kalua, far right, is the CEO for the World XC Championships in Mombassa 2007, introduces Tergat and Tanui to the Javelin event.

We had two blind runners Egla and Loice. We gave them both prizes. Starbucks, my co-race director, made the presentations. Jeroen in the background. Loice traveled over three hours to get to the race. Both are training for the Para Olympics Beijing.

Paul Tergat gave out the cash awards, here's Sleepy Silvia meeting the legend for the first time.

A computer went to the Iten Primary School for having the most participants.

Following which the raffle begun. 'Brother' Luc Krotwaar, fourth in the European Marathon this year, made the drawings.

This grandmother was delighted to win some new running shoes. We gave out nearly 200-pairs.

Anthony and Isaiah Kiplagat were some of many who joined inthe spear dance.

Even shoes that would be 'grown into' were cherished.

At the back of the VIP tent... Tanui, Tergat, and Martin Keino.

Meanwhile at the front Anthony was learning the new spear dance to take back to New York.

Anthony Edwards and Jeanne altered their holiday, and flew to Eldoret especially to be a part of this event. The whole of Kenya talked about Anthony,and was honored that a Hollywood actor would be gracious enough to come to a remote Kenyan village to be a part of a running festival---One hundred thanks to the Edwards family.