This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
Kenyan marathoner Daniel Gekara was set to return to Indonesia in April to attempt his second win at the Jogja Marathon, a feat he had narrowly missed in 2019.
However, with international sporting events and flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gekara's dream of winning the marathon has been put on hold.
"I was really determined to go out there and win. I tried in 2019 and came in second and I knew what I had to do to win this time. I had really worked hard but then this pandemic has cut short my dream and that of many other athletes," Gekara told Nairobi News in an interview.
Despite the setback, Gekara remains optimistic and continues to train in Ngong Hills, but acknowledges the difficulties of training without a clear timeline for upcoming races.
"I race twice or thrice a year and that is how I am able to make some money to support my family but right now it is very difficult and it seems like it will be impossible to achieve that but we remain optimistic," he added.
Gekara has now called on the Kenyan government to reach out to athletes who are struggling financially due to the pandemic, many of whom rely on local and international races to make a living.
