On 20 May 2020, world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge's foundation and Eldoret Grains Limited distributed food to 60 vulnerable athletes from Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
The Olympic marathon champion's initiative aimed to support athletes struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted their training and racing schedules.
Among the beneficiaries were 20 upcoming athletes in Iten, who received food donations from Kipchoge's foundation. Athlete Hillary Birgen, who received a 5kg bag of flour and a packet of wheat flour, shared his food with his teammates who were not on the list.
"I was fortunate to get a 5kg bag of flour and one packet of wheat flour. I had to share it with my training mates whose names didn’t appear on the list. We are really struggling but I’m grateful to the well-wishers who came up with the donation. The food will keep us going for some days," Birgen said.
Ben Mutai, who received a share from Birgen, praised his friend for showing kindness and generosity during difficult times.
"I’m so happy because my friend called me immediately after the distribution and gave me one kilogramme of flour. We have been training together, but currently, we are just indoors waiting for the virus to be contained," Mutai said.
Central Rift Athletics Kenya Chairman Abraham Mutai urged county governments and the national government to consider cushioning athletes after races were cancelled.
"Athletes depend on races to earn an income. There is need to support them so that they can continue training ahead of next season," Mutai said.
