African runners in it for the long run

Athletes attend a training camp in Kenya. Marathon runners from the country hold 11 of the 12 fastest times set worldwide. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

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On the subject of swindling naive athletes, Kipchoge said he had not heard of any foreign agents failing to pay Kenyans, but added that the relationship between a sports agent and an athlete is based on trust.

"The Chinese managers are also registered by national federations, so I believe they are responsible. Life is about taking chances."

Wang, the Tao Camp manager, said that failing to give athletes enough recovery time is dangerous for their long-term performances. "This time varies with individual athletes and it may take three to four months before they can start training for the next meet. This is critical when registering them for competitions."

Doping allegations have dogged Kenyan athletes since an expose by German investigative journalist Hajo Seppelt reported rampant use of banned performance-enhancing substances, especially by Kenyan and Russian athletes. In 2014, the Kenyan government sought help from China, Norway and the World Anti-Doping Agency to revive the Kenya Anti-Doping Agency.

Patrick Sang, a renowned Kenyan coach who has built the careers of many champions, including Kipchoge and Kamworor, said that although there are no tangible partnerships with China at the moment, he hopes to pursue stronger ties soon.

"We want a partnership that will promote and strengthen the sports sector in Kenya. Perhaps one area in which Kenya and Africa can benefit is in specialized training for field events and sprints."

He co-trains Chinese athletes in Kenya. At the training field owned by Moi University, about 45 minutes from downtown Eldoret, the three athletes and two coaches train hard.

According to coach Xiao Li, Kenyan athletes are more determined to win. They consider a race a shortcut to riches and a means to improve their families' lives. They are eager to run and have a passion for taking part in and winning races, and this is the benefit of training with them.

"After 20 days of partnering with them, my student Peng Jianhua has improved on his speed," Xiao said.

Xu Song, another coach, said the training atmosphere drives the Chinese athletes. "Our athletes usually take training passively. Here, you see the young people are enthusiastic about the sport. They run together, train and compete with each other, thus improving their speeds rapidly.

"In China, only a few young people like this sport, and many parents do not encourage their children to go running because it has nothing to do with the national college entrance examination."

Xu Pengcheng, from Yantai, Shandong province, is in Kenya to train in high-altitude areas. The athlete, who arrived on Aug 1, said the difference between Chinese and Kenyan runners is that despite the relatively poor facilities, circumstances have made the Kenyans stronger and they want to change their lives.

"I have been told that most of the big villas here belong to marathon athletes," Xu said.

Wang is looking forward to receiving the Chinese team when its members prepare for the 2022 Tokyo Olympics. He hopes he can make champions out of them and build more role models who will transform running back home.

China has produced world champion athletes, the most successful being Liu Xiang, the former world and Olympic champion and record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, the country's first Olympic track champion and an iconic role model.