The high altitude course is the distinguishing physical feature that makes Kass Marathon a unique running experience.
The race usually attracts a huge turnout — with more than 7,000 entrants and well over 100,000 spectators lining up the course from Kapsabet to Eldoret.
The 42-kilometre course from Kapsabet Boys High School is covered by light bushes and open grasslands that stretch across four hills and 11 bends, which promises a cocktail of marathon experience tomorrow.
Of the 11 bends, the notable curves are in Namkoi Junction, Chebarbar uphill, Chepterit, Kosirai and the steep slope near Mosoriot.
The bumps erected on the road and hills near Belekenya, Kosirai and Eldoret International Airport are enough to set Kass Marathon course apart with other marathons.
With the bumps and bends defining the course of the marathon, former national head coach Mike Kosgei said the bumps slows competitors.
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“The bumps are hurdles which slow athletes. Hills in high altitude pose challenge unlike in low altitudes,” said Kosgei.
This is in stark contrast to the Big Five marathons in the world — Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin and London marathons.
In these well-heeled marathons, elevation profiles highlight the differences between historic courses like Boston and New York City and the flat courses where fast times are always posted.
oston is a point-to-point downhill course with three turns and it is ineligible for world records as it can produce “too fast” times, like in 2011 when Geoffrey Mutai posted a sizzling 2:03.02 under a tailwind.
The Chicago Marathon’s pan-cake flat course has 31 turns while New York City has 26 turns. London and Berlin flat courses have 19 and 17 turns respectively.
Participants in Kass Marathon usually face a stiff challenge at the mid-point hill near Kosirai and Mosoriot areas and then the hill near Eldoret Airport, where major upsets do happen.
Incidentally, these are rural homes of marathon trailblazers among them three-time London Marathon winner Martin Lel and four-time Boston marathon winner Robert “Mwafrika” Cheruiyot.
Kass Marathon has turned out to be a launching pad for Kenyan athletes after Geoffrey Mutai finished second in 2007 and then went ahead to win Boston, New York and Chicago marathons.
Locals say they must uphold the race as it was set and sanctified by the former colonial master.
When Queen Elizabeth II visited Kapsabet in 1952, she organised a race that started in Kapsabet and ended in Eldoret where men’s and women’s winners were awarded a cow.
“We were not yet born but our elders say the race was exciting and have insisted that it continues,” former 5,000m world champion and IAAF athletes represenative Benjamin Limo was earlier