Focused on better tomorrow: Children parade for the IAAF Kids Athletics event

9year old Leonella Kendi of Bidii Primary School in BuruBuru participates in hurdles during the IAAF World Kids Athletics Day on May 11, 2016 at Nyayo Stadium.[PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

Event at Kenyatta University gives a glimpse of hope to upcoming stars.

The IAAF and Tsukuba International Academy for Sport (TIAS) joined forces with Kenyatta University, the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, and the United Nations Office in Nairobi to stage a packed day of activities for 400 children at the weekend.

The children were from nine primary schools from Nairobi and farther afield. They included schools from Mathare, Korogocho, and Kibera (represented by Kibera Street Kids, run by 1987 world marathon champion Douglas Wakiihuri), as well as Kenyatta University Primary School and Ngong.

Some of the schools came from farther away and included the Machakos School for the Deaf and the Technical Institute for the Blind and two schools from the Maasai Mara (Endonyiosidai and Inchorroi).

But despite the differences in their backgrounds, once the children were warmed up and ready to go, they were all part of the same event at Kenyatta Univrsity, sharing one common goal.

"An event like this is such a positive experience for the children," said Vincent Onywera of Kenyatta University. "And it's not just the sport that they'll benefit from today.

For Endonyiosidai school in the Maasai Mara, this was not their first meeting with the IAAF. Exactly 10 years ago, a group of international journalists had travelled to Kenya on an IAAF trip to trace the steps of the country's running legends.

The week had culminated in a 'Day in the Life' experience with Paul Tergat and his group's training run that day had concluded in the Maasai Mara.

Former marathon world record-holder Tegla Loroupe, who also had to overcome difficult circumstances and cultural barriers to excel at her sport, was a keen spectator throughout the day. So too were some of the athletes who have been part of the refugee teams at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017.

"It starts with events like these that we're running around the world and it gets kids excited about the sport," said IAAF CEO Olivier Gers.

"It also helps to find the next generation of athletes, but more importantly, it allows them to share the values of sport."