Running for a cause: 48-year-old Kosgei completes 60km marathon to promote charity foundation

At 40 years, many long-distance athletes retire to their businesses while others return to their farms where they will enjoy their hard-earned wealth. But not Isaiah Kosgei - a 48-year-old marathoner.

Kosgei started professional running in the mid-1990s before taking part in road races such as See Genezareth Tiberias Marathon in 2005 (in Israel) where he finished third, Karlsruhe Baden Marathon (fourth place) in 2009 and Barcelona Marathon (fifth place) in 2011 among many others.

The legend is building a Science Laboratory St Paul's Makongi Secondary School located in Ziwa, 48km from Eldoret town where he comes from. He trains in Iten, and practices physiotherapy when he is not on the roads, training or competing.

On October 2, he finished second at the Loch Ness Marathon in Scotland, timing 2:26:35.

Last year, Kosgei ran a historic full marathon to raise funds in support of his bid to build the science laboratory and upped his efforts this July when he made a grand return to the roads, racing a 60km ultra-marathon to complete the project.

The running challenge started at Chembulet near the border of Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.

For company, he had Joshua Karpolo, a 2:15 marathoner and Stanley Kirui who ran a 56km ultra marathon in South Africa earlier this year. Both Karpolo and Kirui, who train in Iten, ran alongside Kosgei for 40km.

After Chembulet, the 60km ultra-marathoner took the Iten-Eldoret road before turning right at the University of Eldoret intersection for a 42km stretch along the Chepkoilel junction to St Paul's Makonge Secondary School.

Giving back

"I can't rest until I complete the science project because it is my way of giving back to society. I will until it is complete," Kosgei says.

Seven years ago, when he was 41, Kosgei was the oldest student at St Paul's Makongi. He had made a decision to complete his secondary education after years of running marathons across the world.

The retired athlete says he missed an opportunity to join high school after completing primary school in the 1990s.

While he was a student at the high school, Kosgei says, he discovered that the learning institution had a small science laboratory that could not accommodate the increasing number of students, and he thought of returning to 'give back.'

The institution has over 700 students.

"This year, I decided to make it unique by scaling up to 60km. I prepared for four months in Iten.

"I was nervous because I had never run more than 42km before. I didn't know what would happen to me, given my age. I didn't know whether I would complete 60km but I decided to train harder and to focus on the goal - to complete the project and contribute to quality learning," Kosgei said after the race.

He completed the 60km race in 3 hours, 38 minutes. Last year, he clocked 2:30:22 in the marathon and he was joined by an Iten-based retired athlete and coach David Oleisa.

Tough race

"The race became painful after the 40km when Karpolo and Kirui dropped out. I also almost dropped out but I was joined by St Paul's Makongi who cheered me up from their school bus that followed me in the final 8km. It was a memorable race and I am extremely happy to finish 60km for a cause," Kosgei, who is still recovering from the grueling Loch Ness Marathon, says.

When he ran the charity race in July, the construction of the school laboratory had reached the lintel courtesy of Sh1 million raised during last year's race. He says his cause is nearing completion, and he will continue running until he delivers a science lab to the school.

"We raised Sh100,000 during the 2022 race. My target was Sh300,000 during the race day. I have been urging our friends to support the cause, just like they did last year so that we complete the roofing and furnishing of the science lab. We still need Sh1.3 million to complete the project," he said.

Kosgei said he is planning to meet marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge for support through his (Kipchoge's) foundation.

He thanked local and international partners, among them athletes, who have supported his initiative.

For the last five years, he has been running charity races, rallying friends to support education initiatives in Segero, Uasin Gishu County where he was born and his athletics career nurtured.

For example, he ran a half marathon in 2020 and raised funds which helped in setting up two classrooms at Kapngetuny Secondary School.