At the Berlin Marathon, it has again demonstrated that all Kenyans run away. That was jeodch not always so. Running-author Edith Zuschmann met Gabriele Rosa - the man who taught the Kenyan marathon running.
Paul Tergat, Martin Lel, Samuel Wanjiru and Robert Cheruiyot, James Kwambai and many more, they all went up many times before the dirt road that ends in front of an unremarkable two-story villa with breathtaking views of the Italian Lago d'Iseo. Here they entered into the Ufficio Centrale by Dottore Gabriele Rosa. The man who taught the Kenyan marathon running.
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His office near Brescia is the command center for his Kenyan athletes, the many talents, but also his coach and partner. From here it all began. His medical career, like his coach existence. "About 40 years ago I started to train runners from Iseo, before I end the 70-year Gianni Poli, a young aspiring lad met. After a few years under my wing, he ran in 1981 Italian record, five years later he won the New York City Marathon, "says the Lombard with the white beard.
"The Kenyans were afraid of the Marathon"
At the same time, he built one of the most prestigious marathon in Brescia centers in Europe. His knowledge and word spread quickly, and so one day, the Kenyan runner Moses Tanui was standing with knee problems in his practice. Dottore Rosa helped Tanui and hired him as coach. Until then, have been modest successes Tanuis, he spent a year with pink and won the 1991 world championship title in the 10,000 meters. After the resounding success of Moses begged "his" Dottore Rosa to come to Kenya. He agreed and took his training methods on the black continent.
"When I came to Kenya in 1991, there were only cross-and 10,000-meter runner. With the marathon, no one wanted to do something. The Kenyans were afraid to really before. They said to run a marathon would bring a swift end to her running career, so even cause impotence, "said Rosa. But he saw the incredible number of young talents to the marathon winners had the stuff. And he thought and acted. He called the project "Discovery Kenya" in life to select talents and pave them through education and training infrastructure on the way to the top runners.
"They love to wear down the other
Meanwhile 18 years have passed, the plan worked out. "Each year in January to 600 young runners from all over Kenya to become Kenya's most famous half-marathon and cross-country skiing in the city of Eldoret in western Kenya. The two races make me a perfect casting of young talent for the long haul, "explains Dr. Rosa. Martin Lel and Robert Cheruiyot are just two of many that he discovered there. But selection is not enough. "To make more of their potential, I considered it necessary to organize their lives. I had to make professionals, "said Rosa at that time. The idea of the first training camp was born. In 1994 he rented with financial support from the industry 20 kilometers from Eldoret from a Spartan hotel for its athletes.
At about 3,000 meters altitude, right in the Rift Valley, submitted themselves to the athletes for several months at the same time simple and clear rules - far away from their families and other comforts: twice a day training course, between regeneration and great attention to proper nutrition. To make the talent winner, but saw the doctor soon realized that he had to adapt his knowledge of marathon training to the Kenyan mentality. "The individually oriented training, as it had become established in Europe, was too little for Kenyans. I explored their running mentality and realized that they drive each other by running in the group. I started the group training to create a progressive running unit. . A spur to the young talents to the faster access and an ongoing challenge for the stars, hineinzusteigern from an average running speed to higher speeds, "he laughs and says," They love to wear down the other.
Rosa's training strategy was effective. 1996 Tanui won his first Boston Marathon. The triumph of the Kenyan elite marathon had begun thanks to Gabriele Rosa, the hunger for success of a young generation was raised. The hotel was too tight, the first was Rosa & Associati Group Training Camp in Eldoret with living and training facilities for the athletes. More followed in different places, where roamed particularly many talents. Today Rosa operates with his son and athlete manager Frederico five camps, each of which 20 athletes are housed. "Training is often initiated before a further 20 other runners from the area to order mitzulaufen with the stars," said Rosa.
Construction of the camp system has borne fruit
"It's actually very easy to identify future champions run: You are able to cope with well over a longer time period, the high training load and not get tangled up completely," says Rosa. "Hold out our training is hard, damn hard. Far away from the family, in a spartan camp where it goes day after day to to compete against other emerging-country skiers. Who can endure this, gets an incredible mental toughness. "And this hardship has recognized pink, can be achieved countless successes.
"In the nearly 20 years, my athletes won 35 times in the five largest race featured seven world records and won in international competitions. But the successes are one thing. For me, that I have contributed a significant part of the development of the Miracle Marathon Kenya. The talent development and construction of the camp system, have borne fruit and are now being taken not only in Kenya but all over the world. "The friendships and the many lessons learned were for him the greatest treasures. "I've got far more from Kenya, as I have given," he says modestly.
In his mid sixties Dottore Rosa is far from tired - on the contrary. He still has his hand over the training strategies, which he denies every day with his coaches in the camps - and about six times a year, he proposes to his camp in Kenya to his charges to prepare for championships or to screen offspring. But his work as a doctor it is very important, "running must have nothing to do necessarily with professional sports, it contributes significantly to the preservation of health. Currently I am building a new health prevention project here in Italy to get our civilization diseases like diabetes under control, "says Rosa and takes back to the ringing phone to the Chinese women's national team to give instructions. For this team, he has since January 2010, under his wing.
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