Kaptagat

Kaptagat
Kaptagat Location in Kenya
Coordinates: 0°26′13″N 35°27′21″E
Country	Kenya
County	Uasin Gishu County
Elevation	8,200 ft (2,500 m)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
• Summer (DST)	None

Kaptagat is a settlement in Uasin Gishu County, in the southwestern part of Kenya. This part of the country, where the two counties of Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet County share a border, is used by the majority of Kenyan professional long-distance runners to train for professional competition.[1] Eliud Kipchoge, the former marathon world record holder, and the Tokyo Olympics and Rio Olympics marathon gold medalist, maintains a training camp in Kaptagat.[2]

Location

Kaptagat is located in Kaptagat Ward, Ainabkoi sub-county, at the eastern edge of Uasin Gishu County, approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) by road, east of the city of Eldoret, along the B54 Road,[3] and approximately 14 kilometres (9 mi) by road, northwest of the small town of Chepkorio, in neighboring Elgeyo Marakwet County, along the same B54 Road.[4]

Athletics

Kaptagat is home to the Great Rift Valley Sports Camp, a training camp for many Kenyan runners including Elijah Lagat, Eliud Kipchoge, Moses Tanui and Brimin Kipruto. Kaptagat is also home to Chepkorio Athletics Club, a club that caters for student athletes. Global Sports Communication's athletics training camp is also located in Kaptagat.[2][5]

Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in cross country, marathon, and half marathon competitions, was born in 1992, in Chepkorio Village, not far from Kaptagat. He undergoes some of his training at Chepkoilel Grounds in Eldoret.[6]

Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum died in a car crash in Kaptagat at 11:00 pm local time on 11 February 2024. Local police stated that he lost control of his vehicle and veered off the road, before entering a ditch and colliding with a tree.^[citation needed]

References

1. Larry Eder (12 January 2014). "A view from Kenya: 2400m to 2800m Altitue run in Kaptagat, Kenya, by Justin Lagat". Runblogrun.com. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
2. Matt Cleary (11 October 2018). "'Drink a lot of tea': what can be learned from a Kenyan marathon great". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
3. "Road Distance Between Eldoret, Kenya And Kaptagat, Kenya" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
4. "Road Distance Between Chepkorio, Kenya And Kaptagat, Kenya" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
5. Andrew Maykuth (25 April 2000). "A dash to marathon country: A side trip in search of Kenyan runners' long-distance secrets". maykuth.com. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
6. Bernard Rotich (20 July 2016). "Geoffrey Kamworor: Man of all surfaces". Daily Nation. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 21 March 2022.