The prodigious talent set four world records in 81 days in 1978 but career was thwarted by alcoholism and Olympic boycotts
Long before Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge rewrote the distance running record books, Henry Rono set the athletics world on fire with his exploits. One of the pioneers in Kenyan distance running, Rono set an incredible four world records in the space of 81 days during the summer of 1978. If it wasn’t for an Olympic boycott and an addition to alcohol, he might have achieved much more, too.
His first world record came over 5000m when he took more than four seconds off Dick Quax’s mark with 13:08.4 in Berkeley, California, on April 8, 1978. Just over a month later the 26-year-old sliced more than two seconds off Anders Garderud’s world 3000m steeplechase record with 8:05.4 in Seattle.
The following month he ran 27:22.47 for 10,000m to take eight seconds off Samson Kimobwa’s world record. On June 27 at the Bislett Games in Oslo he notched up his fourth world record with 7:32.1 to beat Brendan Foster’s mark by three seconds.
In 1981 he set another world record of 13:06.20 for 5000m in Knarvik, Norway. At major championships, his finest moment was at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton when he won the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase.
Henry Rono with Nick Rose (Mark Shearman)
Rono was a popular figure in the UK, too. During his brilliant 1978 season, for example, he won the AAA 5000m title as a guest from Wilson Waigwa and Nick Rose, whereas at the end of the season he was out-sprinted by Steve Ovett in a classic ‘front runner versus the kicker’ duel over two miles where Ovett ran a world record of 8:13.51 to Rono’s 8:14.66.
Such achievements led to him gracing the cover of AW and you can only wonder what he might have achieved over the marathon. His career would soon fizzle out, though, due to a drinking problem. After being brought up in the near-pristine environment of the Kenyan countryside and working for the Kenyan Army during his early years, Rono was led astray with drink and junk food while studying at Washington State University and travelling the European track circuit.
Olympic boycotts did not help his career either with Kenya not taking part in either the 1976 or 1980 Games. Such is his legacy, though, some of his world records lasted a decade whereas his US collegiate 5000m mark was only broken in 2022 by Abdi Nur.
Henry Rono (Mark Shearman)
After putting on weight and losing his form, his jobs after athletics included being a cargo loader and an athletics coach in Albuquerque. Then, in 2019 and known to be suffering from ill health and lack of money, a crowd-funding project began to raise money so he could return from the United States to Kenya to start coaching young athletes.
His wish came true and he died in Kenya on Thursday (Feb 15) aged 72 with no cause of death given.
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Henry Rono, world record-breaking Kenyan trailblazer, dies aged 72 appeared first on AW.
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