A decade in Kenya turned two teens from New Zealand Into World Class Runners

The plan had seemed so simple when it was hatched in their mom’s basement. But as the plane was landing in Nairobi, the scabby ground growing closer, 18-year-old Zane leaned over to his twin brother and said, “Jake, what are we going to do?”... On Jan. 14, 2018, Jake Robertson won the Houston Half Marathon with a time of one hour and one second, beating a super-deep, world-class field and earning $20,000 along the way. His twin brother Zane had posted a stellar 59:47 half marathon in 2015. They are the fastest New Zealanders ever at that distance, and near the top of the heap on a global scale. And none of that is easy—hitting 4:35 per mile for 13.1 miles? Earning a living as a runner? Becoming an Olympian? Those are laughably lofty goals...A decade of training in Kenya is paying off.

posted Thursday February 8th
Training