Kenyan runners are famous for winning races, medals and top accolades in international events, but they have now gone a notch higher by penetrating into the foreign land love zone by winning the hearts of prospective lovers into marriage.
In their quest for fame and fortune Kenyan athletics runners have ended up crossing borders for love.
From Kabiemit village in Elgeyo Marakwet to Amsterdam, Bugaa area in Mount Elgon to New Zealand, then Cherangany to Canada; Kenyan runners raced into marriage.
Wesley Korir and Tarah McKay
Former Cherengany Member of Parliament (MP) Wesley Korir and 2012 Boston Marathon winner, married his former teammate on the Louisville track and field team Canadian athlete Tarah McKay, in March 2010.
After passing in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary School Examinations (KCSE) and attaining admission at the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology instead to go and study abroad on a scholarship.
Korir landed on a Canadian track scholarship at the University of Louisville where he met McKay and got married in 2010.
The couple represented their respective countries at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil, as Korir donned Kenyan colours his wife McKay, was racing for Canada.
Lorna Kiplagat and Pieter Langerhorst
Former world 21km record holder Lornah Kiplagat, a naturalised Kenyan-Dutch-woman raced on the road and her destination was marriage with Dutchman Pieter Langerhorst in 2002.
Kiplagat, who was born and bred at Kabiemit village in Elgeyo Marakwet, fell in love with Langerhorst in 1997.
Pieter was the marketing director of an American firm that had taken interest in Kiplagat's athletics achievements which ended up with him getting interested with the athlete.
"I was on a mission to sign her up for a sponsorship deal and two deals took place: I signed her up for sponsorship and fell in love to eventually seal a marriage pact," he said.
Their relationship started in 1997 and they got married in 2002.
"I changed my citizenship because, according to our African customs, a woman leaves her parents’ home for her husband’s.
She gained citizenship later in 2003 which allowed her to compete for that country.
Hilda Kibet and Hugo van den Broek
Kiplagat's niece the 2008 European Cross Country champion Hilda Kibet, borrowed a leaf and followed in her footsteps of getting married to a Dutch-man.
Kibet got married to Dutch marathoner Hugo van den Broek, fondly known as Kipchirchir (one always in a hurry).
Hilda went to The Netherlands on a track scholarship and ended up meeting Broek and tying the knot.
Kibet and Broek split their time between Iten, Kenya and Castricum, in The Netherlands.
Magdalyne Masai and Jake Robertson
On September 17, 2017 during the Great North Run in Newcastle, New Zealand's national 10,000m record holder Jake Robertson proposed to former World Cross Country bronze medalist Maggdalyne Masai far from Bugaa village in Mount Elgon, at the finish line of the Great North Run in Newcastle, England.
Jake who won the 2018 Houston 10km race in the United States of America (USA) made the proposal after finishing second in the race behind the most decorated British athlete with ten global titles Mo Farah and opted to propose to Margaret at the finish line
Jake beckoned Magdalyne, who had just finished fourth in the women’s elite race at the finish line, and dropped the proposal which was greeted with cheers from the Newcastle crowd.
“In the last mile of the race it came to my mind that today was the day,” said Jake.