Until the late 1980s, most Kenyans did not take athletics seriously as a profession that can entirely transform someone’s life.
Most runners used to compete for fun and raise the country’s flag at international events.
However, a few, like Ibrahim Kipkemboi Hussein, saw it as an opportunity to improve their living conditions.
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The Kapsabet-born road race runner was the first Kenyan to win an Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) series.
His maiden win came at the 1987 New York City Marathon - an event that the living legend Eliud Kipchoge is yet to win.
After his success at the New York City Marathon, Hussein’s life changed for the better.
He won prize money of $ 25,000 (approximately Ksh 3,000,000 as per the current exchange rates). The organizers also awarded him with a sleek Mercedes Benz.
According to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), Hussein returned to Kenya with the vehicle.
“Ibrahim Hussein was the first winner of Kenya's New York City Marathon in 1987.
“He came back home with a Mercedes Benz as the first athlete to own one. Africans didn’t know athletes could get commercial value for their title before then,” part of the statement from NOCK read.
The St. Patricks High School alumni added three Boston Marathon titles to his locker room between 1988 and 1992 - making him one of the most successful East African athletes then.
At the 1988 Boston edition, Hussein produced a spectacular kick to defeat Tanzanian runner Juma Ikangaa at the finishing line.
Unlike some Kenyan sportspersons who squander all their race winnings, Kipkemboi invested the money he won.
Some property he owns include an apartment called Amedo Centre, located in the heart of Eldoret town, and several parcels of land.
The Amedo Centre has a pool, an electronics shop, and a restaurant.
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