Quick riches attracting Kenyan hopefuls looking to cash in on China's marathon scene
Long-distance athletes, who base themselves in Hong Kong, target the vast sums on offer from the mainland's burgeoning running scene
Kenya's famed long-distance runners have discovered a new Eldorado in China's burgeoning athletics scene, with the prizes on offer for some races five to 10 times what they might typically earn in a year in other professions in their own country.
Stanley Cheruiyot Teimet and Bett Kipngetich are among those hoping to get rich by running quick, and Hong Kong is proving an attractive base to launch forays into the mainland.
Hong Kong is the perfect base for us as we get visa-free access for stays of up to three months
They blitzed the field in the ninth staging of the Tolo Harbour 10km on Sunday, using the event as a speed session in the build-up to next month's Dalian Marathon in China.
Cheruiyot Teimet crossed the finish line in 32 minutes and 20 seconds, just one second faster than Kipngetich.
"Although this course is generally flat and fast, the turning points slow you down quite a bit, so it's hard to set a really fast time here," said 34-year-old Cheruiyot Teimet who, like Kipngetich, hails from the Kenyan distance running capital of Eldoret.
"As I will be racing in Dalian in less than a month, we decided to use this race as a speed session, so it was very good preparation for me.
Cheruiyot Teimet is using Hong Kong as a base from which to prepare for races in mainland China, and Kipngetich joined him several weeks ago having spent three months in Malaysia.
