The goal was to give each athlete the opportunity to come and race in Europe at least once during the season. In their inauguration year they were to take the less-traditional path of a distance runner in Kenya; trail running. SCOTT’S brand DNA is in trail and after honing in on their speed, the athletes perfected their skills and technique on a different terrain, ready for the season ahead.

May 2022

The first trip to Switzerland was road specific, but all was not as smooth as the surface they run on. Unfortunately, 4 of the 6 athletes visas were denied and only Benard Koech (better known as Chebasa, Team Captain) and Sarah Jerop were the ones to board the plane to Europe.

The small team of athletes as well as manager, Pete Aburi, and founder, Alistair Davidson, made the most of their time in Switzerland by starting out the trip with a visit to our HQ in Fribourg. The opportunity to sit down and discuss shoes with Peter Cable (Division Manager - Running) is one of many reasons why the relationship with Braveheart Runners is so fruitful. By gaining feedback from athletes at the top of their game it informs and helps develop our future successions of shoes across both road and trail.

Lausanne 20k

Lake Geneva set the scene for Chebasa and Sarah, at the annual event, Lausanne 20k. It comprises of events for all ages and abilities, but our athletes were entered in the highly competitive 5k on the Friday and the 20k the following day – a tough succession but one that they were prepared for.

Back home in Kenya, the rest of the team were entered in Nairobi marathon. Some great results were achieved and set the tone for the rest of the year. Chebasa and Sarah finished 7th and 3rd respectively in the 5k and then 4th and 2nd in the 20k on what must have been very tired legs! After resting up for a week leading into Geneva Marathon, the two athletes placed highly, both finishing in 6th for their gender.

August 2022

Skip forward 3 months and the team is back in Switzerland. This time with Sarah again, joined by Daisy and Enock, thanks to successful visa applications. They have, however, swapped the flat roads around Lake Geneva for the alpine trails of Zermatt, at Ultraks. Home of the Matterhorn, although shrouded in a cloud the first few days, the iconic landscape of the area painted a perfect picture of what was to come over the next few days. A relaxed environment ensued, and good laughs were had by all in the lead up to the race. A highlight being the gondola up the mountain to watch the end of the Vertical Kilometre race.

Sarah and Enock were taking part in the 32k “Mountain” race with 2000m elevation gain while Daisy was entered in the 19km “Active” race ascending 1150m. Pointers and tips from SCOTT International Athlete, Fred Tranchand, were well received and the preparation to succeed was in place. Podium results on a new terrain were up in the air, but the grit and determination of the runners was rewarded in the result. Sarah finished 2nd, Enock 3rd, and Daisy an unlucky 4th after taking a wrong turn on the course.

As the end of 2022 is in sight, it marks the end for this years cohort of runners, but also the excitement of a selection for a new crop of talent to make their mark. The selection process will begin in December in Iten, Kenya, and we can’t wait to get to know the new Braveheart Runners.