Posted: March 6, 2005

Athletics: Kenyans In The Kitchen

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

LOS ANGELES (05-Mar) -- Kenyans swear by the power of ugali to keep them running fast, but getting a plate of the dry, white corn mash outside of their home country can be a challenge. Taking matters into their own hands, the Kenyans stormed the kitchen at the Wilshire Grand Hotel tonight and prepared a traditional Kenyan meal themselves.

Thirty-six year-old Simon Bor, the LA Marathon event record holder, directed the effort which was coordinated by elite athlete coordinator, Bill Orr. Volunteers went to Vons supermarket and purchased heads of cabbage, carrots, onions, stewing beef, chicken parts and, of course, boxes of white cornmeal.

Donning classic white chef's hats and aprons, a crew of ten Kenyans, including David Busienei, Wesley Kimutai, Laban Kipkemboi, Ben Maiyo, and Benson Mbithi set up a production line, cutting the vegetables and meat at one end of the work counter, while mixing the cornmeal and water at the other. Hellen Kimutai, a 2:25:52 marathoner, was the lone woman who helped cook the meal.

"Ugali gives you power," said Laban Kipkemboi, who has a 2:08:39 personal best to his credit. He smiled as he dismissed pasta or rice as having the same benefits.

Wesley Kimutai, brandishing a five-foot long metal paddle which he used to stir the huge pot of ugali, grunted as he needed two hands to turn the hardening white mass in the two-foot wide pite pot. When the ugali was cooked, he and Kipkemboi lifted the pot off the stove, and turned it over onto a large cutting board. The pot was kept on as a cover to keep the ugali warm as it was transported to a nearby room to be served.

Orr led the Kenyans in a Christian blessing, before they all dug in. The skinny runners ate mounds of ugali. Kipkemboi put a chunk on his plate perhaps five inches square and four inches high. Your editor questioned whether he could finish such a portion, to which he responded, "Two times this!"

Your editor and his wife had their first proper ugali meal and, despite the fact that the only spice used in preparation was salt, found it to be quite tasty. Neither of us, however, will be running the marathon tomorrow.