Former multiple world record holder Henry Rono is dead.
Rono,72, died at 10:30 am on Thursday at Nairobi South Hospital where he had been hospitalised for the past 10 days.
The peak of Rono's running career was the 1978 season.
In only 81 days, he broke four world records; the 10,000m where he clocked 27:22.5, the 5000m in 13:08.4 the 3000m steeplechase 8:05.4 and the 3000m in 7:32.1, an achievement unparalleled in the history of distance running
He lowered the 10,000 record by almost eight seconds, the 5000 by 4.5, the steeplechase by 2.6, and the 3000 by three seconds.
He improved the 5000m world record in 1981 in Norway, where he clocked 13:06.20.
In the same year, he won gold in the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m races at the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada.
He also won gold at the All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, winning in the 3000m steeplechase and 10,000m events respectively.
He shone at the NCAA cross country and track and field meetings in the USA.
The man famously known as the Nandi Warrior spent close to 40 years in the United States, having arrived there in 1976 on an Athletics scholarship at Washington State University.
Upon retirement, he coached school athletics in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before returning to Kenya in 2019.
