Running on a Shoestring

If you don't know his name yet but you follow the sport of running, listen up!


Kassahun Kabiso, a 23 year-old from Ethiopia, has been tearing up the US national racing circuit over the past couple of years. He surprised even his coach, Mike Barnow of the Westchester Track Club, by flying out to the California International Marathon and placing just two seconds behind Kenyan winner, Jonathan Ndambuki, in a time of 2:14:58. His time was not the surprise, but the fact that he even attempted the race after having run a very difficult course just one week prior at an invitational in Puerto Rico!


To see some of Kassahun's recent results, check out his results page on the club website. You will note that some of his recent "high profile" wins include distances from the mile to the marathon, including the 2005 and 2006 Vancouver Marathon, to the 5000m at the USATF National Club Track and Field Championships in 2005.



The reason Kabiso, along with his teammates and housemates from Ethiopia, run so many races is that they don't make enough money in any one race to pay their bills, plus support their families back home in Ethiopia. So they run many races, making smaller sums of money with each race. However, running many smaller (not shorter, just less prestigious) races means they are more "beat up" for the big races than the other potential winners. It's a catch-22. See my post (a reprint from the New York Times by Juliet Macor) for more on this problem.

The Westchester Track Club is trying to raise funds to support the development of these olympic-quality runners. If you're interested in learning more or in making a tax deductible donation, go to their Olympic Development Campaign page.