KIPTARAGON, Kenya — One afternoon in May, as a cold rain pelted the roof of his brother’s rural home, Henry Rono sipped a mug of tea and reflected on what he called his greatest achievement.
To most running fans — especially those who came of age during the sport’s boom years of the 1970s — his signature accomplishment would seem obvious. Stifled by Kenyan boycotts of the 1976 and 1980 summer games, Rono never experienced Olympic glory. But his 1978 season on the track was arguably the most remarkable in the sport’s history.
Over 81 days, as a 26-year-old Washington State University sophomore, he set world records in four events: the 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and 3,000-meter steeplechase.