When I first got into the recreational running space, I heard stories of a man who would run up to Mount Kenya's Lenana summit and back to the base in roughly 7 hours.
At first I thought he was one of those elite marathon runners scaling Mt Kenya as a high altitude training ground. I would later come to know this man as Cheruiyot Kirui.
I met him on January 25, 2020. He had invited a group of runners to Mt Kenya to celebrate his birthday by running up Kenya’s most imposing inland geographical feature. Every last Saturday of January since then, groups of recreational runners would scale Mt Kenya to Mark Cheruiyot’s birthday.
Today I celebrate my friend and brother, now the late Cheruiyot Kirui.
An avid recreational runner whose love and achievements in the outdoor space inspired a multitude of enthusiasts. His quiet determination, adventurous spirit and bravery led to some incredible achievements.
I have been privileged, over the years, to run along and behind his great footsteps. He was always ahead when it came to running trails. From Mt Kenya to Aberdare’s trails, Mt Kilimanjaro to local back route trails.
Cheruiyot was a very competitive person but he had no match, he competed with himself. Always improving on his performance. Breaking his own time records on Mt Kenya. I once called him to confirm his fastest time on the Mt Kenya Naru Moru route.
I teased him that I was planning on bettering his time that weekend. He laughed and wished me good luck. While I greatly improved on my own personal record on that weekend run, I could not come close to his.
He would later point out that I was not consistent with my pace. He advised that I needed to run a little slower, but at a more consistent pace. That was Cheruiyot. He set the bar high and constantly pushed others to do better.
For any recreational runner, it was a joy to watch Cheruiyot run. He seemed to summon energy reserves at will on those ultra runs.
On September 24 last year, we stood together at the summit of Mt Manaslu. At 8,163 metres, Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain in the world. We climbed this mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen or the use of Sherpa and porter services. We were fully dependent on each other.
While I relied heavily on the experience I have gathered over the years on high altitude climbing, Cheruiyot came to the expedition armed with sheer determination, resilience and a fortified mind.
We faced numerous challenges on this expedition, but we had each other. We trusted each other. When I almost gave up a few hours to the summit, he suggested that we take a few minutes rest and, if I still felt the same after 30 minutes, we descend.
When he suggested that I go ahead and try to get to the summit and leave him behind to climb at his own pace, I insisted that we climb together at his pace. We were to either summit together or head back together. We summited together.
It was the most pure and intimate mountain experience I have ever had. I will always cherish my experiences with Cheruiyot on Manaslu.
After Manaslu, we were upbeat about our next expedition together; Mt Everest. It was clear in our minds that we would do it without supplemental oxygen. We started training for the tortuous climb. We would often call each other to check on our preparedness; mentally, physically and financially.
In one of those calls, he casually asked me whether I had started writing a book as we had discussed at some point in Manaslu. I had not. He kept asking me about the book every time we talked until one day I got tired of his asking and sat down to write. That day I wrote a few chapters. I will finish writing the book in his honour.
By the time Cheruiyot left for Mt Everest, he was ready for the challenge. Mentally, physically and financially. He acknowledged the huge task ahead and he prepared well for it. There was no doubt in his mind this was going to be a successful outing.
It is unfortunate I was unable to join him on this expedition as we had planned, due to unforeseen reasons. Would this have changed the outcome of the expedition? Probably not. But I have no doubt we would have had an amazing time together.
When I gathered the courage to call and inform him of my inability to join him for reasons he completely understood, I asked one thing of him; to come back with a summit so that I could shift my focus to a different mountain. I believe him summiting Mt Everest would have been a sufficient achievement for both of us.
Unfortunately, this was never to be, as his lifeless body was found a few meters to the summit.
We have lost a great man. His achievements will always be a driving force to many. In the face of this adversity, we are comforted by the knowledge that he rested doing something he deeply loved.
James Muhia is a recreational trail runner, ultra-runner and mountaineer.
