Henry Rono broke four world records in just 81 days in his formidable 1978 campaign. Rono was inspired by the exploits of Kipchoge Keino, who reached the top of the world and Olympic levels in the 1960s.
He was also one of the first Kenyan athletes to be “recruited” by the US college circuit. He did not have, unlike other great runners in his country, the satisfaction of an Olympic title or a world championship, since the latter began to be held in 1983.