The Great Read: Aiming for My Fastest Marathon, I Turned to Distance Running’s Mecca
A New York Times reporter’s quest to beat the personal best he set 14 years ago took him to a Kenyan village, where the biggest benefit he got was not what he expected.
The New York Times
The Great Read
July 20, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

Four people run on a dirt path. They wear bright pink, blue, and red athletic tops, with green trees and a blue sky overhead.

Brian Otieno for The New York Times

Aiming for My Fastest Marathon, I Turned to Distance Running’s Mecca

A New York Times reporter’s quest to beat the personal best he set 14 years ago took him to a Kenyan village, where the biggest benefit he got was not what he expected.

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