We Share the Sun

An enlightening biography and inspiring and gripping sports narrative that takes us behind-the-scenes into the lives of some of the world's most elite Kenyan runners and their coach, Patrick Sang. At a secluded training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, a small town nearly 8,000 feet above sea level in the Great Rift Valley, three-dozen world-class distance runners share simple dormitory-style room and endure grueling workouts on a dirt track. The camp runners include World and Olympic champions and record holders. Leading the pack is the fastest marathoner of all-time. These runners--determined, devoted and selfless--are who they are because of a man named Patrick Sang. He has been running the operation for two decades and is described by his athletes as a "life coach." Sang is one of the greatest and least-heralded coaches in the sport. In We Share the Sun, Gearhart takes us inside Sang's high-octane world of elites that few are even aware of and even fewer have ever seen. We are immersed in Sang's remarkable story, from when he received a scholarship to compete for a U.S. university to winning an Olympic medal in the steeplechase, and how he transitioned from elite athlete and into a man who redefines what coaching means. There is no singular secret to athletic dominance, but as readers will learn, Sang's holistic philosophy is like no other approach in the world. It is rooted in nurturing his athletes to become human beings that will positively contribute to society and to undauntedly navigate not only the challenges of elite competition but life itself. In these pages, we will explore Sang's influence on his athletes as they prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, including his unique and longstanding connection with marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge as he aims to duplicate a gold medal performance. We witness the remarkable recovery of Geoffrey Kamworor after a freak accident as he strives for his first Olympic medal. And we will follow Faith Kipyegon's attempt for a repeat title in the 1,500 meters, three years after the birth of her first child. We Share the Sun turns a nuanced and compassionate eye toward East African athletes, whose stories are too often flattened or disregarded. With Gearhart's vivid prose, we see a unique richness that exists in Kenya as we come as close as we possibly can to running alongside a new generation of elites and the man who molds them into champions.