Giving back: Reid Coolsaet distributes running gear to locals in Kenya

Canadian marathon runner Reid Coolsaet went around a local community in Kenya handing out apparel and footwear on behalf of a Canadian charity.

Reid Coolsaet
Reid Coolsaet
Photo: Reid Coolsaet.

Canadian marathon runner Reid Coolsaet took some time between training recently to hand out some brand new swag to local runners in Kenya. The Guelph, Ont. resident is in Iten, Kenya for a training camp this winter.

RELATED: Canada’s two best marathoners calling Iten, Kenya home for the winter.

The 36-year-old handed out gear on behalf of Connecting Countries, a charity based in Hamilton, Ont. that “enhances education in Canadian and Kenyan schools through student-centered programs.”

The program supports educational environments including physical facilities, curricular and infrastructure needs, and the health and safety of students.

New Balance, one of Coolsaet’s sponsors, provided local runners and students with apparel including jackets, hoodies and half-zips as well as footwear. According to Coolsaet, some locals are beginning to refer to him as Chuck Norris, a famous American martial artist and actor.

Reid Coolsaet
Photo: Reid Coolsaet.

Coolsaet is training for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio. He’s the second fastest Canadian marathon runner in history thanks to a 2:10:28 clocking at the BMW Berlin Marathon this past September.

See more of Reid’s adventures below and through his Instagram page (highly recommended).

The local track in Iten, Kamariny Stadium, attracts some of the world’s best runners and is often the most popular place in town:

All aboard: This is what the commute looks like to a local Sunday long run spot (the Canadian with the epic beard in the video is fellow Speed River athlete John Mason):

Good thing I called shotgun. Unloading before the start of one of my most memorable runs ever. #Kenya #fluorspar

A video posted by Reid Coolsaet (@reidcoolsaet) on

Showing off some local Kenyan houses. Also, the Chuck Norris reference is found in this post:

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