Nairobi, April 11 -- You would expect Raymond Otieno to cite the Bible as the source of his motivation. After all, he makes a living selling Bibles and motivational books.

But the 38-year-old draws his drive from somewhere far less predictable.

"I don't know how else to explain it. It's that feel-good factor after those brutal runs, the endorphins. Not that I take bhang, but from seeing how happy and excited people get after smoking, that's the same feeling I get," he chuckles.

It is a revealing comparison for a man whose life revolves around endurance. In 2024, Otieno ran a staggering 6,000 kilometres - enough to carry him from Nairobi to South Africa.

"Last year I fell short, I did 5,600 kilometres, where it would not have been for ...