Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya has won Olympic gold in the event that his nation has long coveted – the marathon.

With their athletes winning practically all the big city marathons around the world, and over 300 Kenyans running under two hours, 20 minutes every year (an enormous talent base), it has been both a conundrum and an embarrassment that no Kenyan, man or woman has ever won an Olympic title in the ultimate distance race.