Nairobi — Newly crowned Olympic men marathon champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, and his brother joined Standard One two years late because their mother could not raise the building funds demanded by the school.

"Because of the struggle he saw his mother go through to see them attend primary school, Wanjiru came to revere his mother's name so much that he takes a lot of pride in calling himself Samuel Wanjiru as opposed to Samuel Kamau," said his uncle Peter Gichuhi.

He is however, better known at home as Kamau.

Wanjiru's mother Annah Wanjiru was overwhelmed with joy after friends mobbed her soon after her son won the race in Beijing. She had been praying for her son, she said. She has two sons and the family members are Catholics.

Annah is one of 10 children of Mzee Samuel Kamau Njoroge who the athlete is named after.

Since her father's farm in Githunguri, Ol-Kalou Division of now Nyandarua North District could not cater for many children, Annah used to work for other people, cultivating their farms to earn money to raise her children.

The single mother's other son is called Simon Njoroge. Mr Gichuhi recalled how Annah used to struggle to put food on the table for her boys.

"Today, Annah is living a comfortable life in an up-market area of Nyahururu Town, thanks to the exploits of her son in athletics," he said.Just a block away, is another palatial home of her son.

Saturday night and early Sunday morning were the longest for Annah, as she went through two hours of anxiety, watching the marathon.

She had invited only a few friends for company during the eight hours she remained awake waiting for the marathon to start.

But daughter-in-law Triza Njeri -- Samuel's wife -- and their nine-month-old daughter Ann Wanjiru were also awake. Triza and her husband are both 21.

Invited friends

But Njeri had invited many friends, well-wishers and neighbours -- including two priests Fr John Mwai and Fr David Njoroge -- to join her and the rest of the world in watching her husband take on the world.

At the end of the two hours of anxiety that were punctuated by cheers whenever Wanjiru surged ahead, it was a full celebration as the family, like the friends and fans who jammed social places in Nyahururu Town, poured out in the streets to mark their biggest achievement in sport.

There were screams all over the town as motorists hooted from one side of the town to the other.

Annah said she would roast meat for her son who had made the family known both locally and internationally. She in fact sent errand boys Sunday to buy the goat that would be slaughtered for Wanjiru when he returns home from China.

Triza on her part said she would cook for her husband his favourite dish - mashed bananas with black cow peas (Njahi) and boiled arrow roots.

Annah has been following her son's schedule in the international circuit, which is understandable. Her son has changed her fortunes through athletics.

As you enter her palatial home, the first thing you notice is full size picture of Wanjiru winning the Fortis Half Marathon (Rotterdam) in 59:46.

When Wanjiru raised his hands as he broke the tape at the Birdnest Stadium in Beijing, one of his long time friends Daniel Gatheru forgot he had bought Champagne for the celebration and picked up sodas, splashing anyone in sight.

Fr Mwai noted that great people were normally those from humble backgrounds. He used the occasion to caution youths against engaging in activities that could harm their wellbeing, like excessive alcohol, bad company and behaviour that could make them contract HIV.

He had a point, for if there's one place youths spend all their time drinking illicit liquor, it's Nyahururu.

The gold medallist's wife, Triza, is in familiar territory. Before marrying Wanjiru, she used to run for Ngobet Secondary School of Laikipia West, often going up to the provincial level, both in cross-country and 5,000 metres.

Wanjiru's family and her family are widely involved in athletics. She has a brother who lives in Japan, while a sister is married to another marathoner, Joseph Riri.

London Marathon

The day she knew her husband was out to climb to the top of the world marathon was when he finished second, behind Martin Lel in the London Marathon this year.

In addition to loving athletics, music and martial arts films form part of the family's leisure.

Family and friends later drove around town in a procession to celebrate Kamau's achievement.

A major homecoming party is set to be held during the week as soon as the Kenyan team returns from China.

Things will most likely just get better. In addition to the money promised by the Government for medal winners in Beijing, Kamau's international market value is going to spiral.