VIDEO, PHOTO GALLERY: Elite Kenyan Runners Visit Hopkinton's Elmwood School

Last year’s Boston Marathon winners Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and Margaret Okayo were among 17 elite Kenyan marathoners who were celebrated at Hopkinton’s Elmwood School Thursday morning.

The Elmwood School assembly included town dignitaries, parents, and members of the Hopkinton High School Hillers Track team.

Two members of the Hopkinton High School Track team  spoke of the hard work and perseverance they developed from the thrill, during their student days at Elmwood, of meeting Kenya’s elite runners.

The Kenyan runners at Elmwood is an annual tradition started by former BAA chairman and Hopkinton resident Tim Kilduff.

The Kenyans, wearing yellow vests and black hats, entered and exited through a cloud of smoke, confetti cannons and cheers. After Kiprono Cheruiyot and Okayo spoke – Okayo was especially moving in her comments on what it meant to be welcomed by the Hopkinton children - the students sang and danced a Kenyan song for the runners.

The runners joined the children in  dthe ance and shortly afterward proceeded to separate classrooms to talk to groups of students. The elite runners were also Elmwood School’s guests at lunch.