The fastest place on Earth – in pictures

Five days a week, runners at Bekoji stadium are put through their paces Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton 'Within seconds they are half a track away, their strides massive, elegant, easy' Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton Sentayehu Eshetu, aka Coach, has seen four of his runners win Olympic gold medals Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton Runners might save for a year for secondhand trainers which will be sewn and resewn Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Coach's stretching exercises include bending low and scatttering imaginary crops Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton 'He’s like a parent,' runner Alemi Tsegaye says of Coach. 'You can ask him anything' Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton 'Up, up, up, up,' Coach says, as the athletes lift their legs ever higher Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton The silence in the valley is broken by the drum of feet beating the soil in perfect time Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton Tejetu and Habersha, aunt and stepmother of Derartu Tulu, Coach's first champion Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton Heading off across the red ochre soil, on the track at Bekoji stadium Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton 'I tell them what they should do,' Coach says. 'If they follow that, they run very well' Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton Why do the runners want to be champions? 'For my country and my family,' they say Photograph: Ben Quinton for the Guardian Photograph: Ben Quinton