The hunt for Olympic gold: Why this running school produces so many medallists

World record-breaking sprinters such as Usain Bolt have placed Jamaica at the top of world athletics. The country boasts some of the best sprinters in the world, but for some athletes, the motivation to succeed is more than Olympic glory.

Four boys train as part of the athletics program at St Jago High School in Jamaica.

For the students at St Jago High School, running is life. The school has one of the biggest athletics programs in the country and the trophies to prove it, pumping out more Olympic medallists than any other school in Jamaica.

Yohan Blake is an ex-student. He became the youngest-ever 100m world champion, winning gold at the 2011 World Athletics Championships when he was 21 before claiming silver medals for Jamaica in the 100m and 200m at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Most of the students here train two to three hours a day, up to six days a week.

“I think over the years we have traditionally developed a formula that has contributed to the rich history that we have here in Jamaica,” Marlon Gayle, St Jago’s Head Coach, told SBS Dateline.

“There are commonalities across programmes where you want to train as systematically as possible and also take into consideration the individual needs.”

Students at St Jago High School in Jamaica that has one of the biggest athletics programs in the country.

The school is in Spanish Town, about 20 minutes outside Kingston. It’s a poor area rife with disadvantage – but amidst it all, programs like this offer students a glimpse at a pathway out.

The physical training to get to the top is tailored to each sprinter.

Young hopeful Jaheene Bell says it’s also a mental game.

“I believe it's in the mind, you know? You have to really want it to get it.

“Some good athletes out here really want it. So it shows on the track.”

Jaheene Bell is a student at St Jago High School in Jamaica and an aspiring professional runner. Credit: SBS Dateline

But for Bell, his main source of motivation comes from a desire to support his family.

“If you're from a background that's not really wealthy, it gives [you] more motivation to do the track and field and excel,” he said.

“I do this basically to get a scholarship, to better myself.

“It would mean a lot, [to get a scholarship], to take the financial burden off my mum and my sisters and family members.”