Ambitious Manangoi lines up Beijing Worlds in his crosshairs

1500m runner Elijah Manangoi during his training session at Kasarani.photo/DENNIS OKEYO

Elijah Manangoi sparked off a butt of jokes when he switched from 400m to 1,500m – before the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in July.

He made the obtuse thought two weeks to the national track trials, which is always billed ‘mini-World Championships’.

The 22-year-old did not disappoint his coach Bernard Ouma as he picked the bragging rights to the Scottish City.

Manangoi, a perennial but unsuccessful competitor in the explosive Kenyan trials, shocked the athletics world when he claimed a spot in Team Kenya.

The nightmare was thrown to a spin when Manangoi finally sealed his place in the team to the inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships staged in Nassau, Bahamas, last May.

“I was getting frustrated running 400m, I tried several times to beat the qualification mark and when I was among the selected for the relays, I was very delighted. I decided to try 1,500m,” Manangoi said with a flicker of excitement.

Then Manangoi exhibited his newfound speciality before the classy line up –that featured Kenya’s world beating stars –at the Commonwealth Games trials at the Nyayo National Stadium. The athletes assembled at the call room. With two-time world champion Asbel Kiprop, Olympian Nixon Chepseba, then Commonwealth Games silver medalist James Magut, Diamond League speedster Ronald Kwemoi and 2011 All African Games silver medalist Collins Cheboi in the race, greenhorn Manangoi marched to the start line trembling.

The shy-looking athlete knew too well that he stood little chances and decided to use the contest to improve his 3:38.0 personal best and, perhaps, get spotted by foreign agents and sign up.

“As we were warming up, I overheard Asbel telling James Magut in Kalenjin that he would be his pacemaker and could do two laps only.”

“Asbel stormed into the lead with high pace and dropped off after the two last laps. We hit the 800m on 1:50 and with 200m left, the big stars were in front while I stuck with the chasing pack in fourth place. And at the final 60-metre sprint, I bolted past Magut and Cheboi and managed second position behind Ronald Kwemoi. I registered my new personal best of 3:34.0 and earned an automatic ticket to Glasgow Games,” said Manangoi, a fifth and last born in his family.