Neighbourly victory: Police officers Kipsang and Kiplagat arrest London rivals

By JONATHAN KOMEN

Wilson Kipsang (left) leads compatriot Stanley Biwott in the men’s elite runners’ class during the London Marathon, yesterday. [PHOTO:REUTERS]

It was do-or-die in the race that brought to the fore several intrigues in the world’s athletic circles.

The battle between world record holder Wilson Kipsang and runner-up Stanley Biwott offered a precise competition between two sportswear firms –Adidas and Nike.

Kipsang is managed by Dutch Volare Sports that is sponsored by Adidas, and Biwott is managed by Italian Rosa and Associati, which is sponsored by Nike.

A healthy competition that befits Kenya’s long distance running pedigree played  out when the athletes struggled to fly high the sponsor’s mantle at the 34th Virgin Money London Marathon yesterday.

But the winners - Edna Kiplagat and Wilson Kipsang as well as women’s runner-up Florence Kiplagat share common backgrounds that catapulted them into athletics.

They are all police officers.

Prove a point

Edna and Kipsang are based in South Nyanza. Kipsang comes from Muskut village in Kerio Valley while Edna comes Kapkoi in Keiyo South, on the Elgeiyo escarpment – and interestingly both sat for the same Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) in 2000.

It was also particularly sweet for the two, who were out to prove a point in London after failing to impress at the 2012 London Olympics.

Kipsang wanted to best a classy field that boasted the world’s fastest marathoner Geoffrey Mutai; Uganda’s Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich and former course record. He was out to prove that  the World record mark of 2:03.23 he set in the Berlin Marathon last year was no fluke.

It was a warning signal to two-time winner Tsegaye Kebede, who was eyeing a third bite at the cherry.

Interestingly, a spectacular show unfolded between Edna and Florence, who battled it out like  old foes,as they had in the football discipline at the then Keiyo District school games.

Edna was a student at Kipsoen Secondary School while Florence was in the nearby Sergoit Secondary School in Keiyo North.

Swift striker

“I was a swift striker and one day our games teacher asked me to try my luck in athletics,” Edna says.

Florence reads from the same script. The 27-year-old Kiplagat says she does not promise her fans victory but rather performs her best.

That’s not bad for a girl who played football excellently while in school. “I never took part in athletics while in primary and secondary school. I was a football striker on my primary school team and I even led the team to nationals at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega, and formed the Kenyan team to the East and Central Africa Primary Schools in Kampala, Uganda.”

Kiplagat was forced into running after completing Form Four when her uncle William Kiplagat, a marathoner, gave her two options to take: You either run full time or strive to attain the qualifying mark for a United States University track and cross-country scholarship.

Felix Limo, the 2006 and 2007 London Marathon winner who retired from active running and opted to study veterinary medicine at the university,  said the Kenyans gave their best.

“The top finishers did their best. They ran as Kenyans and I hope this will be relayed to future races. I am happy the men’s title is back in Kenya,” said Limo.

Head Coach Sammy Rono paid glowing tribute to the coaches and  the athletes saying it signals bigger achievement ahead.

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