Kenya triumphs as Kirui adds gold

By Kimathi Kamau

 Among the hordes of Manchester United fans who relished the 8-2 drubbing the English Premiership champions handed Arsenal last weekend was Abel Kirui, who once again, crushed what the world threw at him to retain his men’s marathon title.

 Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, would have been proud of the thrashing the affable runner handed the field.

 Kirui sealed the most comprehensive victory the ultimate distance race the Worlds has ever witnessed when he took gold almost two and a half minutes ahead of silver winner and compatriot, Vincent Kipruto.

  “When my team beat Arsenal, I was so happy. It was a good sign for me and today, it felt like scoring eight goals,” he said after racing the second fastest time at the marathon in a World Championships of 2:07:38.

 Just like fellow Daegu winner, Ezekiel Kemboi, who held on to his 3000m steeplechase title from Berlin, Kirui failed to beat his own championship’s best of 2:06:54 he clocked in Germany but he landed a performance that left many jaws agape on Sunday.

 The opening half of the race was the usual cat and mouse game every championship event witnesses but in the punishing humidity and heat around the streets of the colourful city of Daegu, Team Kenya had four runners fronting the field at the 25km mark.

 Kirui, Kipruto who sealed silver in 2:10:06, Eliud Kiptanui (2:11:50/sixth) and David Barmasai Tumo (2:11:35/fifth) had nosed in front with only Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa (2:10:32/bronze) and Morocco’s Abderrahime Bouramdane (2:10:55/fourth) as the only runners without the red, green and black strip.

 That was the 25km mark and it only took three more for Kirui to commit what only a supremely confident marathoner can do, engage a killer burst that saw him disappear from all the challengers at the 30km with the split done in 14:18, the fastest 5km ever at a Worlds race.

 From then on, it was a matter of whether the first Kenyan to be a twice marathon world champion would ran out of steam or the extent he would hammer his rivals and the latter prevailed.

  “It’s quite early to go for home and many times such moves do not work,” the commentator at the broadcast centre said only later for him to say, “This man does not seem to be diminishing.”

 When he pressed the stop button to hand Kenya her fourth marathon title, complete the ultimate distance race double in Daegu and above all, earn a record setting seventh gold for his nation.

 “Before I came here, I visited my grandmother to seek her blessings and I felt so strong out there. I was not afraid of going for it since I had trained well,” the only runner with a yellow bib to signify he was the defending champion added.

 At the beginning of the year, Kirui, who had endured a lean period after succeeding Luke Kibet as the world marathon champion, with a fifth finish in London and ninth place run in New York last year, had set his target of smashing his close friend Haile Gebrselassie’s 2:03:59 world record in Berlin.

 Having not raced a spring marathon, he was overlooked by selectors when they named the provisional marathon squad for Daegu with his status as the titleholder that entitled him automatic entry discarded.

 However, a slew of top marathoners handed the Kenyan jersey including London winner and 2009 silver medallist. Emmanuel Mutai, Boston champion, Geoffrey Mutai and runner-up, Moses Mosop declined the offer to race for their country having been already booked for full marathons.

Athletics Kenya then turned to Kirui, who by then, had been almost the forgotten man in Kenyan marathon running.

 “When I was asked to run for my country, I consulted with my coach and although I was ready to fight for the record, my country needed me and I decided, the record can wait for now,” the runner who is now coached by Renato Canova and moved his training from Kapsabet to Iten explained.

The added bonus of the men marathoners was Kenya won her second marathon World Cup at these championships, to put an official stamp to what has always been known — the country possesses the best ultimate distance athletes on the planet.