Eliud Kipchoge: Volleyballer turned marathon king

It’s strange how fortunes change. While schooling and even after completing Fourth Form, world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge loved and played volleyball with his peers.

Although Kipchoge has an unbridled love for tennis, he played volleyball during his childhood.

His age-mates at home say he enjoyed volleyball after completing Form Four at Kaptel High School in Nandi County.

Eliud Basi, who played volleyball with Kipchoge, told Standard Sports at Kapsisiywa village last week: “We grew up with Kipchoge here (Kapsisisywa). He played volleyball like us. He did it partially while in school and after schooling when he operated his sister’s shop here. He was a good setter.”

Kipchoge stands among Kenya’s top athletes who changed from other sports to athletics.

Nickson Chepseba, a former IAAF Diamond League Trophy winner, also switched from volleyball to athletics.

While a student at St Patrick’s High School Iten, Chepseba led his team to nationals in volleyball. During Rift Valley volleyball contests, he battled siblings in former world 400m hurdles champion, the late Nicholas Bett and former Africa 400m hurdles bronze medallist Haron Koech, who were students at Cheptil High School in Nandi County.

Chepseba said: “I used to admire Kenya Commercial Bank players very much. I only play volleyball at the close of the season.”

Ferguson Rotich, the newly crowned world 800m bronze medallist, was a high jumper while at Kejiriet Primary School in Kericho County. Julius Yego, the Olympic javelin silver medallist, was a football striker while a student at Kapsabet Boys High School.

Two-time world marathon winner Edna Kiplagat, who finished fourth in women’s marathon on Friday last week, says she gave up football for athletics after her games teacher advised her to try her luck in the sport. Although she was a classmate of 2008 Chicago Marathon champions Evans Cheruiyot and 800m sensation Vincent Kemboi, she harboured little interest in athletics.

“I was a swift striker and the teacher told me to run in 1995. I represented the school up to divisional level. We had competitions running home at lunch hour and that was quite helpful,” she said.

Two-time Berlin Marathon winner Florence Kiplagat was a good footballer while a student at Sergoit Secondary School in Elgeyo Marakwet County. She competed against Edna who was at the nearby Kipsoen Secondary School. And interestingly, they have lined up in London Marathon twice.

“I never took part in athletics while in primary and secondary school. I was a football striker in the primary school's team and I even led the team to nationals at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega, and made the Kenyan team to the East and Central Africa Primary Schools in Kampala, Uganda.”

Other football strikers who became track stars include three-time world 3,000m steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui (Marakwet High School), 2011 world 1,500m silver medalist Silas Kiplagat (Chebara High School) and road racer Nelson Kirwa (Kitany Boys).