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Home IAAF

The Olympic Marathon, Is It The Training Environment after all? by Justin Lagat, note by Larry Eder

Larry Ederby Larry Eder
August 13, 2012
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Our correspondent from Eldoret, Kenya writes about a guy he saw training, Stephan Kiprotich, and the Olympic marathon. In his piece he exhibits some of the introspection needed to understand why the Kenyan men had so many challenges in London. 


Kiprotich_StephenFV-OlyGames12.jpg
Stephen Kiprotich, Uganda, gold medal, 2012 London Olympic marathon, 
photo by PhotoRun.net

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IS IT THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT AFTER ALL?

Kirui_AsbelFV-OlyGames12.jpg
Asbel Kirui, silver, 2012 London Olympic Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
After reading a post in Yahoo Sports News this morning that the men set to run the 
Olympic marathon today were the best runners ever assembled, I expected a tough 
competition for the Kenyan team, more so from the Ethiopians whose team consisted 
entirely of sub 2hrs 5 minutes. But to my surprise, the real competition actually 
came from someone whom I have always been crossing paths with here on my morning runs, 
it was only today that I learned his name and that he runs for a neighboring country. 
I am talking of none other than the now reigning Olympic Marathon Champion, Stephen 
Kiprotich of Uganda. He has been training most of the year here at Kaptagat alongside 
Emanuel Mutai who was placed in the 17th position.
The loss to the Ugandan did not seem to upset the audience in the hall that I have been 
frequenting lately to watch these Olympic events. It was as though their expectations 
had already been lowered enough by the earlier results in which they had been having 
so much hopes only to be stashed, not once, but a number of times. The fact that a 
Ugandan with a Kenyan name won was more favorable than when someone else had won.
Kipsang_WilsonFV-OlyGames12.jpg
Wilson Kipsang, bronze medal, 2012 London Marathon, 
photo by PhotoRun.net
It wasn’t all that exciting watching the race until Wilson Kipsang pulled ahead after 
crossing the 10km mark, catching up with Franck Almeida  of Brazil who seemed to have, 
knowingly or unknowingly, been a pace maker for the race to that point. Looking at 
the watch, they had crossed the mark in over 30 minutes and so it appeared the 
world record was safe and out of question, but the Olympic record was still a 
possibility. Kipsang continued opening the gap till he was over a hundred meters 
ahead of the chasing pack that still consisted of all the pre-race favorites: 
Two Kenyans, the Ugandan and three Ethiopians, among others.
At around 25km, a wave of panic and shock spread across the audience in the 
room when Kipsang seemed to stop all of a sudden, then jogged slightly back 
to pick his drink which he had almost missed. This may have affected his 
rhythm because the chasing pack which by then consisted of Kiprotich of 
Uganda, Abshero of Ethiopia, who never finished the race and Kirui of 
Kenya, began to close up on him soon after that. The Ethiopian began 
to falter a few meters behind and the three athletes now in the lead 
seemed to communicate together and reached a consensus on the right 
pace to use as they ran parallel to each other. I can only guess the l
anguage they were using!
Their union lasted only until they were at 35km and it became each man for himself; 
and God for them all. Kipsang started the surge and Kirui followed closely behind, 
the Ugandan appearing as though he was about to lag, but not leaving a clear gap. 
At 37km, the Ugandan took the two Kenyans by surprise in overtaking them and beginning 
to create a gap. Kirui struggled to react, but appeared to have reached his maximum 
ability and was just longing for the race to end while still in the same position. 
It was the same for Kipsang, in third position.
The Ugandan began to celebrate on reaching the 40km mark. A man in the hall observed 
that there was nothing that could ever be done to someone who was so sure of winning 
while just two kilometers away from the finish. At the homestretch, Kiprotich could 
no longer conceal his smiles. He snatched the Ugandan flag from one of the fans 
cheering besides the route and began to raise it about 50 meters from the tape as 
he came to cross the finish in a time of 2hrs, 8 minutes and 25 seconds. The two 
Kenyans followed to win the other two remaining medals.
As it came to the close of the Games, I know there are many lessons runners as well 
as fans have learned, and one of them is that Kenyans are beatable. Perhaps, it was 
only the training environment after all that used to put them ahead of the rest.
 
Mo Farah of Great Britain came and trained here in Kenya at Iten and ended up winning 
two gold medals. Now, the same has happened with the Ugandan. 
In my opinion, I believe that Kenyan athletes have now seen the level of competition 
in the long distance running rising to a different level and will now be prepared 
enough in the coming championships.
 
However, many cannot help but ask themselves the question: Is this the beginning 
of the end of Kenya’s dominance in long distance running?  To me, I would say that 
it is just but the beginning of a new era of serious training, good preparations 
and gripping competitions during major championships.
Keflezighi_MebFV-OlyGames12.jpg
Meb Keflezighi, fourth place, 2012 London Marathon, 
photo by PhotoRun.net

Author

  • Larry Eder

    Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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Larry Eder

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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