Kenya's steeplechase athletes moving up a few distances to the marathon

When Michael Kipyego won the Tokyo Marathon last Sunday, it could have passed for just any other victory by our Kenyan men in world’s major marathons every other weekend. But Kipyego’s triumph at the 42 km distance was unique in that he is a former 3000m steeplechase runner and signals a trend amongst athletes in that event making a sharp trajectory move from that middle distance track event straight to the marathon.

And he is not the first one, only that he has found success at the longer distance quicker than he did at the track. Current steeplechase stars such as Olympic and World Champions Ezekiel Kemboi and Brimin Kipruto have expressed interest in moving up to the marathon, soon after their steeplechase careers are over.

But why do most steeplechasers the move to the marathon and not to the next logical event, the 5000 meters or the 10,000 meters on the track?

One reason could be that the event is so specialized as the physical attributes required of a successful steeplechaser include the speed of a middle distance runner, the stamina of a cross country runner, the strength and flexibility of the 400 hurdler, and the ability to thrive under unpredictable race conditions and pace variations.

Another reason could be that most need a new challenge and the longer track races do not pose an interesting enough test and greater financial rewards as the road races do.

On the other hand, great steeplechasers are extraordinarily tough and determined athletes with exceptional force of will as well as finely developed skills, as proved by the great Moses Kiptanui and Peter Koech who excelled in the 5000m after tremendous careers in the steeplechase.

But this interesting phenomenon amongst steeplechasers brings about questions about our succession planning for this event. Despite our tremendous history and strong heritage in the steeplechase, we need to plan ahead. 

Since 1968, Kenya has won every single Olympic steeplechase except for boycotts in ’76 and 80. A Kenyan born runner has gotten gold and silver in the steeplechase at every World Championship and Olympic Games since 1988 with the exception of 2001 when they got gold and bronze. Kenya born athletes swept the medals in 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007. 8 out of the top 10 all time fastest times in the steeplechase are by Kenyans. 9 if you count Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar, formerly Stephen Cherono of Kenya.

Basically, no country dominates an event like Kenya dominates the steeplechase. It is our marquee event!

But it takes just one major championship without a win in the steeplechase, a real possibility, to uncover our lack of succession planning.

Since 2003, our steeplechase titles and medals have been acquired by only four athletes; Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, Paul Koech and Richard Mateelong. It is the only event in Kenya where our athletes show tremendous consistency, an important characteristic for success at the highest level and this is self evident with this group. But they can’t continue at this level for much longer.

Beyond these four, there are still quality athletes in the pipeline, but few that show the determination and character to win major races. 

Given that the competition is getting stiffer with the French and even Ugandans getting closer, we need to prepare for the succession of the next great Kenyan steeplechasers rather than just imagining that we can ride on the national pride of our domination of the event for years to come.

Olympics 10km trials in US a bad move by Athletics Kenya

Athletics Kenya’s decision to hold trials for the long distance track events to the London Olympics in the USA is probably one of its worst decisions ever! AK plans to pick 5 athletes in both events men and women to race in the Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon in early June.

Ostensibly to salvage Kenya’s reputation in the major championships where we haven’t won a gold medal since 2005 in the men’s 5000 and 10,000 metres, AK is taking this drastic step in trying to pick a strong team so as to change our fortunes at the Olympics.

But I disagree with this decision and their reasons for even considering it in the first place because it all just doesn’t make sense. First, the Olympic trials aren’t a normal event here in Kenya. It is the biggest local athletics event in an Olympic year!

The men’s 5000 and 10,000m races are generally some of the most exciting races in an Olympic Trials event here in Kenya. Not to hold these events in such important trials is to deny thousands of fans their only opportunity to watch their stars in person before the Games. Many fans from the Rift Valley, South Nyanza, and Coast and even from the North Eastern regions travel to Nairobi to watch the Olympic Trials. It really wouldn’t be much of an Olympic Trials to speak of without these two events in the programme.

I must say this. As a former athlete who participated in several trials, the pressure cooker environment, high altitude and the toughest competition in world made for the best preparation for any championship to follow. It was in some instances, tougher than the actual championships and in others, second only to the Games itself. If you made it through the Kenyan trials, you gained the utmost respect of your fellow athletes and sky high confidence going to the Olympics.

This is why I wonder why AK wants to make it worse in the long run, by eliminating the very variables that toughen up our athletes in the first place.

The idea that Kenya needs to replicate the conditions that our distance runners will face in London is ridiculous, if not laughable. London’s conditions in the summer aren’t so difficult to deal with that we have to acclimatize, compared to previous Summers Games like Atlanta ’96 and Beijing ’08 that were far more humid and oppressive. Besides, Eugene in June and London in August are so climactically different that it really doesn’t make sense. I know. I lived and ran in both cities in those months for many years.

Why AK feels that selection at low altitude would be beneficial for our long distance teams is beyond me when the high altitude factor is one of our greatest advantages and a training variable that other international athletes seek in order to be competitive in the long distance races.

Kenya currently has the most “A” qualifiers in the men’s 5000, and 10,000m for the Olympics. Therefore, to only select the top 5 fastest to race against each other in these two events is to be completely unfair to the rest of the qualifiers.

Why then have a qualifying standard? What’s the point in having only 5 Kenyan athletes competing against lesser athletes from other countries when they could be competing against their superior countrymen at home?

If AK implements this unpopular decision, it would effectively eliminate any surprise performers coming through the institutional and provincial rungs and demoralize those athletes who are in the second tier ranks by denying them the opportunity to compete against the very best in the country.

If, as one of the reasons given by AK to shift the long distance trials to the US is the poor performance in these two events in the last two Olympics and World Championships due to the strenuous qualifications in our explosive trials, what can they make of the double victories of Vivian Cheruiyot in Daegu and Berlin in previous years, yet she went through the same system?

Significantly, our women’s fortunes are rising given the quality of competition locally, so it can’t possibly be the system of qualification. Besides, in previous championships, our men’s long distance teams had to face the top runner in the world at the time, Kennenisa Bekele and Mo Farah and there is not much they could do to prevent them from winning given that these champions both trained in high altitudes like our team.

Nonetheless, I feel that all these reasons AK are giving us as just excuses. Excuses justifying their trip to Oregon. It is not in the best interests of the athlete seeking to be selected to the team to London, to go and compete in Oregon and yet he or she could be a lot better off fighting for that spot here in Nairobi.

It could well be due to sponsorship influence that the trials are being held in Oregon. The Prefontaine Classic meeting is the premiere Nike athletics event in the world and they make it known that all their top athletes must attend this Diamond League event. 

Kenyan athletes's lack of fashion sense

When Vivian Cheruiyot won the Laureaus Sportswoman of the Year award in London earlier this week, all eyes were on her not only for her outstanding accomplishments on the track last year, but on her evening dress.

The biggest and most prestigious sports award in the world brought to focus the celebrated winners’ fashion and dress sense. Case in point, Vivian’s silver evening dress has been subject of discussion in various celebrity fashion blogs about how it should have matched her amazing athletic achievements.

That notwithstanding, Cheruiyot is part of a new breed of athletes who are increasingly keen on projecting a fashionable image by developing a sense of style as their stars rise. Other local athletics stars have done so with some even consulting stylists to help them with dressing so that they can be presentable within current trends.

It is often said that sporting types aren't the most fashionable people on the planet.  Of course, athletes' training schedules do not always permit them to be at fashion's call. But the problem also stems from the fact that sports people get too comfortable at their level and feel they can dress however they want. While some think they are dressing well and that they have good style, when really everything they wear is utterly tragic!

Now before I go any further, I will acknowledge that there are a few athletes out there who do have good style. And there are many others in sports such as Rugby, Football and Volleyball that really hold it down when it comes to dressing well.

Why the sudden surge in stylish athletes? One reason: corporate sponsorships. Sure, fashion and sports have a long history, but their relationship has grown over the years with big name brands stepping up and sponsoring or linking with sports stars for marketing purposes. These formerly distinct realms have collided through their key actors: the athletes, the designers, the public, and money.

Designers are catching on too, with brands like Kiko Romeo, who now dress the Kenya Rugby Sevens team, are fuelling the re-emergence of male sports stars as fashion models and have cottoned on to the fact that sports stars have lots of fans that will pay to look like them.

More to the point, it's a relationship that makes sense. All those athletic bodies honed to perfection and athletic tracks of the world are just like catwalks but with a lot more Lycra.

This relationship between style and sports works on another level as well. Sports stars like Maria Sharapova and David Beckham have changed the face of fashion within their own worlds and affected street style for millions of consumers each year. The looks on the court and on the field have changed. Sports uniforms and the way players present themselves have also undergone distinct transformations over the years.

Now athletes are trendsetters and icons in their own right--beyond the court or field and they are embracing fashion more enthusiastically than ever.

So is Kenya’s sports scene in need of a style icon? Certainly! We need a star that can inspire others with his or her fashion or sartorial sense. While Kenya has many fantastic athletes, there hasn’t been an individual whose fashion sense is as celebrated as their athletic performance.

Now that it is becoming commonplace for our champion athletes to be invited to gala and award presentations, it would be great to have some of them dress in designer Kenyan evening wear to give them identity and showcase pride in being Kenyan.

Despite their various follies, the line between sports and fashion continues to blur as we approach a new era of style and sportsmanship and it is increasingly important to make a fashion statement as well as a sports statement.

Changing fortunes of Kenya's sprinters

With Kenya being the epicenter of the distance running world, one may ask what ever happened to our sprinters. In past years, the sprints have suffered a downward spiral in the numbers and performances. This was not the case before, as can be attested by Kenya’s illustrious past in the sprinting events.

However, that is now changing.

A positive and refreshing development in the local sprints scene took place last week that got me excited about our preparations for the London Olympics later this year.

A sprints and field events meet was held to spot budding talent and give sprinters that rare chance to gauge their fitness levels ahead of the local athletics season.

This is the first time that sprinters have had an opportunity to compete, albeit in odd distances, so early in the season. More importantly, Athletics Kenya is taking the right steps in preparing athletes in this category for the chance to attain qualifying times early enough for the Olympics in August.

Kenya has some exceptionally talented athletes suited to the shorter distances, who for the lack of support, technical training, and exposure, will never discover just how good they are.  There is so much talent to be harnessed especially in the urban areas. But we are losing out on this talent to other sports such as football, rugby and hockey as there are no programmes to entice them to athletics.

 It is simply a question of identifying real talent at an early age and exposing them to proper training. Sprint training is very technical and involves the development of specific muscle groups. A system must be developed to identify budding talent and expose them to the best training.

And that is what is partly being worked on right now by the national sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki. Some of the weaknesses such as technical expertise and developmental programs are now being availed to athletes and coaches alike. The results are that there are some exciting young sprinters like Alfas Kishoyan won silver in 400m in World Youth Championship last year coming through the ranks. In addition, these young sprinters now have role models to aspire to, just like their esteemed long distance colleagues.

 In the 60’s for example, Seraphino Antao won two gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and the 4x400m squad won Olympic gold and silver medals in consecutive games. Kenyan 400m runners have also had a fantastic reputation in the world scene with a few winning medals in championships such as the African and Commonwealth Games.

In recent times, Kenya has won gold in the 4 x 400m relay at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Maputo All African Championships.

The women sprinters too have had their fair share of success. The likes of Alice Adala, Rose Tata-Muya and Ruth Waithera often matched and beat their much vaunted competitors from Nigeria in the 80’s winning continental championships and going on to represent Kenya in the biggest show, the Olympics. Waithera even made history by making the Olympic final in the 400m. Evidently, of the excuses put up for the decline, one of them can’t be that Kenya’s sprinters are historically slow.

If one considers the sprint records in Kenya, there is certainly no lack of talent. If Kenya could produce fabulous sprinters in the 1980s then surely it can do so now. If European countries like Ukraine can produce world record beaters, so can we. If Jamaica with its limited resources can create a system that consistently produces world record beaters then so can we.

 In some ways, having a strong sprints group is the key to our future success in the middle distance events. This is because it these athletes feed the next generation of middle distance runners of 800 to 1500m. Many former sprinters like Pamela Jelimo have made that natural progression from the 400m to the 800m with great success.

With the Men’s 4 x 400m squad already qualified for London and two 400m and 400m hurdlers runners with qualifying times, the local sprint scene looks set to be rejuvenated and heading back to its old glory days. However, in order to gain real traction, our long sprinters must first be able to qualify and compete regularly in the Diamond League as this would give them real speed off the blocks, the necessary experience and exposure to medal at the Olympics.

Kenya Olympic brand important in the run -up to London Olympics

The recently formed steering committee to spearhead Kenya’s preparations for the London Olympics later this year brings to focus the planning and preparation of teams to the Games. Every Olympic year exposes the challenges of raising money to send the best possible team and yet it should be an easier experience given Kenya’s incredible successes and legacy at previous games.  

The Kenyan Olympic brand continues to retain its vitality as the most patriotic, most inspiring, most sportsman-like and most unifying sports organization in Kenya, which is a testament to the strength of the Olympic symbol, the inspiring stories of our athletes and dedication of its partners. The true measure of its brand strength and why it continues to flourish is that NOCK creates opportunities for sportsmen to fairly and successfully compete globally against the best in the world.

Certainly the success of the Kenya team at the Beijing Olympics in which it was ranked as the 14^th highest medal winner of the Games played a role in the positive outlook. So too did strong television ratings as various outlets brought so many of the Kenyan athletes and their stories into living rooms and bars throughout the country.

An example of this is the victory ceremony of the men’s marathon in Beijing that was held before the official closing ceremony with billions watching the late Samuel Wanjiru being awarded his medal and the national anthem played after.

The Games are also the driving force for a nation building process. As a country, we don’t have the chance often enough to do this regularly and the Olympic Games gives us the chance to do this especially with the upcoming general elections.

Patriotism plays a tremendous role in the popularity of the Kenya’s Olympic participation. It is a chance for Kenyans to feel good about themselves, to rally behind one team rather than then geographical separation of professional sports.

Our Olympians are some amazing people with some amazing stories and they really resonate with people around the country, in all ages and in all walks of life. Everyone can find a part of the Olympic Games and Olympians they can relate to. The Olympics is one such movement capable of binding the peoples of the world: an enormous privilege and responsibility. As you know sport is a wonderful metaphor: it can be used to build trust, create a common language, shared values and much more.

The opportunity for people to be really inspired by athletes wearing their country’s flag and playing on the international circuit is very special and prideful thing in Kenya. NOCK’s marketing partners should recognize that and the value of the Olympic movement.

A Kenyan gold medal is not only a huge objective of an athlete and NOCK; it is also a business angle in the world of sport. Corporate Kenya ought to notice that in 2012, sponsorship of Kenya’s Olympic team to London would be one of the most valuable sports sponsorships that would not only trigger strong patriotism but would also provoke brand usage and loyalty.

Even consumers recognize the role sponsors play in the success of Kenyan Olympians as many believe  that corporate sponsors assures that athletes can afford to train and compete effectively.

I feel that the best fit for the Olympic team sponsors are category leaders, those companies that desire to be perceived as somewhat selfless and patriotic. Companies should not assume that an Olympic investment won’t provide a return on investment competitive with other sports sponsorships, but they’ll have to work a little harder to accomplish their marketing goals.

And working harder for local sponsors means going full-in on the Olympics. One way is by sponsoring teams to other global events under the Olympic umbrella – such as the Youth Olympics. The other way to get connected is by matching the vision of the Olympic movement, which is about peace, progress and the world coming together to celebrate our common humanity. 

Kenyan companies that have long standing commitment to global sustainability, excellence, innovation and are able to address world challenges would be perfectly placed in their associations with the Olympics to be open to tremendous business opportunities.

The Olympic movement has a big blank canvas of ideas that makes it attractive to brands as it offers them far broader relevance to the public. Obviously, the challenge is to allow these ideals to emerge, and with the many implications for the organizations and the way it behaves.

The buzz surrounding Kenya’s medal hopes in London, it must be remembered, is far more than just a question of national pride: it is also a matter of future business for partners and sponsors of the National Olympic Committee.

Selection of marathon team to Olympics tough but must be determined now

With less than 200 days to go to the London Olympics, Athletics Kenya’s decision to name the provisional marathon team to the London Olympics tomorrow is timely. The marathon, unlike the track races, requires sufficient mental and physical preparation several months ahead of the event and this year being such an important year, athletes aspiring to compete in the Olympics would want to know their fate early enough.

With superstars  such as World Record holder Patrick Makau, World Champions Abel Kirui and Edna Kiplagat already been named for the Olympic competition, AK is looking to fill only 3 spots. And there’s certainly no shortage of quality and talent to pick from.

Actually, it must be one of the most difficult decisions to make for the men’s selection, given that they have to pick from the likes of Geoffrey Mutai, Moses Mosop, Emmanuel Mutai and Wilson Kipsang all whom are such quality runners that anyone of them could win in London. Kenya’s Olympic title defense of its Beijing victory by the late Samuel Wanjiru certainly looks promising with this cast of athletes.

With our male athletes winning all the majors, the World championship and posting the top 25 fastest times last year, Kenya is in an enviable position even with these tough team selection decisions as we possess incredible quality at the top and amazing depth.  

It isn’t any different for the women either as choosing from a talent pool consisting of London Marathon winner Mary Keitany, Berlin champion, Florence Kiplagat, Boston winner Caroline Kilel and Daegu marathon runner-up Prisca Jeptoo certainly will be tough to decide.

With such quality and depth of athletes, I think that future Olympic marathon squads ought to be determined by a trial and not in the Athletics Kenya board room. This selection trial among Kenya’s best marathon runners at least 200 days before the Olympics would be the fairest way to determine who should represent the country.

Besides, form is transient and athletes shouldn’t be selected a year before the event just because they ran fast at that particular time or won a major marathon.

Getting through a Kenyan Olympic trials process gives an athlete immense confidence going to an Olympic Games because they know that they survived the toughest selection route possible. Having competed in a few Kenyan Olympic Trials as an athlete, I know that the pressure factor is second to none especially in an event dominated globally by Kenyans.

Having an Olympic marathon trials would open up the selection process to several hundred athletes and that way, world class runners who normally would never get the opportunity to compete against their peers and yet are individual city marathon champions elsewhere, get to meet in this head to head competition for the first time to decide just who is the best in Kenya. Some marathon runners need to experience that kind of pressure before a major event like the Olympics where there are no pacemakers like the big city marathons.

Throw in some prize money and such a trial will attract immense attention and publicity given that it would be the highest quality marathon event ever held.

We could learn a thing or two from USA Track & Field who held their marathon trials yesterday. The hype and build-up of their trials was something to behold even with their much lower qualifying standards than we have.

March's Indoor Championships a key build up for London Olympics later this year

With 200 days to go to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, the athletics season is now underway and for many athletes looking to get their Olympic campaign going, this preparation period is hitting a crucial stage.

After the highly successful championships in Daegu by Kenya, this indoor season provides another opportunity for our athletes to shine on the global stage once again.

For sprinters and middle distance runners, the upcoming indoor season is viewed as the ideal preparation towards a successful Olympic campaign in the summer. For some, it is a break from the speed endurance phase to test their fitness levels, while for others; it is a full-on, well-planned out season as indoor specialists well suited to the shorter, banked surface of the indoor track.

Nonetheless, this indoor season is important as six top quality meetings will precede the 14^th edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships that will be held in early March in Istanbul, Turkey. So significant are these championships to the athletics world that record-high entries have been submitted by 170 countries confirming participation.

Kenya’s record at previous indoor championships is fairly unimpressive in its 27 year history having won a total of 16 medals and producing only 5 champions. However, that is a skewed assessment as Kenya initially entered a select few participants to the early championships.

With this being such an important year, I feel that the athletes’ agents ought to encourage quality participation in the events leading up to the championships. In an Olympic year, the caliber of athletes will always be strong and if Kenyan athletes want to challenge for the medals, they need to be racing against the best opposition.

Athletics Kenya ought to select the best possible team for the Istanbul championships in order to win more medals this time around and set the tone for greater things in London later in the summer.

The men’s 800 meters has always been our savior at the World Indoor Championships with 3 gold medals at that event and this year, our athletes could continue that trend given the strong performers at that event.

With the World Cross Country Championships missing from this year’s athletics calendar, this would be a great opportunity for versatile superstars like Vivian Cheruiyot and Asbel Kiprop to participate in Istanbul and add the only medals left to their growing collection of global titles.

After a splendid season last year and reports of an exceptional off-season training period, expect Vivian to have a strong showing on the indoor circuit this winter. After her silver medal performance at the 2010 indoor championships in Doha, Vivian would like to top the podium this time ahead of her more experienced Ethiopian indoor rival, Meseret Defar. With such matchups to look forward to this winter, the women’s distance races should produce some of the highlights this season.