Rudisha kin to slaughter 50 bulls

Anybody can make history but only a great man can write it. Such a man is David Lekuta Rudisha, the new prodigy that the world has now come to know.

After 13 long years with no serious attempt made to end Kenyan-Dane Wilson Kipketer’s 800 metres world record of one minute, 41.11 seconds set in Cologne in 1997, Rudisha emerged to lower the record twice in seven days.

His latest record last Sunday in Rieti, Italy - he shaved two hundredths of a second off Kipketer’s mark to stop the clock at 1:41.09 in Berlin - was an improvement of 0.08 seconds from the Berlin mark and exactly one second better than the time he set on the same course last year.

Now, a huge party that will claim the lives of 50 cows in his home village of Oltanki, Kilgoris, is another record of sorts.

The Daily Nation caught up with Rudisha’s elder brother, Benson Rudisha, who was following the Rieti meet in a Kilgoris restaurant.

Benson said his family is organising a “mother of all parties” to celebrate the achievements of their kin over the last two weeks at their Tararu home in Oltanki, Kilgoris, when the star returns next week.

“All the arrangements are complete and we are set for the big party where 50 bulls will be slaughtered for guests,” said Benson.

The 21-year-old Africa champion says to be able to run that fast only requires the legs of a genius and the courage of a lion or a warrior, a true Masai Moran.

“I am a Moran and had only one target - to break the world record - on my tour of Europe. To do it twice was possible and I am happy to return home a warrior who has triumphed in war,” said Rudisha from his base in Rieti on Monday.

The new world record holder is, however, not blinded by his success and wants to share his glory with an unsung hero, his “tailor-made” pace setter Sammy Tangui, a man they have grown up with and trained together in Iten.

“He is a great pace setter. He has guided me to this success having run according to the instructions. Without him it might probably been harder to get where I am,” said Rudisha.

The world record surprised many, and his wife, Lizzy Naanyu, was equally dumbstruck.

“I know he is a great man, someone who believed in everything he did. But for him to break the record, it was not easy,” she said.

“We talked before he left and agreed that it was possible for him, maybe, to equal the older record. Well, I was surprised to see him run a new world record time,” said Naanyu from their Eldoret home.

Naanyu is undecided as to what sort of party to throw for his husband at his Eldoret base.