Veteran Menjo key in plot to tame Farah

Kiprono Menjo (left), Leonard Oleitiptip and Mark Mutai compete in the 10,000m during the 34th Kenya Defence Forces Athletics Championship at the Moi international Sports Centre Kasarani on May 9 2013. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Experienced Kiprono Menjo, who is making a comeback to Team Kenya after almost a decade, has the big responsibility of guiding two youthful debutantes in upstaging Olympic and World 5,000m champion Mohammed Farah at the World Championships.
  • For the 37-year-old Menjo, age will just be a number when he leads upcoming Cyrus Rutto and 2015 Africa Under-20 David Kiplagat in trying to redeem Kenya’s lost fortunes in 5,000m at the world event from August 4 to 13 in London.

Experienced Kiprono Menjo, who is making a comeback to Team Kenya after almost a decade, has the big responsibility of guiding two youthful debutantes in upstaging Olympic and World 5,000m champion Mohammed Farah at the World Championships.

For the 37-year-old Menjo, age will just be a number when he leads upcoming Cyrus Rutto and 2015 Africa Under-20 David Kiplagat in trying to redeem Kenya’s lost fortunes in 5,000m at the world event from August 4 to 13 in London.

Menjo, who finished fourth during the Kenya trials for the Worlds won by Rutto with Kiplagat finishing second, will be representing Kenya for the first time since the 2008 Africa Championships in Addis Ababa where he finished fifth. The race was won by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele won.

Kenya has been dominant in 5,000m since the 1983 Helsinki Championships, winning seven out of the 15 editions. However, the country is yet to test victory since Benjamin Limo’s win when the event returned to Helsinki in 2005.

Kenya-born Bernad Lagat won the event for his newly adopted USA in 2007 Osaka where Menjo finished eighth in 10,000m. Bekele triumphed in 2009 Berlin.

Farah then became the first man to ever retain the title after Kenya’s Ismael Kirui in 1993 Stuttgart and 1995 Gothenburg. The Briton of Somali origin has dominated since then, making history as the first man to claim a hat-trick, winning in 2011 Daegu, 2013 Moscow and 2015 Beijing.

“It’s a great feeling to be back in the team again after a battle with recurring injuries,” said Menjo.