Disaster as Kenya simply outclassed in marathon

IN GOLD COAST

Kenya’s pedestrian performance in the final athletics competition of this year’s Commonwealth Games on Sunday, the marathon, was more than a slap in the face of the country’s envious distance running reputation.

It was more of a knee in the groin, the immediate reaction to which must be nothing short of an overhaul of Athletics Kenya’s technical committee.

But unlike Julius Malema, we shouldn’t wait for the sign.

Corrective action must be taken immediately.

It’s despicable!

Nothing was done to address murmurs that degenerated to a deafening crescendo when a weak team was selected for Gold Coast, with AK’s technical men claiming that the top elites were not available for the trip to Gold Coast.

The result was that there was no Kenyan on the podium on Sunday morning with Gold Coast local Michael Shelley (two hours, 16 minutes and 46 seconds) becoming the first man since fellow Aussie Rob de Castella (1982, 1986) to win back-to-back Commonwealth Games marathon titles.

Uganda’s Solomon Mutai (2:19:02) took silver with Robbie Simpson ensuring Scotland were on the podium with a bronze in 2:19:26 after their lead athlete, Callum Hawkins, collapsed as he was heading for a historic victory.

Kenya’s men settled for the ninth (Julius Karinga, 2:24:26), 10th (Kenneth Mungara, 2:25:42) and 16th (Nicholas Kamakya, 2:40:18) positions with the women finishing fourth (Sheila Jerotich, 2:36:19) and 14th (Shelmith Muriuki).

Hellen Nzembi failed to complete the race.

In fact, all the top six women in Sunday’s race ran faster than Kamakya, who staggered home over half an hour slower that his personal best time of 2:06:36 set in Amsterdam seven years ago.

The sixth-placed woman, England’s Alyson Dixon, crossed the finish line at Southport Broadwater Parklands in 2:38:19, almost two minutes faster than Kamakya.

“We had no say in the team selection,” one of AK’s coaches here said, preferring anonymity for fear that his career could be assassinated by the federation.

“We were given the names and told we have to work with these athletes…we had no input whatsoever.”

Claims by AK’s technical team, headed by the federation’s vice-president Paul Mutwii, that the top athletes didn’t apply to run in the games doesn’t wash.

Because a number had shown interest, save for those already contracted to run in big city marathons in the first quarter of this season.

In the 2018 rankings of the world’s top 100 marathon runners, currently, Kenya has 45 men, while on the women’s list, of the world’s top 100 runners, 25 are Kenyan.

I doubt all these 70 athletes would decline a national call!

Heads must roll.

The women’s race was won by Namibia’s 37-year-old Helalia Johannes (2:32:40) with Australians taking the other two podium places through seasoned campaigners Lisa Weightman (2:33.23) and Jessica Trengove (2:34:09).

Johannes was fifth in Glasgow last time and 56th at the 2012 Rio Olympic Games while Weightman upgraded from her bronze at these games in New Delhi eight years ago.

Trengrove maintained her bronze medal position from Glasgow 2014.

In mitigation, Mungara said the heat made it impossible to have a decent race.

“It was too hot and I tried to push but couldn’t cope, so I decided to run my own race in order to finish,” he said.

The Australians were obviously ready for us and well prepared. Perhaps next time I should train in the heat so as to cope, because it was raining where we trained in Ngong.”

Sunday’s marathon was as dramatic as it was disappointing for Kenya with the men’s race serving up a cocktail of unbelievable moments.

Temperatures in this coastal city rose to 28 degrees (with humidity levels of 67 per cent) during the marathon, with the several athletes succumbing to dehydration.

Scotland’s Callum Hawkins was a most dramatic departure from the race.

After opening up a huge lead and destined to be the first Scotsman to win the “club” games title since Jim Alder in 1966, Hawkings started staggering across the road, resorting to guard rails for support but falling down several times and eventually unable to continue, just 2.192 kilometres short of the finish line.

He is now recuperating at the Gold Coast University Hospital with the Scottish camp issuing a statement that he’s out of danger.

Organisers criticized some fans for taking photos of the collapsing runner as he struggled to rise from the tarmac in pretty much the same fashion as Kenya’s Recho Kosgei endured at last year’s Warsaw Marathon.

“I, like many others, was distressed to see a wonderful athlete like Callum collapse during the closing stages of today’s marathon," the games’ local organizing committee chief executive officer Mark Peters said.

"We are offering every assistance possible to Callum and Team Scotland.

"I was also concerned about the behaviour of a small number of bystanders who chose to take images. This is not in keeping with the spirit of GC2018," he said.

In competition there are strict rules around accepting medical help and subsequent disqualification.

The organisers here confirmed that during the race, medical staff were posted at 500-metre intervals in the final kilometres of the course, all of which had radio communications.

"I'm very happy, I don't know what to say. I pushed myself from seven kilometres and I was pushing very hard. I'm very happy with the finish, Uganda’s silver medallist Mutai said.

"The marathon was very good and very hot. It was a very hard race, so a time was not coming, it was just for position."

Scotland’s bronze medallist Robbie Simpson said he was disappointed to see his team-mate Callum on the ground, unable to complete the race.

"It was really sad, I've spent the last four weeks with Callum and he has been great for me, giving me confidence and showing me how the best guys prepare, so I've learned a lot from Callum,” he said.

"When I was halfway around and Callum was in the lead, I was thinking I want to get to the end and do the whole Scottish team proud.

"When I saw him lying there, I wanted to stop and see if he was all right, but at the same time I wasn't feeling that great myself, so I wanted to get to the line before the same thing happened to me and try and get a medal."

Race winner Shelley was equally sad about the Scotsman’s tribulations.

"I wasn't sure what was going on. I had a couple of mates around Main Beach who said Callum was in a bit of trouble. They told me to keep going and gave me encouragement,” he said.

"I saw him (Callum) on the Sundale Bridge and thought 'Oh shit' and just tried to hang on. When I was coming down the home straight I tried to accelerate but I was just gone. I'm glad to be finished to be honest.

"I thought hopefully I can get to the finish line because I was starting to get cramps in my hands."

Namibia’s women’s race winner Johannes was overjoyed as her husband won gold at these games in 2006.

“I am so excited, very surprised though. I just had to have courage that I'd make it,” she said.

"My husband (Jafet Uutoni) won gold in 2006 (Melbourne Commonwealth Games) for boxing and so to come and win gold in the same country is so good."

She battled an injury before travelling to Gold Coast, barely making it for the race.

"Six days ago I had an issue with my calf muscle and I began to doubt myself but when I stood on the start line I felt confident that I could go for it. And then with five kilometres to go, when I went out from the group my confidence grew and I just went for the finish line."

"When I came 19th at the world championships (London) last year I was worried but then I came second last year at the marathon (Cape Town Marathon) my confidence started to come back."

"I would just like to thank everyone who has supported Namibia over here in Australia and I want to thank Namibia, I did this for my country."

Results:

Women’s race:

1. Helalia Johannes (Namibia) 2:32:40
2. Lisa Weightman (Australia) 2:33:23
3. Jessica Trengrove (Australia) 2:34:09
4. Sheila Jerotich (Kenya) 2:36:19
5. Sonia Samuels (England) 2:36:59
6. Alyson Dixon (England) 2:38:19
7. Lavinia Haitope (Namibia) 2:40:54
8. Caryl Jones (Wales) 2:34:58
9. Sara Ramadhani (Tanzania) 2:46:52
10. Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya) 2:47:53

Men’s race:
1. Michael Shelley (Australia) 2:16:46
2. Solomon Mutai (Uganda) 2:19:02
3. Robbie Simpson (Scotland) 2:19:36
4. Kevin Seaward (Northern Ireland) 2:19:56
5. Liam Adams (Australia) 2:21:08
6. Paulus Ilyambo (Namibia) 2:22:39
7. Alex Chesakit (Uganda) 2:23:06
8. Lee Merrien (Guernsey) 2:24:10
9. Julius Karinga (Kenya) 2:24:26
10. Kenneth Mungara (Kenya) 2:25:42
16. Nicholas Kamakya (Kenya) 2:40:18