Eric Kiptanui was in Vienna last week, part of the historic run by Eluid Kipchoge who ran a marathon inside two hours, a feat never achieved before. Kiptanui was the lead pacesetter for the race which had 41 of them, including Olympic and world champions.
When Kipchoge crossed the finish line, Kiptanui knew he was now part of something special.
“I always wanted be like him [Kipchoge],” he said. “So, when he broke the record we were all happy. It gave us a belief that it can be done in normal race as well.”
Fresh from that “life-changing” race, Kiptanui is in New Delhi for the half-marathon on Sunday. He is introduced as the “captain of the pacesetters” and the “kingmaker”. The 29-year-old knows that the Vienna race has changed modern running.
“Before the race, he was nervous because everyone was waiting for him,” he said. “But Kipchoge wanted to make history and tell people that no human is limited. You have to believe yourself and everything you do in life.”
Kiptanui understands that philosophy well. Growing up in a tiny village, Kaptel, he did not have access to the best of facilities. Son of a farmer, he lived in a small mud house with his family of five and had to go to school, which was 15 kilometres away.
“Every morning we ran to school,” he recalled. “Then, during the lunch break return to our homes and run back to school after lunch and complete another routine in the evening. Everyday, we ran round 60 kilometres and you have to be fast to reach school on time.”
But, it was not until 2010 that the 29-year-old began training in competitive running. After school, with no money, he worked as a toilet cleaner in a school while pursuing his college degree.
“I had no money so I had to look for jobs,” he said. “But that job [as a cleaner] made be stronger and I believed in myself that one day, I will change my life. I thought to myself: ‘No matter who I am now, I will be somebody someday.’”
Like most African runners, he picked up long-distance variety. Success came slowly but he found a new passion. In 2018, he set the course record for Berlin marathon with a timing of 58 minutes 42 seconds, the fourth fastest time in the half marathon ever.
“I am prepared for the Delhi race as well,” he said. “I want to do my best and I am confident because of the Kipchoge race.”
Kipchoge ran under special conditions like changing pacesetters, specialised shoes and a vehicle with laser light to keep the runners on track.
There was also a person on motorbike who constantly provided liquid intake to Kipchoge. Since Delhi isn’t ideal for marathon runners by quite a stretch, Kipchoge’s timing of 1 hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds won’t be considered as the world record.
Both Kipchoge and Kiptanui knew that that people will question the record because of the conditions but the latter revealed that the Vienna race was important send an information to the world.
“We all wanted him to run it under two hours,” Kiptanui said. “He was nervous and I was nervous as well. We were just praying to God. We wanted to create history.”
It was second attempt by Kipchoge to run a sub-two-hour marathon after failing to do it in Berlin in 2017. Kiptanui believes the achievement was made possible in Vienna, which is a flatter city with just an hour’s time difference with Kenya.
“We trained in Kenya for four months before this race,” he said. “The formation of pacesetters was practiced and there was little twist in the training regimen such as running longer and in breaks.”
The race also gives belief to Kiptanui that the the distance can be covered in normal race as well. “Kipchoge can do it on a normal track as well,” he said. “You can to train for it and be cool. Just one pacesetter is enough.”
Kiptanui says he is not exaggerating and he will try to run the marathon under two hours next year.
“I’ll do it next year,” he said. “When Kipchoge was running alone towards the finish line, I thought that he is the king. The son of the king becomes king and when he retires, I want to be the king.”