Mutai lands bronze as Ugandan marathoners impress in Beijing

Uganda’s marathon runner Mutai (right) after crossing the line in third position at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China yesterday. pHOTO BY AFP

For his efforts Mutai walked away with $20,000 (Shs70m), the prize money for getting bronze at the World Championhsips. Dethroned champion Stephen Kiprotich received $8,000 (Shs28m) for his efforts

Kampala- Barely two years ago, Solomon Mutai claimed victory at his debut marathon race in Mombasa, Kenya. The decision to leave the track and opt for the 42km race must have felt right for the lad.

Sadly, his feat went under the carpet especially with the fact that fellow Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich had just claimed gold two weeks prior at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

And when they arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing, there were obviously distinct expectations from the pair as the Worlds got underway in the early hours of yesterday.

In a surprise turn of events, Kiprotich failed to defend his World title but Mutai masked that failure by landing bronze in a time of two hours and 13:30 minutes to open Uganda’s medal account.

“My target here was to first get the top ten and then fight for gold,” said the soft-spoken Mutai after his first major championship medal.

“After Beijing, I now want to try and do better at the bigger marathons in the world,” added the 22-year-old who came an agonising fourth behind Abraham Kiplimo at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

His race earned Uganda a fifth medal in the history of the Worlds, joining Davis Kamoga (400m silver in 1997 Athens), Dorcus Inzikuru (3000m steeplechase gold in 2005 Helsinki), Kipsiro (5000m bronze in 2007 Osaka) and Kiprotich.

It further meant marathoners have continued giving as Uganda has now won four marathon medals at championship races since London Olympics in 2012.

“He’s (Mutai) the best,” Kiprotich lauded Mutai after the race. Kiprotich came sixth in 2:14:43 while Jackson Kiprop finished tenth (2:15:16).

The other Ugandan Kiplimo did not complete the race. “It was so hot and I got a problem in my right leg before I fell,” Kiplimo said. Only 42 of the 68 runners who had started from the Yongdingmen Gate braved the hot conditions to complete the race inside the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

Most shocking of all is that in a field that started with current world record holder Dennis Kimetto, his predecessor Wilson Kipsang as well as World and Olympic champion Kiprotich, none finished in the medal bracket.

The first Kenyan pair wilted under the sun only for 19-year-old Eritrean Ghirmay Ghebreslassie to hold on and become the youngest ever winner at the showpiece in 2:12:28.
Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay took silver in 2:13:08.

1 Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:12:28
2 Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:13:08
3 Solomon Mutai (UGA) 2:13:30
4 Ruggero Pertile (ITA) 2:14:23
5 Shumi Dechasa (BRN) 2:14:36
6 Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) 2:14:43
7 Lelisa Desisa (ETH) 2:14:54
8 Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:14:54
9 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:15:07
10 Jackson Kiprop (UGA) 2:15:16
*DNF Abraham Kiplimo (UGA)