Kiplimo takes winning streak to Oslo

Jacob Kiplimo has had a superb start to the year. He won the senior men’s 10km race for the World Cross-country Championships title on February 18 in Bathurst, Australia.

A month later, Kiplimo won his sixth race out of seven career 21km events at the New York City Half-Marathon in the USA.

The exciting long-distance runner has won eight out of his last 10 races combined on track and road.

Kiplimo will on Thursday attempt to win his fifth successive race when he makes his season track bow over the 5000m distance during the Bislett Games, a leg of the Wanda Diamond League (DL), in Norwegian capital Oslo.

He has not raced on track since completing track double with a 5000m gold medal during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last August in England.

The 22-year-old has had to put in weeks of intense training from road to track. “I’m ready,” he said. “It was not bad.”

Initially, Kiplimo was expected to be entered for the Florence DL meeting in Italy on June 2. But the programme from his Italian management Rossa Associati changed.

In Florence, that race produced a world lead time of 12 minutes and 52.09 seconds by winner Spaniard Mohamed Katir. Kiplimo boasts of a personal best (PB) of 12:48.63, set in Ostrava, Czech Republic three years ago.

Now with Olympic and world 10000m bronze medals to add to a Commonwealth double and World Cross-country titles, Kiplimo can lower that time but he isn’t under any duress.

“I think my target is only to run well,” he added. Kiplimo is entered in a field of 20 men which comprises 2019 world 10000m silver medallist Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, who came second in Florence.

Kejelcha’s PB of 12:46.79 is the only one faster than Kiplimo’s. The field also has experienced American Paul Chelimo, Guatemalan Luis Grijalva, South Sudan’s Dominic Lobalu and world U20 cross-country champion Kenyan Ishmael Kipkirui.

Meanwhile, Sarah Chelangat who recently broke the 5000m national record (NR) will debut on the DL circuit with a test in the shorter women’s 3000m event. That field has world 5000m silver medallist Kenyan Beatrice Chebet as favourite.

Down to middle-distance, the pairing of Winnie Nanyondo and Janat Chemusto is itching to polish when they engaged gears for the mile run.

Chemusto posted 4:23.65 in second place during the On Track Nights Fast5000 event in Montesson within Paris, France on Saturday.

Nanyondo will be encouraged by her 1500m victory on Sunday during the Spanish Club Championships Division Honor Liga Iberdrola final in Madrid.

UGANDANS IN ACTION - THURSDAY

Bislett Games: Winnie Nanyondo & Janat Chemusto (Mile Run), Sarah Chelangat (3000m), Jacob Kiplimo (5000m)

KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE

Date of birth: November 14, 2000

Major events: 5000m, 10000m

Coach: Iacorpo Brasi

Personal Bests: 7:26.64 (3000m), 12:48.63 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m)

Manager: Federico Rosa

Management: Rosa Associati

KIPLIMO’S LAST 10 RACES

2023

Mar 19: New York City (21km), 1:01:31 (1st)

Feb 18: World X-Country (10km), 29:17 (1st)

2022

Sep 11: Great North Run (21km), 59:33 (1st)

Aug 6: XXII Commonwealth Games (5000m), 13:08.08 (1st)

Aug 2: XXII Commonwealth Games (100000m), 27:09.19 (1st)

Jul 17: Oregon Worlds (10000m), 27:27.97 (3rd)

Jun 30: Stockholm DL (3000m), 7:29.55 (2nd)

Feb 19: Ras Al Khaimah Half-Marathon (21km), 57:56 (1st)

2021

Nov 21: Lisbon Marathon (42km), 57:31 (1st)

Aug 21: Prefontaine Classic (Two Miles), 8:10.16 (4th)