William Biwott at his temporary training base in Hulst, The Netherlands (© Michel Boeting)
William Biwott stretched his legs out in the business class seats of the KLM flight back from Oslo to Amsterdam Saturday morning, after putting the World Junior Mile record* to his name at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games - ÅF Golden League - in the Norwegian capital on Friday night (3).
“This is very nice,” said the 19-year-old Kenyan, stretching out his legs barely 12 hours after running 3:49.29 at the second of this year's six meetings in the ÅF Golden League 2009, suddenly realising that there could be a few perks to the sometimes mundane existence of a professional athlete.
First Class style
Outwardly at least, Biwott seemed more impressed with his unexpected upgrade on his way back to his temporary home in Hulst, a town in the south of The Netherlands, than his superb run when he become the first junior to run under the 3:50 barrier.
He may have finished second behind Ethiopia's Deresse Mekonnen, who set a national record of 3:48.95, but he improved on the previous World Junior mark of 3:50.25 which had been in the possession of his compatriot Alex Kipchirchir since 2003.
“I'm happy about what I have done. The race was not bad, but I was expecting something like that; I had been feeling good before and I'd been told about what the pacemakers were going to do,” said Biwott, with typical Kenyan under-statement after his memorable first ever outing over the classic distance. “Now Oslo will always have a special place in my heart.”
The signs that Biwott were someone to watch started to become evident last month when he clocked 3:37.08 in his first race of the year at a modest meeting in Germany.
“It was in Rehlingen on June 1, and if you are clocking that sort of time at that sort of meeting, in your first race of the year, you know there is a lot more to come,” chipped in his manager Michel Boeting.
Biwott then impressed by running 3:34.14 in the Spanish town of Huelva, actually in the 1500m B race that evening but it was faster than the winner in the main event, which gave Boeting a little bit of extra negotiating muscle to get him into the DKB-ISTAF Berlin ÅF Golden League meeting three weeks ago.
There, he ran 3:32.34 for third place to show that he could hold his own among the big boys.
Now flying high
His performances this season have clearly been a step up from last summer, when he just missed out on a place in the Kenyan team going to the IAAF World Junior Championships. He finished third in the trials for that event but then had two disappointing end-of-season races due to an abscess at the top of his leg leading to a lot of missed training during June and July.
“I've just been training very hard this winter because I knew I had the talent. I've been lucky to have the support of my family, and I also have been believing in myself. At the start of the winter, the training sessions were going so good and I just felt confident after that.
Like all Kenyan teenagers, Biwott had done some running at school but he only started doing some serious training in November 2006.
“That was in my last year at Simotwo High School in Keiyo, which is where I was born, and I thought that if I ran well, I might get a scholarship to an American university. My school grades were good, especially in physics, and I liked the idea of studying something to do with aviation.
“The scholarship didn't happen but my father said he would support me for two years to see whether I could become a professional runner. 'Two years and then we see what happens,' he told me. So for that support I am very grateful and happy. I've also had the support of my coaches Patrick Sang and Joseph Chelimo, where I now train in Kaptagat.” Sang is a two-time World Championships 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist who took silver in the event as well at the 1992 Olympic Games.
In addition, Biwott comes over as a very single-minded individual, unlikely to be distracted from his tasks at hand. “I don't have much time for anything else or any hobbies, I am just concentrating on my training,” he explained, when asked about what he likes to do away from the track.
One up on Kipchoge
Among his training partners is the 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge. “But now I am faster than him at this event and that makes me very happy as well,” added Biwott, displaying his competitive instincts.
Kipchoge leads the world over 5000m this summer with the 12:56.46 he ran in Milan recently and he is bidding to get back on the top of the podium in Berlin after winning a silver medal over the same distance at the last IAAF World Championships two years ago in Osaka.
Biwott might now be in the frame to join him on the plane to Germany when the places are decided at the Kenyan Trials later this month. “It's tough but I have now given myself a chance. Who knows what might happen?” reflected Biwott, well aware of the depth of talent available for the Kenyan selectors to choose from.
Augustine Choge, the 2009 world leader at 1500m but who was beaten by Biwott in Oslo with a stunning run down the home straight that took him from fourth to second, Haron Keitany and Asbel Kiprop would have seemed the most likely trio to be going to Berlin but Biwott has now become another factor into the equation.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
* pending the usual ratification procedures
“This is very nice,” said the 19-year-old Kenyan, stretching out his legs barely 12 hours after running 3:49.29 at the second of this year's six meetings in the ÅF Golden League 2009, suddenly realising that there could be a few perks to the sometimes mundane existence of a professional athlete.
First Class style
Outwardly at least, Biwott seemed more impressed with his unexpected upgrade on his way back to his temporary home in Hulst, a town in the south of The Netherlands, than his superb run when he become the first junior to run under the 3:50 barrier.
He may have finished second behind Ethiopia's Deresse Mekonnen, who set a national record of 3:48.95, but he improved on the previous World Junior mark of 3:50.25 which had been in the possession of his compatriot Alex Kipchirchir since 2003.
“I'm happy about what I have done. The race was not bad, but I was expecting something like that; I had been feeling good before and I'd been told about what the pacemakers were going to do,” said Biwott, with typical Kenyan under-statement after his memorable first ever outing over the classic distance. “Now Oslo will always have a special place in my heart.”
The signs that Biwott were someone to watch started to become evident last month when he clocked 3:37.08 in his first race of the year at a modest meeting in Germany.
“It was in Rehlingen on June 1, and if you are clocking that sort of time at that sort of meeting, in your first race of the year, you know there is a lot more to come,” chipped in his manager Michel Boeting.
Biwott then impressed by running 3:34.14 in the Spanish town of Huelva, actually in the 1500m B race that evening but it was faster than the winner in the main event, which gave Boeting a little bit of extra negotiating muscle to get him into the DKB-ISTAF Berlin ÅF Golden League meeting three weeks ago.
There, he ran 3:32.34 for third place to show that he could hold his own among the big boys.
Now flying high
His performances this season have clearly been a step up from last summer, when he just missed out on a place in the Kenyan team going to the IAAF World Junior Championships. He finished third in the trials for that event but then had two disappointing end-of-season races due to an abscess at the top of his leg leading to a lot of missed training during June and July.
“I've just been training very hard this winter because I knew I had the talent. I've been lucky to have the support of my family, and I also have been believing in myself. At the start of the winter, the training sessions were going so good and I just felt confident after that.
Like all Kenyan teenagers, Biwott had done some running at school but he only started doing some serious training in November 2006.
“That was in my last year at Simotwo High School in Keiyo, which is where I was born, and I thought that if I ran well, I might get a scholarship to an American university. My school grades were good, especially in physics, and I liked the idea of studying something to do with aviation.
“The scholarship didn't happen but my father said he would support me for two years to see whether I could become a professional runner. 'Two years and then we see what happens,' he told me. So for that support I am very grateful and happy. I've also had the support of my coaches Patrick Sang and Joseph Chelimo, where I now train in Kaptagat.” Sang is a two-time World Championships 3000m Steeplechase silver medallist who took silver in the event as well at the 1992 Olympic Games.
In addition, Biwott comes over as a very single-minded individual, unlikely to be distracted from his tasks at hand. “I don't have much time for anything else or any hobbies, I am just concentrating on my training,” he explained, when asked about what he likes to do away from the track.
One up on Kipchoge
Among his training partners is the 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge. “But now I am faster than him at this event and that makes me very happy as well,” added Biwott, displaying his competitive instincts.
Kipchoge leads the world over 5000m this summer with the 12:56.46 he ran in Milan recently and he is bidding to get back on the top of the podium in Berlin after winning a silver medal over the same distance at the last IAAF World Championships two years ago in Osaka.
Biwott might now be in the frame to join him on the plane to Germany when the places are decided at the Kenyan Trials later this month. “It's tough but I have now given myself a chance. Who knows what might happen?” reflected Biwott, well aware of the depth of talent available for the Kenyan selectors to choose from.
Augustine Choge, the 2009 world leader at 1500m but who was beaten by Biwott in Oslo with a stunning run down the home straight that took him from fourth to second, Haron Keitany and Asbel Kiprop would have seemed the most likely trio to be going to Berlin but Biwott has now become another factor into the equation.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
* pending the usual ratification procedures