No pressure on Songok’s shoulders

The 2001 World Youth champion at 1500m, Isaac Kiprono Songok shook the world of distance running when he out-sprinted Kenenisa Bekele in Oslo’s 5000m. Paul Gains talked to the 22-year-old emerging talent whose coach and manager are very protective of

“Songok has not yet arrived. There is much more!’” declares the legendary Irish priest Brother Colm O’Connell who has guided the careers of scores of world class Kenyan distance runners.

It is early June and the 22-year-old middle distance sensation Isaac Kiprono Songok has already beaten Olympic 10,000m champion and World record holder, Kenenisa Bekele, in the Oslo Golden League 5000m with a World leading time of 12:55.79.

Most significantly the Kenyan put more than two seconds between himself and the otherwise indomitable Bekele on the last lap.

That he possesses a blistering kick shouldn’t be cause for surprise since he has run 1500m in 3:30.99. But Bekele is rarely beaten, especially over the last lap.

Just for good measure Songok also recorded a World leading time of 7:28.98 in the Doha 3000m. Songok may not have arrived but he has certainly trumpeted his presence.

“I thought of Bekele a lot because I was training hard for the (Oslo) race and I was feeling confident that I could win the race,” Songok reveals during a telephone interview.

“Bekele has the experience of major championships. I ran a bit in championships, and he has the experience of always going for the big meets. Now I feel confident I can run better than top three in any race.”

Emerging from a new generation of Kenyan protégés Songok is one of a small group of young athletes that O’Connell has taken under his wing. In fact Songok and 2006 Commonwealth 5000m champion Augustine Choge are living at the Irishman’s compound on the grounds of St Patrick’s School though it has been roughly eight years since Colm has taught at the famed institution.

The priest, along with Songok’s agent, the German based Australian James Templeton, are very protective of their young athletes. They have for instance, played down the Oslo victory over Bekele and their athlete has followed suit. There was no late night celebration; rather, Songok was out the hotel front door at 7:00 a.m. the following morning for his regular forty minute run.

“As you know many Kenyans in the past have run well in the junior ranks or into their twenties then disappeared,” O’Connell explains. “Since I have been quiet, as you say, for the past few years, we thought of taking a different approach to make sure athletes like Songok and Choge have lengthy careers. So with James Templeton we have been taking things much more slowly and carefully.”

For this reason Songok’s season was plotted just so he could run no more than three 5000m races - which ruled out the Golden League jackpot - and include a few 1500m’s too. In addition to posting a personal best 5000m of 12:52.29 last year Songok also left a deep impression in the metric mile.

Templeton reveals that for the past six months Songok and Choge have been working with Australian coach Rob Higley who describes his work as “improvement of structure and movement”.

Simply put he has improved the Kenyans’ running efficiency with a series of biomechanical drills.

O’Connell met Higley on a trip to Australia four years ago and the seeds were sown for co-operation between the two. When O’Connell asked him to pitch in, a noble gesture which demonstrates he puts his athletes’ interests ahead of his own, Higley agreed. The impact has been quick. Choge told Templeton in Mebourne that his 12:56.41 gold medal performance felt as easy as a 13:15 run and credited Higley’s work for this.

Songok finished second to Bekele at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. With personal bests that put him at or near the top of world rankings in both 1500m and 5000m his versatility is sometimes a discussion point amongst O’Connell, Templeton and Songok himself. According to Templeton, Choge encouraged Songok to run the longer distance even though it would mean more competition for the Commonwealth champion. Songok points out he started out in the 5000m when he was quite young.

“I started running the 5000m a long time ago when I was in school,” Songok recalls. “Later on I went to the World Junior Championships and the World Youth Championships, running the 1500m only. I thought maybe I can make the team at 1500m. And I did it and thought maybe I can run the 5000 and not 1500. Then I decided not to run the 1500m. I ran well there at the World Youth Championships and I came back and I said ‘o.k. I want to run better at 1500m.”

The relationship between Choge and Songok is a very positive one. They are friends first and training partners second.
“Well, I am training with Augustine Choge,” Songok explains, “and we met in high school competition. I met him and thought he is a nice guy, I told him I am training with Brother Colm and he said no problem. Then we trained together there. He joined our training programme. Everything goes well and we are happy to be training together.”

“You know, we are friends, we train together, we have made progress together. We have both had good performances. Nobody says ‘why are you training together?’ We respect each other. And we respect Brother Colm for the programme he gives us.”

Songok was born in the village of Kaptel near Kapsabet, about 70 kilometres from Iten. It is, coincidently also the birthplace of Bernard Lagat. The Kenyan born American citizen was pleased to learn recently that the shoes he donated to the village were used by a very young Isaac Songok since most Kenyan boys will not receive proper track shoes until they are into their teens. Songok, in fact, used the shoes when he won the World Youth 1500m title in Debrecen, Hungary.

The second youngest of five boys, he also has three sisters. Though he is thoroughly committed to his athletics career he does miss his siblings and makes it a point to visit as often as possible.

“I am visiting, mostly on weekends, meeting them, working and talking a bit and organising everything,” he explains. “I am always going to visit them. I am supporting them in school, I am still supporting other relatives and they have some friends who have problems.”

Templeton who also represents Bernard Lagat and Choge, describes Songok as quiet and reserved. However, he was thoroughly surprised to learn that Songok has been amusing his friends by doing impressions of the agent when he is not around. When Templeton asked to see what the athlete had come up with Songok smiled and politely declined.

Like many Kenyan distance running stars Songok initially took up running for the competition itself and eventually became a professional. And though Kenya’s top distance runners are paraded in front of the schoolboys at the top high schools Songok does not recall being influenced by the exploits of anyone in particular.

“Well, you know in Kenya we have competitions at grammar school championships,” Songok explains. “We are competing against our classes and then we represent our school. Then we go to other competitions. I was the fastest boy in my school from there they said ‘he runs well.’ I went to represent my district and my school. I was competing in school championships then went to World Youth.”

From World Youth to the world stage. To read between the lines O’Connell and Templeton believe the sky’s the limit for their young charge although they are attempting to remove expectations and pressure from him. But if he can continue to develop by the time the Beijing Olympics come around surely he will be a gold medal candidate. The question of course will be the same: what distance will he choose?

Published in IAAF Magazine Issue 2 - 2006