From: Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
Moses Tanui, 49, a retired athletes from Kenya, and former World Champion in 10,000 metres has described the organisation of the 2013 Obudu Mountain Race as world class and good.
Tanui, 49, who won the 10,000 metres in 1991in Tokyo, Japan and twice champion at Boston Marathon, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Obudu. The Kenyan, who described himself as “the first man to run under 1 hour in a half marathon in 1993, also told our correspondent that he will persuade his federation and the Kenyan Government to assist in training of Nigerian long distance runners.
Tanui, also an Olympic finalist in 1988 and 1992 in South Korea and Barcelona respectively, said he was at the 9th Obudu Mountain Race and the 5th African Nation’s Mountain Running Championship 2013 to understudy the race.
“We are here to understudy the organisation of Obudu Mountain Race; organisation here is good; to replicate same in Kenya, take a message to Kenyan authorities to assist Nigeria to develop their runners. We want to be very strong also in mountain running. I am here at 9th Obudu Mountain Race 2013 and 5th African Nation’s Mountain Running Championship to represent my country as a delegate.
“I am also here and to see the organisation of this mountain running. This is because I have been given the responsibility to be the Commissioner of Road Race, Mountain Running and Marathon running in my country. So I am here to see the organisation which is very good. I am impressed about it .It is very good; a very good scenery; a wonderful tract; a wonderful course for the races. The people that I have talked to are responding well. I am happy to be here”, he said.
He added that “Kenya is a Super Power in athletics just as other nations are Super powers in areas they have comparative advantage because just as in marathon we have a lot of athletes and we train them. We are disciplined and focused in races. That is to say if you have to run 10,000, you have to focus on that for at least two, three, four years to attain international standard.
He said that more than seven male and five female athletes from Kenya were in Obudu while three male and three female runners participated respectively in the 2013 edition of the race.
“We are very strong and we are challengers also. Our athletes will do a very good work to challenge for medals here against champions of last year and the rest. Before now, we used to register individually. We are coming as a team for the first time in 2013. We are coming here to win. In Kenya, we love our country.
“We are coming to Obudu Mountain Race not just because of the prize money but to compete with the world and be the best in every category of running, the tract, road race or mountain race. We want to be very strong also in mountain running. The message I will take to my employers would be that they should not miss to be in Obudu, Nigeria because it is a nice place.
“The organisation is very good. I will also take this message to my country and my federation that we need also to assist Nigeria in developing their long distance runners and may be also sprinters. We will like to support them; I am a retired long distance runner and if need be I can come and coach them. I am a business man in Eldoret, which is a town about 300 km west of Nairobi. I have been given another mandate to be the chairman of a commission that oversees road races, marathon running and mountain running”, he said.
Another Kenyan, David Kwemoi, 20, who came in 5th in the male category of the race, said: “It is the first time for me to run this race on this course. I have done my best. I am very happy. I hope to come back next time.”
Genet Yalew, an Ethiopian who won the female category of the race, also said: “Good to win. I ran in the first and third edition of the race be in Obudu. I will use the money to build a house and help my family.”
Another Kenya, Rono Philemon, 23, who won the male race in 2013 said: “I am very happy. I did not expect to win. The race was touch, but I thank God that I kept on pushing; pushing until I won. I will come back next year to defend it. I was here in 2011 and came 6th. I will use the money to help my brothers and sisters in their education and my family. I will build a house also with the prize money.”
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