The 2001 world 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi believes a shift in focus towards road racing has eroded the sprinting speed crucial for the decisive finishing kick in the men’s 25-lap event.
Kamathi is the only Kenyan to have bested two-time Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie at the World Championships.
At the 2001 Edmonton Championships in Canada, Kamathi out-sprinted Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie to win the title in 27:53.25 with the latter second in 27:53.97.
This historic feat not only cemented Kamathi’s name into athletics history but also denied Gebrselassie a fifth consecutive world title in the 10,000m.
Before the Edmonton show, Gebrselassie had bagged titles in 1993 Stuttgart ( 27:46.02 ), 1995 Gothenburg ( 27:12.95 ), 1997 Athens ( 27:24.58 ) and 1999 Seville ( 27:57.27 ).
The key to his success was observing Gebrselassie’s tactics.
“We studied his races and noticed that he would often out-kick everyone with 400m to go. That was how he beat Paul Tergat over the same distance at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games,” Kamathi said.
Tergat had come up short against Gebrselassie in three previous World Championships editions, finishing second in 1997 ( 27:25.62 ) and 1999 ( 27:58.56 ) and third in 1995.
Kamathi’s preparation for the 2001 World Championships was meticulous, featuring a strong buildup in cross-country events to boost his speed and endurance.
“I had done sufficient build-up before the World Championships. I started with Cross Country to build up my speed and endurance. Before going to Edmonton, I clocked the fastest time in the 10,000m in the country. I was more than ready for the global show,” he stated.
In March of 2001, Kamathi clocked 40:05 to secure third place at the World Cross Country Championships in Ostend, Belgium, before following it up with a runners-up finish ( 28:15 ) at the Dongio 10km road race in April and a third-place finish ( 28:29 ) at the Marseille 10km road race in May.
At the National championships in June, he claimed victory in 27:47.33. However, the former champion, now serving as a Deputy OCS at Itabua Police Station in Embu, says Kenya’s focus on road racing has drained the 10,000m its competitive edge.
“A lot of our young athletes are turning to the roads and we no longer have specialists in the 10,000m,” he said.
He highlighted that during Athletics Kenya (AK) meetings, there were few athletes competing in the 25-lap race.
“We do not have as many athletes competing in the 10,000m at the AK meetings. And those who compete will find themselves taking part in road races the following day. It’s like the athletes are coming to test their body before they move to the roads,” he said.
Kamathi emphasised that frequent road racing diminishes sprinting stamina.
“When you take part in many road races, you lose the stamina to sprint. You may have the endurance but lack the sprint which is important more so in the final laps.”
At the Paris Olympics, Kenya’s trio of Bernard Kibet, Daniel Mateiko and Nicholas Kimeli exposed the country’s poor tactics.
“In Paris, the Ethiopians took the race to the rest of the fi eld with a high pace and the Kenyans fell for it. In the final lap where the sprint was most necessary, they faded off ,”he observed.
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei claimed the title clocking an Olympic record of 26:43.14.
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi ( 26:43.44 ) and USA’s Grant Fisher ( 26:43.46 ) sealed the podium.
Echoing Kamathi’s concerns, veteran coach Dan Muchoki pointed out the difficulties athletes face transitioning from road races to the track.
“When you take part in the roads and come to the tartan, the impact of the roads stiffens the joints, affecting stride length and sprinting ability,” he said, noting that fewer athletes now use cross country for foundation.
“Look at the greats like Kamathi, Tergat and even Eliud Kipchoge; they all built their careers in cross country. Right now, there are not many 10,000m athletes who feature in cross country.”
Kamathi highlighted the advantage the current athletes have over the previous generation of athletes.
“The times have gotten even faster today. Time I would have clocked in the past as my best time would not even match the current times athletes are posting. The genes of athletes keep on changing. We have even faster athletes now,” he noted.
To reverse Kenya’s declining fortunes in the 10,000m, Kamathi urged AK to convene a coaches’ clinic.
He highlighted a need for research of the current 10,000m men’s race globally, calling on the coaches and federation to move with the current times.
“Countries like the USA did not have athletes in the 10,000m but they took everyone by surprise in Paris. What has given them the edge is moving with the times. They have very good athletes in the 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m and now the 10,000m,” he observed.
“They did their research well and found out what made Kenya superior in the long distances and they went to the drawing board and charted a way forward for their athletes.”
“We need to move with the times
because we can’t assume we are
still the kings of the middle and
long distances. Other countries
are hot on our heels looking to
dethrone us,” he said.