Francis Abong is banking on his African Championships experience to fuel his quest for a spot in Team Kenya’s 10,000m lineup for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
The 28-year-old placed fifth in Douala, Cameroon, clocking 29:08.24 in a race that saw compatriots Joseph Kiptum (28:59.49) and Roncer Konga (28:52.94) secure fourth and third place.
Ethiopia’s Nibret Melak (28:52.27) and Gemechu Dida (28:52.79) secured gold and silver respectively.
After making his first appearance in Team Kenya, Abong feels he has gained invaluable lessons on pacing and strategy.
“This was my first time representing Kenya, and I learned so much.”
“I learnt to be patient during the race; not to go out too early as well as the importance of teamwork especially against strong contenders like the Ethiopians,” Abong said.
He hopes the experience will boost his quest for securing a slot in the 10,000m team for the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.
“I want to use the experience to achieve my target of securing a slot in team Kenya for the World Championships,” he said.
The entry standard in the men’s 10,000m event is 27 minutes with the qualification period running from February 25, 2024, to August 24, 2025.
Abong, who trains in Nyahururu under Coach Francis Kamau, is yet to meet the entry mark but hopes to hit the target in upcoming races.
“My coach and I are planning next year’s races to help me achieve the qualifying time,” he said.
Abong’s PB this season is 27:37.68, clocked at the Kenyan Olympic trials during the Prefontaine Classic, where he finished ninth.
Daniel Mateiko (26:50.81), Nicholas Kipkorir (26:50.94) and Bernard Kibet (26:51.09) took the podium and secured automatic slots to represent Kenya at the Paris Olympics.
Abong hopes to builds his speed endurance through cross-country circuits before he begins his training in the course of November.
“I am doing my build-up at the
moment through the cross-country
meetings and I hope to build on my
speed endurance. When I resume
full training, probably next month,
I want to put more focus on speed
work,” he said.