Kenya stays the six 'majors' of the year

Both World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA) walk with the fly behind their ear.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
06 November 2022 Sunday 13:34
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Kenya stays the six 'majors' of the year

Both World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA) walk with the fly behind their ear. Both entities declare themselves surpassed by the range of positives that Kenyan long-distance runners have registered in recent weeks (they are eleven in a few days).

And yet, this circumstance hardly affects the talents of Kenya: oblivious to everything, Evans Chebet (33) and Sharon Lokedi (28) have won the New York marathon this Sunday, rounding off the Kenyan sextet.

The six majors of 2022 have been left in the hands of the Kenyan long-distance runners (the eternal Eliud Kipchoge has prevailed in Tokyo and Berlin; Amos Kipruto, in London; Benson Kipruto, in Chicago; and Chebet, in Boston and, now, in New York ), data that reveals its overwhelming dominance in the distance. The sinuosity of the route does not matter, nor the demands of the rhythms, nor the excellence of the rivals.

Kenyans adapt to everything.

Chebet has done it this Sunday, on a strange day in New York. We haven't seen any hats, muffs or gloves on the Verrazano Bridge, Staten Island's legendary starting area. The temperature exceeded 20ºC and the wind was minimalist, barely 8 km/h.

The test has been dispersed, conditioned by the thermometer and Daniel do Nascimento's hug. The Brazilian holds the American marathon record (in fact, he is the best non-African specialist in the world: 2h04m51s), but he is also 24 years old and has an impetuous spirit.

So much momentum has entangled him.

Do Nascimento spent the 10K in 28m43s and the half marathon in 1h01m22s, disproportionate splits that had allowed him to open a margin of 2m15s over his bewildered rivals, but which ended up taking him ahead. At km 30, he stopped in a portable toilet for 18 seconds. And in 32, he collapsed on the asphalt, a victim of cramps.

While the medical services attended to him, Evans Chebet passed by his side.

Then, the Kenyan was already out of control, very involved in his role: he has been first or second in eleven marathons in the last four years, he had the best time among those registered (2h03m00s) and had opened a margin of twenty seconds over the rest.

Holding on to that margin, Chebet has held his own until the finish line in Central Park. He scored 2h08m41s, not a mark at all (the heat, the heat...), although it was a milestone, the Kenyan sextet.