The gun fired and the eight racers charged around the turn, staying in their lanes until the break on the backstretch. This final featured a rabbit, and he was making certain that the race was anything but slow. Hitting the 200-meter mark in 23-mid, the competitors were already strung out single-file, with Manang’oi looking good in the fifth spot. They reached the bell in 49-high, and the rabbit slid out into lane two, his work finished for the day. That’s when Kinyor charged to the lead, shadowed closely by Sein and Mutai. Manang’oi was still lurking back in fifth place up until the pack hit 250 meters to go. There, Manang’oi launched into his signature kick, shooting into the lead with only 200 meters remaining. The entire police force was in a frenzy, cheering Elijah on to what we all hoped would be a fast time.
But right at the start of the final turn, Manang’oi did something strange. He looked backed at his teammate from the PEU, and pointed at him to come up and run on his shoulder. The fellow PEU athlete obliged, and the two men in pink singlets cruised down the final turn together, effectively blocking out their competitors from passing. It was an odd show of sportsmanship, but a powerful demonstration of how confident Manang’oi is in his kick. Coming off the final bend, with the top two spots safely in the PEU team’s hands, Manang’oi shifted gears and rocketed across the final 90 meters, waving to the crowd and sticking out his tongue in stride as he crossed the line in a world-leading 1:44.1. Manang’oi must have been watching some of Usain Bolt’s highlights from the 2008 Olympic final.
The show of sportsmanship and showmanship was exciting and entertaining, but the potential that Manang’oi has as a middle distance runner is mind boggling. Speaking to Litei after the race, we both agreed the Manang’oi could have run 1:42 Saturday had he not toyed around over the final 300 meters That’s scary speed considering that the man is a 1500-meter runner. But it’s not just that Manang’oi is fast, but that his speed late in a race is incredible, maybe even unparalleled (watch his close in last year’s World Championship final for proof). And at only 25 years old, the sky may be the limit for this young Maasai. But can he reach that pantheon-like level of form by August?