Craig Engels on Kejelcha Being in Wanamaker "I was kind of pissed actually. It's usually all Americans and Nick Willis"

Surely he was just joking?

If not then that's a pretty weak thing for a professional competitor to say.

Lmao why do you infer he grew up in extreme poverty!?!? Because he’s African??

Hahaha you my friend are possibly the racist one.

Yomif grew up in a moderately wealthy household you racist.

Feel like I need to address this before it becomes something it’s not.

I simply made a bad joke in the midst of an awkward interview.

I have no reservations racing Yomif in a mile, to the contrary, I am excited to be in a sub 350 race. I was simply trying to acknowledge the fitness of my teammate without talking about myself. I understand the interpretations of this but I am in no way implying racism. By genetics, I meant the dude is 6’12” and weighs 120 lbs.

Please don’t turn this into something it isn’t LetsRun.

wejo wrote:

jiaaf wrote:

Engels sounds like a crybaby. This is pathetic.

Did you actually listen to him? Or just read it?

Definitely didn't sound like a cry baby. He sounded honest.

Great, next honest move as a journalist interview Kejelcha.

**Also is it true that Ethiopian Nationalists insisted he train for Basketball?

Craig Engels wrote:

Feel like I need to address this before it becomes something it’s not.

I simply made a bad joke in the midst of an awkward interview.

I have no reservations racing Yomif in a mile, to the contrary, I am excited to be in a sub 350 race. I was simply trying to acknowledge the fitness of my teammate without talking about myself. I understand the interpretations of this but I am in no way implying racism. By genetics, I meant the dude is 6’12” and weighs 120 lbs.

Please don’t turn this into something it isn’t LetsRun.

Wait is this the real Craig Engels? Anyone with a brain knows you weren't being racist or anything like that. Nor were you being soft. Do yourself a favor and avoid this cesspool and focus on running fast and winning races.

very hard to compete with a guy who is 6' 12".....and grew up at altitude

I'm looking forward to a great day of racing - it's really the first serious day of indoor - now a nice stretch of weekends thru the NCAA's in March!

wejo wrote:

jiaaf wrote:

Engels sounds like a crybaby. This is pathetic.

Did you actually listen to him? Or just read it?

Definitely didn't sound like a cry baby. He sounded honest.

Of course ya'll do that quote of the day slamming SM but then defend Engels for making a statement that certainly has racial undertones. Sounds right.

wejo wrote:

jiaaf wrote:

Engels sounds like a crybaby. This is pathetic.

Did you actually listen to him? Or just read it?

Definitely didn't sound like a cry baby. He sounded honest.

The kid is without question honestly racist. He does not like africans and doesn't want to compete against them. It's a southern hate blacks thing he has grown up with. Plus he doesn't know history of the event and the international winners over the years.

White Nick the aussie is ok though. Chairman of the boards Coghlan yes was white and Irish, how about Marcus O sullivan? Last years winner scottish Chris Ohare, yea Morceli won as well as Keino, Bayi, etc.

Stupid honest wrote:

White is Nick the aussie OK though.

Nick is a Kiwi.

not a expert but . . . . wrote:

Stupid honest wrote:

White is Nick the aussie OK though.

Nick is a Kiwi.

Yes he is!

I think we should call for young Engels to be pulled from the meet. Given the current climate of sensitivity people are being fired from jobs, banned from a host of participating in various events, he should be taught a lesson and not let it just be laughed off as a joke.

jiaaf wrote:

that doesn't make sense wrote:

The content relayed by the OP included a video. Why didn't you watch it first, and then comment, as opposed to the reverse? You should know that words come across differently in video as opposed to text snippets.

I stand by my comment. You will NEVER tell me what to do.

I will absolutely tell you what to do. Stop being an idiot. See - I just told you what to do.

Talking about white privilege is fine so talking about African privilege in the running community is fine also.

I've met Craig a few times and he's a total goofball. It's funny that people actually take his comments seriously - not that he's dumb or something, just that he's a wildcard and a big personality.

Good thing you don’t whack with your 2nd and 3rd hand

that doesn't make sense wrote:

jiaaf wrote:

The content as relayed by the OP is what I commented on. I used the word "sounded" because it is ubiquitous in the manner I used it.

The content is pathetic. If Tom Brady said that the Pro Football Championship used to just be white guys and he was bemoaning this, it would sound pathetic.

The content relayed by the OP included a video. Why didn't you watch it first, and then comment, as opposed to the reverse? You should know that words come across differently in video as opposed to text snippets.

You sound dumb. Even though I can’t see video of you.

Weak comments from Engels. In both video and written form. I still like him though.

Here’s my take- he trains with Kejelcha every day, knows Kejelcha is clean, and at the same time realizes that dude’s another level runner. Plain and simple.

Engels wants an all-white Wanamaker I guess.

I wonder how he felt about Lagat in the race so many times, even if he was an American citizen.

GBohannon wrote:

that doesn't make sense wrote:

The content relayed by the OP included a video. Why didn't you watch it first, and then comment, as opposed to the reverse? You should know that words come across differently in video as opposed to text snippets.

You sound dumb. Even though I can’t see video of you.

Weak comments from Engels. In both video and written form. I still like him though.

What exactly did I write that "sounds" dumb?

Kejelcha also has free use of EPO while training in Ethiopia, and when training there is allowed to avoid drug tests or have his handlers pay off testers. Flip side is Kejelcha is closing in on 30, probably a year or so away, so his development in races like the mile won't be massive.