Ex-rally champ Tanak meets Kipchoge, Kipyegon

In a remarkable convergence of motorsport and long-distance running, 2019 World Rally champion Ott Tanak met world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge Sunday at the athlete’s training base in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

M-Sport Ford team driver Tanak from Estonia arrived at the Global Sports Communications Training Camp at around 11am, accompanied by his technical team and fellow World Rally Championship driver Pierre-Louis Loubet, Safari Rally Local Organising Committee chairman Carl ‘Flash’’ Tundo, among others.

The team arrived in Eldoret in a charter flight minutes past 10am and headed straight to the camp where they were  welcomed by Kipchoge and coaches Patrick Sang and Richard Metto.

Tanak’s team spent close to two hours at the camp where they interacted with top athletes at the camp including, the double world record holder Faith Kipyegon, five-time World Champion Geoffrey Kamworor among others.

Tanak’s team, renowned for their prowess in the adrenaline-fueled world of rallying, sought to know more about the technicalities of road running. What followed was 30-minute question and answer session.

Kipchoge, aware of Tanak’s remarkable achievements in rallying, was also eager to gain a deeper understanding of the mental and physical demands of rallying.

“We want to know more about being a champion in rallying and the most important thing is how to stay focused on the action,” Kipchoge was the first to shoot the question.

“In rallying, one needs to be focused, and it’s not as quick as Formula One. If you are competing for the first time, you need to be careful and master all the corners. Our sport needs a lot of concentration, and one has to be careful because he might drive into animals crossing the course or any other hindrance,” Tanak replied.

Tanak also explained that every rally car has five mechanics who take care of it, adding that that every car has to be in top shape because it is a competition.

Big team

“We are always the last part to the competition but there is a big team working behind us and we are only seen at the final stages towards the competition,” Tanak said, adding that he was impressed by the level of team work he saw at the camp.

For his part, Kipchoge said he was happy to have met the two drivers who took time off their preparations to visit his training camp.

“It means a lot to me,  seeing the World Rally Championship drivers here today.  We have shared notes on our individual specialties. Just like athletics which has a big team behind every athlete, there is also a big team behind each driver we usually see competing,” said Kipchoge.

The meeting provided a platform for the two extraordinary athletes to exchange notes and insights from their respective sporting events, offering a glimpse into the level of dedication, discipline, and determination required to excel in their chosen fields.

Afterwards, Kipchoge and the two drivers jogged to the nearby Chebulbul Primary School that the world marathon record holder has offered to refurbish. Kipchoge is also constructing a classroom at the school.