Posted: July 14, 2004

Athletics: Kosgei Back to Settle Unfinished Business at Crazy 8's

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Posted for RRW subscriber Hank Brown --Ed.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - (July 12, 2004) - It's hard to believe that Kenya's Shadrack Kosgei is just 19-years-old, but when you meet him, the playfulness and joy of a teenager emerges rather than the seriousness of a world-class distance runner. Kosgei the teenager, and Kosgei the world-class runner, will return to Kingsport July 17 for the Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's 8K, no doubt to take up some unfinished business that he started three years ago. In 2001, when most 16-year-olds are learning to drive a car, he ran the race of his life on the candle-lit streets of Kingsport, finishing less than a car length behind Ethiopia's Alene Emere and Kenya's Enock Mitei in the most thrilling finish in Crazy 8's history. All three runners finished within three seconds of Peter Githuka's 22:03 world record set here in 1996.

Kosgei, whose place of birth, Turbo, Kenya, even sounds fast, will be going for the win and the elusive world record along with three talented teammates, Joseph Koskei, Reuben Chebii and Joseph Mwai. One of these men hopes to be holding the big $10,008 World Record Bonus check offered by the Regional Eye Center.

"The goal for this year's race is to go for the world record," says agent/coach Hussein Makke. "On paper the chances are very good, so hopefully on the finish line it will be a new world record."

Kosgei's journey for this world record attempt took a detour when, after a very successful 2003, he decided to join the Kenyan Army in October. This took him away from his training for almost seven full months, and after missing preparation for the early track season, Kosgei and Makke laid down several important goals to catch up on lost opportunities. One of these goals was to make good on Kosgei's close call three years ago - the 8K world record in this year's Crazy 8's race.

As most racing experts will tell you, it's very difficult for one man to achieve a feat as daunting as a world record without support. For Kosgei, this support will come in the form of superstar teammates Koskei, Chebii and Mwai.

Koskei, an energetic 23-year-old who started his own season with a personal best of 13:16 5000 meters at the U.S. Open in Palo Alto, Calif., and who has the wheels to run 3:38 for 1500 meters, will attempt the world record alongside Kosgei. Joseph and Shadrack have raced head-to-head four times this year and are currently tied 2-2. The rivalry is tight, but friendly, and the talent separating these two young Kenyan stars is as close as the spelling of their last names - KosGei vs. KosKei.

Makke says Mwai and Chebii will help with the pacesetting in the early miles, before settling into their own race. But job #1 is to carry Kosgei and Koskei as far as they can ahead of world record pace.

"The plan is to open aggressively in the first three miles, well under world record pace," says Makke. "The next mile (mile 4) is going to be the determining factor for the world record. We have been talking about it in many ways on how to run it without losing all the time we already gained to go under the world record. We are also talking about hitting the final mile with a lot of motivation knowing that the world record is possible after all of this cushion in the first three miles. I think the final mile will be fast."

If anyone can carry out Makke's plan, it's Mwai and Chebii. Mwai has done a tremendous job this year as a pace setter on the track at the adidas Oregon Classic, the Prefontaine Classic and Harry Jerome International. Chebii, an enormously talented and good-natured 21-year-old, has run 27:42 for 10,000m, and finished seconnd at the prestigious Crescent City Classic in New Orleans. This past weekend he finished 5th at the very competitive Utica Boilermaker 15K.

Makke hopes this trip to Kingsport will give Shadrack Kosgei what he's been after since 2001. "Shadrack was so close without knowing what he was doing in 2001. It was his first road race ever and he ran the race the way it went. At this time, he is in great shape and he is more experienced and familiar with the course."

Makke thinks the people of Kingsport, and the great race organization are why Crazy 8's has become renown for fast times and world records. "First and most important, the race staff has a lot of experience and knowledge about our sport. Hank (elite athlete coordinator Hank Brown) recruits the best athletes for this event and this makes a big difference. Over the years, other athletes continued to raise the bar for the rest of the athletes to be convinced that this is a world record event. The other thing is that the people of Kingsport have been a great support to let his happen, especially the spectators who come out and lay down picnic blankets on the sides of the road from the start-to-finish. They create a wonderful and exciting atmosphere for the competitors to run fast."

For more information, visit www.crazy8s.org or register at the Fun Fest Store in the Ft. Henry Mall. Sponsors are Indian Path Medical Center, SunTrust Bank, Holston Medical Group, Cardiovascular Associates, YMCA, Regional Eye Center, Citadel Broadcasting, Culligan, BAE Systems, Food City and Kingsport Rental. Fluid station/Invited Athlete Sponsors are Mather Dentist Office, Mountain Region Family Medicine, Fleming's Tune-Up, Martin Dentistry, Pro Balance, and AVI. Crazy 8's, a Running USA Founding Member, is managed by the State of Franklin Track Club.