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Ex-rally champ Tanak meets Kipchoge, Kipyegon

Ex-rally champ Ott Tanak meets Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon

What you need to know:

  • The rally team spent around two hours at the camp where they interacted with top athletes at the camp including Geoffrey Kamworor among others.
  • Tanak, who will be racing at the Safari Rally set for next week, also enjoyed a jog with Eliud Kipchoge in Kaptagat forest.

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.

Eliud Kipchoge

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (centre), 2019 World Rally champion Ott Tanak (second right), Pierre-Louis Loubet (second left), Geoffrey Kamworor (left), and  Kaan Kigen jog in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.
 

Photo credit: Jared Nyayata | Nation Media Group
Eliud Kipchoge

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (centre), 2019 World Rally champion Ott Tanak (second right), Pierre-Louis Loubet (second left), Geoffrey Kamworor (left), and  Kaan Kigen jog in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.
 

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

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.

Faith Kipyegon

World Record Holder in 1,500m and 5,000m races Faith Kipyegon (right) greets 2019 World Rally Champion Ott Tanak (left) at Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

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.

 Eliud Kipchoge

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (left) gifts 2019 World Rally champion Ott Tanak running shoes at the Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.
 

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

“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.

Eliud Kipchoge

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge converses with 2019 World Rally Champion Ott Tanak (left) during a visit at Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.
 

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Eliud Kipchoge

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge converses with 2019 World Rally Champion Ott Tanak (centre) during a visit at Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.

Photo credit: Jared Nyatay | Nation Media Group

“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.

Patrick Sang

From left: Athletics coach Patrick Sang, 2019 World Rally Champion Ott Tanak, Pierre-Louis Loubet and World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge share a light moment at Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County on June 18, 2023.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

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.