Even in his home town Eldoret, he cuts such an ordinary presence running his errands unnoticed. “It is more about performance, not money”.Įliud holds a PhD in the art of maintaining a low profile. He brushes off the concern as he smiles assuredly. “The money question is going to come up because the local press have not spoken to you post-Berlin.” Caleb the PR liaison, warns him of the Kenyan media obsession with race earnings. Dancan runs him through the elaborate programme and he raises no concerns. As a consummate professional, he treats all who seek his attention with a measure of respect that demands reciprocation.
The power of Eliud’s humility emerges like a gust of hot air from an open sauna door, yet he is under no illusion of the weight of his celebrity. To say Eliud is humble is an understatement. We arrived 15 minutes late to find him seated alone in one of the cubicles ordering a cup of tea. The lead organiser Dancan Muhindi had warned that Eliud is a stickler for time. 64 is a decently designed sports bar with a series of private enclosures that surround an open area with a large drop-down screens just like a sports arena. The previous evening at the 64 bar, Eliud had met a party of event organizers who briefed him on the next day’s proceedings. Sports journalists have warned of Eliud’s crisp responses and his zen-like presence that deflates the exuberance of an eager interviewer seeking easy sound bites. His tone of voice low, and demands the rapt attention of a congregant in the presence of a respected padre. Eliud is keenly aware that he belongs to the people of Nandi, Uasin Gishu, the Kalenjin Nation, Kenya and to the world of sport. Today he receives a brand new double cabin pick up. But as the brand ambassador of Isuzu East Africa, he knows that he has to go through the paces of being a sports celebrity. When he broke the world record, he sneaked back into Eldoret, almost unnoticed. With the vast Eldoret Sports Club fields behind him, he is like a pensive groom psyching himself amidst the fuss at his own wedding. He stands, a lonesome figure watching the proceedings.
He wears a dark polo shirt, running shoes and a branded cap. Eliud is lean, sinewy and nondescript in casual clothes. We are at Eldoret Sports Club, a convoy of vehicles is assembling to take him for a grand homecoming of the running king in Eldoret town centre. It has been 11 days since Eliud Kipchoge broke the World marathon record in Berlin, Germany.
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