Brave Barsoton hopes to break the stalemate

Leonard Barsoton during a training session in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County on March 14, 2018 ahead of the World Half Marathon in Valencia, Spain on March 24, 2018. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |

What you need to know:

  • Well, the world will be watching as the 21-year-old battles for top honours on Saturday during the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, Spain.
  • Breaking the gourd (or calabash) that is used to store precious commodities in the Kalenjin community, like the traditional sour milk (mursik) is not something one would do, but the Japan-based athlete is eager to write history by upsetting the form book.

It’s strange how age-old traditions can be broken. When not even a hardened soul can dare.

But Leonard Barsoton, slender and shy, is keen to live up to his name Barsoton, which means “one who breaks a gourd.” That’s an abomination in his Kalenjin community.

Well, the world will be watching as the 21-year-old battles for top honours on Saturday during the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, Spain.

Breaking the gourd (or calabash) that is used to store precious commodities in the Kalenjin community, like the traditional sour milk (mursik) is not something one would do, but the Japan-based athlete is eager to write history by upsetting the form book.

Podium his target

He’s been training in Iten and the podium is his target.

“My training went on well and I will be looking forward to a good run where I want to be on the podium,” he said before leaving for Ngong, and eventually on to Valencia.

Barsoton is not only eyeing the podium, but also the gold medal.

But he’s in for a fiercely competitive race, given that the defending champion and compatriot, Geoffrey Kamworor, will be on the starting line.

“He (Kamworor) is a good athlete and I really respect him,” said the athlete. Running as a team is what Barsoton will be looking up to on Saturday.

“We will use teamwork for us to deliver results because a championship event is tricky and anything can happen if we don’t plan the race well,” he said.

Having ran his debut last year in the Copenhagen Half Marathon, Barsoton clocked 59 minutes and 28 seconds, coming in fifth.

He said lack of experience in the half marathon let him down. “That was my first time to run such a distance,” said Barsoton.

Barsoton won the gold medal at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Kampala in 2014 before bagging silver at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville on the track in the 10,000 metres race.

Last year, he was selected in Kenya’s World Cross Country Championships team and went on to win silver behind Kamworor.

His joy is to always represent Kenya and he is happy to have been named to this year’s half marathon team.

“That has always been my joy. To represent my country in such events,” said the athlete who hails from Kabiyet, Nandi County.

He started running while in Eisero Primary School before joining Kimongoch Secondary School where he perfected his athletics career.

He is currently employed by the Nissin Foods Company in Japan where he works and trains at the same time.His eyes are set on the 2020 Olympics Games in his “home town” of Tokyo where he hopes to run the marathon in Kenyan colours.

Over 15,000 runners from 87 countries will compete in Valencia on Saturday with a record entry of 300 athletes contesting the elite race.

Stunning start

The masses, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to run alongside some of the world’s greatest distance athletes on a spectacular course.

The 21.1-kilometre course has been specially designed for the championships, providing a quick route along wide avenues without any sharp bends.

The stunning start next to the City of Arts and Sciences combines with a special finish line on a boardwalk over water, providing a rapid finale to the event.

The city last year played host to a world record as Joyciline Jepkosgei sped to a 1:04:51 victory.

The Kenyan will return to Valencia on Saturday in a bid to win her first world title.

(Additional reporting by IAAF)