Ndangiri's tactical masterclass ends Gathimba's reign as Chemnung retains 10,000m crown

‎African 20km race walk silver medallist Stephen Ndangiri has revealed how a calculated tactical masterclass and a blistering early pace were the keys to wresting the national race walk title from veteran Samuel Gathimba on Friday.

‎Ndangiri was in imperious form at the Athletics Kenya National Championships/Commonwealth Games trials, powering to victory in 39:14.0.

‎‎The relentless pace proved too much for Gathimba, who settled for second place in 39:45.4, while Heristone Wanyonyi completed the podium in 40:59.7.

‎The triumph was particularly significant for Ndangiri, whose mission was not only to secure the national crown but also to return the title to Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) after years of playing second fiddle to Kenya Prisons.‎

‎"Since 2014, the national title has been going to Kenya Prisons and as KDF, we knew we had to make sure we capture it," said Ndangiri.

‎Gathimba has been the undisputed king of the domestic race walk circuit in recent years, having held the national crown since 2022.

‎Last year, the veteran claimed the national 20km title in 1:25:37 ahead of Ndangiri, who clocked 1:27:33, while Dominic Mwende completed the podium in 1:29:58.‎

‎Before Gathimba's reign, KDF had long enjoyed dominance in the discipline, making Friday's victory a symbolic return to the top.

‎"Before Gathimba started winning, KDF was ruling the walk. Now we have recaptured the title and we are challenging ourselves to retain it for the next few years," Ndangiri said.

‎‎"I feel so good to have won."

‎Ndangiri also revealed that the winning blueprint had been tested successfully at last month's African Championships in Accra, Ghana, where he employed an aggressive front-running strategy against Gathimba.

‎"I have raced with Gathimba since 2023 and I have tried different tactics which were not successful," he explained. "I tried a different tactic in Ghana and it worked. I decided to go hard right from the gun and challenge anyone who was strong enough to come and catch me."

‎The strategy paid dividends in Accra, where Ndangiri stormed to the silver medal in the 20km race walk in 1:20:01, finishing behind Ethiopia's Misgana Wakuma, who won gold in 1:18:47.

‎In the same race, Gathimba crossed the line seventh in 1:24:51. ‎Ndangiri credited meticulous planning with his coach for Friday's commanding victory.

‎‎"We had a tactic with my coach for these nationals. By the halfway point, he told me I needed to be alone at the front and it worked. I opened a lead of more than 50 metres and closing that gap was always going to be difficult."

‎‎With his eyes now firmly fixed on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Ndangiri has set ambitious targets as he seeks to continue his rapid rise on the international stage.

‎"At the Commonwealth Games, the target is to go under 39 minutes," he said.

‎The KDF walker is also targeting Samuel Gathimba's national 20km race walk record of 1:18:23, a mark he believes could put him firmly in medal contention on the global stage.

‎‎"The goal is also to get the national record, and that will put me in a position to fight for a podium place in Glasgow."

‎‎Meanwhile, in  the women's 10,000m, Loice Chemnung defended her national crown, powering to victory in 31:46.90 to hold off a spirited challenge from African Championships gold medallist Diana Wanza, who crossed the line second in 31:56.80. 

‎‎Selah Busienei completed the podium after clocking 32:01.85.

‎‎For Chemnung, it was a successful title defence and another reminder of her enduring pedigree on the domestic circuit.

‎"I am very happy to defend my title," she said.

‎‎The 29-year-old had also struck gold at last year's national showpiece, winning in 31:39.09 ahead of Cintia Chepng'eno (32:22.44), with Rebecca Mwangi completing the podium in 32:22.85.

‎Despite retaining her crown, Chemnung remains undecided on whether she will line up at the Commonwealth Games, saying the decision will be made after consultations with her coach.

‎‎"I don’t know yet if I will go for the Commonwealth Games. I'll sit down with my coach to plan the way forward," she said.

‎‎The Boston Marathon runner-up revealed that her immediate focus could shift to the roads, with the Chicago Marathon on October 11 firmly on her radar.

‎‎"I am preparing for the Chicago Marathon. The preparations for a marathon are intense and require a lot of time."

‎‎Chemnung also admitted that her build-up to the national championships had not been ideal, making the victory even more satisfying.

‎"I had not prepared well for these trials, but I thank God I was able to win. Defending a national title is not easy."

‎‎Meanwhile, Wanza, fresh from clinching African Championships gold over the distance in Ghana, was pleased to secure a podium finish at the national championships.

‎"Going to Ghana and winning a medal gave me confidence coming into these championships," she said.

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