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For Estonia’s leading long-distance runner Tiidrek Nurme, the Mukunga-issue is no news. Since three years ago when his training partner from Kenya started coming to Estonia in summers. The issue is simple yet sharp: is it fair and just for a man from the runners-nation to come snatch all award money from before local noses?
True: on cross-country and highways, Ibrahim Mukunga Wachira (25) has hardly a rival in Estonia with Roman Fosti a lone exception. This year, Mr Wachira – this being his family name, not Mukunga which is second Christian name – has won three out of the four weightiest long distance races in Estonia. And easily, at that. Only at Around-Lake-Viljandi race he had to settle for finishing second. The reason, explains Mr Wachira in English, was a stone he stepped on in the grass. The pain was so bad he had to walk for ten seconds. This is how Mr Fosti caught up. With the foot twisted, the run was not his best. A former middle-distance runner, Mr Fosti showed superior acceleration while finishing.
The dark-eyed Mr Wachira does not hesitate to declare: anytime he runs in Estonia, he must necessarily win. For a down-to-earth reason: when Mr Nurme discovered him, while in Kenya for a training camp four years ago, he made €1 a day hoeing his field. Now, admits the quiet non-talkative Mr Wachira, running has become his income. Last year, he made over €4,000 at the competitions – part of that outside of Estonia –, a thousand of which was spent for plane ticket to Europe and red tape. As while in Estonia Mr Wachira has free housing at Mr Nurme’s place – a three family dwelling in the forest near Tartu – he sends most of the money back home.
With his own eyes, Mr Nurme has seen the shabby earthen-floored hut where Mr Wachira’s family used to live turn into quite a decent place with a water-closet, TV, nice furniture and kitchen technology. As for the Husqvarna chain-saw that Mr Wachira won at Paide-Türi race the last year but one, this his Mom now rents out to folk at the village. «Mukunga’s kinfolks have great hopes on him,» observes Mr Nurme.
In runners of Estonia, this is a cause for great aggravation: a lad from a land far-far away comes and grabs our prize money.
«I don’t know of anybody who would be too fond of him coming here to compete,» says Kaupo Sasmin.
«Gets on one’s nerves that he shows up everywhere and takes the money,» notes Priit Lehismets. «Makes one mad, no denying.»
The Mukunga-talk is up anytime there is a competition coming.
«I understand the issues,» says Mr Nurme. As the importer of Mukunga, Mr Nurme feels somewhat responsible. Thus, he is in readiness to respond to anger in local rivals. Point by point.
Firstly: «For top sportsmen, regular income should not be based on award money available at mass events. Well, one may always come second.»
Secondly: «It is not sportsmanlike to hope that the stronger one will not show up.»
Thirdly: «As long as conditions are equal for all, the strongest will win.»
Fourthly: «Mass events are for everybody irrespective of gender, race, nationality or age.»
Furthermore. Mr Nurme stands convinced that Estonian running and runners are only to benefit from a top doer like Mr Wachira. Personally, he has spent a lot of time and money to go compete in nations with excellent runners and tough competition.
«All my personal records have come in strong competition,» assures Mr Nurme. «Without competition, we strangle top sports. What we will have left is amateur sports where the best will still stand out but to international level we will say good-bye.»
Estonian runners must take note: in near future, they will have even more to do with Mr Wachira.
Daring dreams
Last fall, Mr Wachira did 2:25.18 at SEB Marathon in Tallinn, placing 6th. Beginning too hard, he covered the first half in 1:07 – instead of 1:10 as planned – and it hit him hard at kilometre 35th. During the final three kilometres, he lost out by nearly four minutes to Ilja Nikolajev who placed second (and was recently disqualified for two years, for doping).
This fall, it’s Mr Wachira’s goal to cover the marathon in 2:15. Last year’s Estonian top ranking achievement was by Mr Fosti – 2:17.54.
«For a guy of his class, this is nothing utopian,» believes Mr Nurme.
In 2017, Mr Wachira wants to clock marathon at under 2:10. Estonian record is 2:08.53, authored by Pavel Loskutov.
The comparison with Estonian runners is relevant indeed as in five years, Mr Wachira wants to run at Tokyo Olympics. There, he is not eager to represent Kenya as back home the competition is terribly tough. So, better run for Estonia.
Yes, he knows he’d have to master the Estonian language to get the citizenship. In his free time, that’s what he is busy learning.
Even so, the desire to represent Estonia doesn’t mean Mr Wachira would be a nobody back home. At the start of the year, he won two cross-country races there and finished third twice, making it to pages of Kenyan media. At Kenyan cross-country championships, he was still running 4th at tents kilometre but quit. He claims had he run till finish, he’d have made it into the team headed for African championships, but that was no motivation. His aim was to run so as to make it into Kenyan World Cup team, but by the time he quit that chance had already slipped away.
Likewise, in Estonia, Mr Wachira has mainly run cross-country – which makes main local rival Mr Fosti wonder: if brought to Estonia to be his training buddy by Mr Nurme, why will the latter not use him as rabbit on stadiums to go for records?
Some believe. Some don’t
The answer lies in Mr Wachira’s running style. He runs too low, the back too erect and shoulders backwards, and therefore uses not the sole of the foot. When doing 200 metre spurts with Mr Nurme, at training sessions, and these come under 29 seconds, Mr Wachira lags behind. Mainly, he runs on account of thigh muscles. In cross-country, this works, but not on stadium – there, a sharp push by foot is needed.
Therefore, Mr Wachira will dedicate himself to results in marathon. Without blinking an eye, he announces he aims at setting world record. Since last fall, this is held by his countryman Dennis Kimetto at 2:02.57.
«Never ever will he do that,» claims Mr Fosti who beat Mr Wachira twice last year. «You may as well forget that.»
Mr Nurme knows that world record is what Mr Wachira badly wants, yet acknowledges: «I do not believe in his world record plan. He is talented, but not that talented.»
Even so, Mr Nurme has another angle to view plans by training buddy. Namely, a white man’s analysis bumps into a black man’s faith. «I don’t believe, he does,» he says. «With the black runners, faith always comes into play – great faith, even in the impossible. This is what carries them. They have a very optimistic attitude towards sports. Why not?»
As revealed by the position he pick at competitions, Mr Wachira is ambitious. If a rival is his equal, he never runs behind him. Always, he is at least at his side. It must have been the great willingness that spurred him on at Berlin 25 km where he covered the initial 5 km with rivals in world record tempo, till exhausted. And, at the Tallinn SEB marathon – going along with the overly eager beginning by Ethiopian Dadi Tesfaye Beyene. And therefore, adds Mr Nurme, even at training sessions Mr Wachira tends to overdo with speed and kilometres.
Not limited to improving his marathon best by ten minutes, Mr Wachira has another grand dream this yea: in the fall, he intends to get married. As the bride dwells in Kenya, they have to communicate by computer. But that’s not the only problem. The main problem being: before he can marry her, the bride’s father requires €2,000. That’s the sum set and bargaining is excluded.
«Tough money,» notes Mr Nurme. «Perhaps the parents think the man has been in Europe and must have lots of it.» The Kenyan average wages are equal to €70–€80.
Looking long-distance into the future, Mr Wachira wants to spend summers in Estonia and winters in Kenya. His dream is to open a sports academy for the young, back home, someday.
«How much would that take?» I ask.
«€100,000,» says Mr Wachira.
«My goodness, time for you to run,» I say, winding up the two-hour conversation. «You need to get busy making the money.»
We both laugh.
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