Kippy Keino Keino, had lots of billing going into the Foot Locker South race as a pre-race favorite to qualify and even made it publicly known that was his goal. And despite the overwhelming pressure, Keino came through as predicted. None for his fast starts, the race was perfectly suited for Keino as he was with the leaders through the mile at 4:38 and the two mile at 9:38. A pack which had consisted of more than eight runners at that point, begin to string out as Kentucky's Bobby Curtis took command of the lead with North Carolina's Matt Debole giving chase. As others begin to drop back off the hard early pace, Keino stuck with the Florida duo of Ryan Deak and Steve Hassen as they pulled each other along. Then in the final 100 meters, Deak and Hassen kicked it in together for third and fourth and left Keino behind, but still Keino fought his way to the line to a sizzling time of 15:01 on a not so sizzling day with temperatures hovering around or below 50 degrees with fair gusts of wind to earn athlete of the week honors. His time placed him fifth in the race and punched his ticket to run in San Diego where Kippy will surely be welcomed by the warmer weather he loves like back home in Kenya.
Kippy Keino Keino, had lots of billing going into the Foot Locker South race as a pre-race favorite to qualify and even made it publicly known that was his goal. And despite the overwhelming pressure, Keino came through as predicted. None for his fast starts, the race was perfectly suited for Keino as he was with the leaders through the mile at 4:38 and the two mile at 9:38. A pack which had consisted of more than eight runners at that point, begin to string out as Kentucky's Bobby Curtis took command of the lead with North Carolina's Matt Debole giving chase. As others begin to drop back off the hard early pace, Keino stuck with the Florida duo of Ryan Deak and Steve Hassen as they pulled each other along. Then in the final 100 meters, Deak and Hassen kicked it in together for third and fourth and left Keino behind, but still Keino fought his way to the line to a sizzling time of 15:01 on a not so sizzling day with temperatures hovering around or below 50 degrees with fair gusts of wind to earn athlete of the week honors. His time placed him fifth in the race and punched his ticket to run in San Diego where Kippy will surely be welcomed by the warmer weather he loves like back home in Kenya.