Skip to main content

'Paul Kuira Pulls a Ryan Hall'

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/02/zane-robertson-pulls-ryan-hall-alberto-salazar-track-fields-bill-belichick-will-claye-not-canadian-good-sport-tweet-week/

translated by Brett Larner

Kenya’s “Ryan Hall Moment” – Paul Kuira’s Dream Comes True

Last week, Kenya’s Paul Kuira pulled an absolute stunner, as in his half-marathon debut he ran a 59:47 to win the Marugame Half-Marathon, making him the first Kenyan athlete and and [sic] first non-African-based runner under 60:00 this year (New Zealand's Zane Robertson has also done it).

When we saw the result, we instantly thought, “Wow, Kenya has found their Ryan Hall.”

Paul after the Finish of His 59:47 Half via @mi102014 (click for large image)

The parallels between the two are striking. Both come from unconventional training backgrounds and both have spent a considerable time at altitude. Hall great up [sic] in Big Bear, California which is at 6,700 feet and did twenty mile runs as a high schooler and ten mile tempo runs (For an interesting LRC interview with Ryan as a high schooler in 2000 click here). Paul, at the age 16, in search of being the best in the world, moved to Japan by himself to train and has lived for the last nine years in Japan or Kenya at altitude pursing [sic] his dream. Both Ryan Hall and Paul Kuira initially tried to make their mark at 1500 before reluctantly moving up to moderate success at 5000, before becoming a totally unexpected sensation in the half-marathon.

The parallels between the two are eerie:

Hall ran 3:42.70 at 18, 13:16.03 at 22 and 59:43 in his half marathon debut at 24.
Kuira ran 3:44.21 at 18, 13:22.38 at 20, and 59:47 in his half marathon debut at 25.

It will be fun to see if Paul goes on to have great success at the 26.2 distance in the years to come.

Translator's note: In a related article on Marugame, Alberto Stretti wrote, "Last Sunday in Marugame (Japan) he did one of the most amazing and fast debuts on halfmarathon in the history...he ran 59.47 at the first time on distance showing everyone another time his growing talent.."  Stretti went on to point out in capital letters that he was not speaking about Kuira's world leading course record-setting 59:47 winning debut.

photo (c) 2015 mi102014, all rights reserved

Comments

Anonymous said…
hahaha this made my day
TokyoRacer said…
Unbelievable, and disappointing, that Let's Run could write an article about the race and not even mention that Robertson got beat by Kuira. I guess only white guys count with them.
Anonymous said…
Zanes is significant in NZ, kuira's means nothing in Kenya. I doubt it's making highlights in Kenya, why should it in the US?
Brett Larner said…
I don't know, because your president is Kenyan?
Tenkrunner said…
Our President is American

Most-Read This Week

Asian Games Preview - Entries, Timetable and Live Results

Back in Japan for the first time in 32 years and representing 60% of the world's population, with more athletes competing across all sports than at the Olympics, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are already underway. Athletics competition starts tomorrow and runs through Tuesday the 29th. Some of the biggest names on the entry list include: Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SRI) - men's javelin throw - 2026 World Ultimate Championships gold and 2026 Diamond League champion Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) - women's javelin throw - 2026 World Ultimate Championships and 2024 Paris Olympics gold Birhanu Balew (BRN) - men's 5000 m/10000 m - 2026 Diamond League 5000 m champion Sanghyeok Woo (KOR) - men's high jump - 2025 Tokyo World Championships silver Hayato Katsuki (JPN) - men's marathon race walk - 2025 Tokyo World Championships bronze Abderrahman Samba (QAT) - men's 400 mH - 2025 Tokyo World Championships bronze Jiale Zhang (CHN) - women's hammer throw - 2025 Tokyo W...

Endo, Nishikawa and Yamakawa Announce Corporate Team Changes

The SG Holdings men's corporate team announced on Oct. 1 that long-distance athletes Hyuga Endo and Yuichiro Nishikawa have joined its roster after leaving the Sumitomo Denko team. Endo, 28, won the Junior Olympics 3000 m while at Koriyama Nishi J.H.S. before going on to Gakuho Ishikawa H.S. where he was the the top Japanese placer in the 5000 m at the National High School Championships 2 years in a row. After graduating from Gakuho Ishikawa he joined the Sumitomo Denko team, winning the National Championships 5000 m in 2021. He won gold at the 2023 Asian Championships and represented Japan at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. "I will give everything I have as part of the team and work hard toward helping it win the New Year Ekiden," he said of his new environment. Of his personal goals he said, "I want to focus on the 5000 m and reach new levels to compete internationally." Nishikawa, 28, was a member of Tokai University 's winning teams at the H...

2 Athletes Provisionally Suspended After Positive Drug Tests at Asian Games

The International Testing Agency announced on Oct. 2 that provisional suspensions have been imposed on two athletes, Kazakhstan's Aiana Bolatbekkyzy in track and field, and Tajikistan's Issamjon Sharifov in tennis, after they tested positive for prohibited substances at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Aichi. Bolatbekkyzy, 19, tested positive for the steroid drostanolone in a sample collected during an in-competition test at the Games. A diuretic drug was found in the sample collected from Sharifov, 23. source article: https://www.sanspo.com/article/20261002-X4FJLT5MMZKFND6WXPOESAKETQ/ translated by Brett Larner