Kenyan runner Kipruto wins 3000 metre after losing shoe


FE Team | Published: August 31, 2018 18:56:10 | Updated: September 01, 2018 19:00:58


Kenyan athlete wins 3000m after losing shoe

Conseslus Kipruto, Kenyan middle distance runner, defied the early setback of losing a shoe to win the 3000 metre men's steeplechase race in the IAAF Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland.

Just after coming round a bend, Kipruto’s left shoe flew off his foot and over the track but he didn't stop.

"That was a mess. But it motivated me to fight as hard as I could, so the race went well," the athlete said afterwards.

Kipruto is the reigning Olympic and World steeplechase champion, reports BBC.

He outsprinted Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali in the final few strides after clearing the final hurdle in second place.

"I am injured because I lost my left shoe," he said after finishing the race.

After the race, the Kenyan athlete said, "It was hard and painful to run without another shoe, but I just had strong spirit to never give up, the crowd was amazing and I keep going to the winning."

Kenyans on social media, including Deputy President William Ruto, have been praising Kipruto's incredible feat.

This is not the first time an athlete has lost a shoe and gone on to win the race.

In 2011, Ethiopian Dejen Gebremeskel won the men's 3000 metre race in the Boston Indoor Games, after losing his shoe in the first lap. He beat British athlete Mo Farah.

In 2015, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge won the Berlin marathon even though his insole had come loose and was hanging out from his shoe.

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