News

Kenya’s Masai dominates 10,000m, Canada’s Ahmed 4th

July 21, 2010
By Mihira Lakshman

Dennis Masai of Kenya put on a distance-running clinic in the final of the men’s 10,000m at the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Moncton, Tuesday night.

Masai lapped the entire field — except the medallists — winning in 27:53.88. Ethiopia’s Gebretsadik Abraha was the only competitor to withstand Masai’s series of devastating surges throughout the race, but he couldn’t last through the final push to the finish, when Masai ran clear in the final three laps.

Abraha was second in 28:03.45, while another Kenyan, Paul Kipchumba Lonyangata was third in 28:14.55. Both set personal bests.

Canadian Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., finished a strong fourth, in 29:11.75. Ahmed led the chase pack for most of the race, and gradually moved up through the field in the second 5,000m.

Ahmed, who earlier this season set a national junior record of 28:57.44, turned in a memorable performance. It’s the best Canadian finish in the 10,000m in the history of the world juniors.

“I had to give everything I had,” Ahmed said. “It was a great crowd. My name was being yelled out all over the place, and that really encouraged me and made my mind forget about the pain that I was going through.”

Teammate Andrew Nixon of Guelph was 13th in 30:35.43.

“It was a good effort,” he said. “The time just didn’t come. I didn’t really know how fast everyone was moving out there. When I saw [Ahmed] leading the chase pack, I thought that’s probably a little bit too fast for me, so I just hung back a bit. But the next time I’ll be right up with him.”

As for the champion Masai, he said he will now turn his attention to the Commonwealth Games in India.

You can read more reports on the world juniors here.