BENGALURU: With just 24 hours to go before central Bengaluru decks up to celebrate the annual ‘festival of running'—the TCS World 10K Bengaluru – Emmaculate Anyango Achol, the rising Kenyan star athlete, is looking forward to the race with a mixture of excitement and a sense of nonchalance.
Fresh off a stunning performance in the Valencia 10K earlier this year, where she finished with a personal best of 28:57 to become the world’s second fastest woman over 10K distance, Achol is now in Bengaluru, stepping onto new ground with the TCS 10K Bengaluru.
“This is my first time in India, so I’m not sure what to expect. For now, I haven’t set any specific goals or pace. I’m mainly focused on just running because most of my preparation wasn’t ideal, but my management encouraged me to come anyway. Although I wasn’t fully prepared, I will try my best,” the 24-year-old shares, before reflecting on her 'surprise performance’ in Valencia.
She adds, “I was in Valencia, and I didn’t expect what happened. We were set to run, and then we found out that Agnes [Ngetich] was aiming for a world record. I was told, ‘Just go with it, you might also break the record’. I thought, if he’s aiming to run under 29 minutes or so, I should at least be close to that. We weren’t really expecting it, but we were pushing ourselves.
The organisers had arranged a pacemaker for me, but he wasn’t keeping up the pace I needed, so I decided to follow Agnes’ pacemaker instead. About halfway through, at the 5K mark, the crowd started cheering that we were on track to break the record. That was exciting! I thought, ‘Let’s keep pushing’. So we pushed all the way to the finish. And then, I saw the time. I was amazed; I couldn’t believe it!”
For amateur runners taking part in Sunday’s run, Achol offers advice that’s in line with her own approach: “You can’t rush things; everything should be taken step by step. It’s important to be patient and to have trust in what you’re doing. If you trust and enjoy what you’re doing, you will likely find success and feel satisfied.
And if you believe in yourself, you’re going to be okay,” she shares, adding, “As for me, I easily find comfort in familiar things. For instance, I love eating ugali (a corn-based porridge) because it makes me feel strong. Now, being in India for the first time, everything is new and the food is spicy. It’s a bit overwhelming!”