Kenyan runner Eric Kiptanui was left fuming after failing to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the United Kingdom owing to no fault of his own.

The 2018 Berlin Half Marathon champion, one of the leading contenders for the men’s marathon at the Commonwealth Games, was forced to watch the event from the sidelines after Kenyan officials entered the wrong Eric for the event.

“What happened is atrocious,” said Kiptanui.

“I have been training for this particular race for so long. To be told I can’t compete because of someone’s error is hard to take in. I sacrificed a lot of personal ambitions to be in Team Kenya,” said a dejected Kiptanui from Birmingham.

Didn’t start

 the athlete who was named in the Kenyan squad in May, was supposed to compete but when he arrived at the start line, he found that somehow a 21-year-old runner called Eric Kiplagat had been entered instead. Sang, who has never competed in a marathon, was not on the team or even in Birmingham and so did not start.

Kiptanui, whose personal best of 2:05.47 would have made him the third-fastest man in the field, was ready to run but by the time the mistake was discovered, it was too late to change the paperwork.

He ended up watching the race from the other side of the barriers. 

The race was eventually won by Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat at 2:10:55. Alphonce Simbu from Tanzania won silver with Kenya’s Michael Githae third.

Athletics Kenya senior vice president Paul Mutwii distanced the confusion from the federation, saying the National Olympics Committee of Kenya is to blame.

“This is not an AK event, we provided NOC-K with the names of athletes well in advance because that is their mandate to enter competitors, not just in athletics but other sports as well. I don’t know how that huge anomaly arose,” said Mutwii.

There was more Kenyan confusion in the women’s race, where Margaret Muriuki ended up competing on her own even though her teammates Stella Barsosio and Purity Changwony had been picked to run with her.

The race was won by Australia’s Jessica Stenson with Muriuki third behind Namibia’s Helalia Johannes. Andy Bull.

“I cannot comment on why Barsosio and Chagwony were not able to compete because I also don’t know the answers. We should wait for explanations without resorting into rumours,” said Mutwii even as it was suggested the duo missed out after they were flagged for doping violations.

Wangari won silver in the women’s marathon won by Australia’s Jessica Stenson.

In the men’s race Githae clocked 2:13:16 in third in an East African affair that saw Uganda’s Vincent Kiplangat clinch the country’s first ever marathon gold at the Commonwealth in 2:10:55 as Tanzanian Alphonce Simbu came second in 2:12:29. Those were Kenya’s first two medals at the Club Games.

Wangari who was Kenya’s lone athlete in the race timed a new personal best time of 2:28:00 for second place, defending champion Helalias Johanes of Namibia finishing third for bronze 39 seconds behind in 2:28:39.

 Githae was left ruing a muscle pull as he had to settle for third place in the men’s race on Saturday.

The 2017 Shizuoka Marathon champion said the muscle pull prevented him from catching up to his two East African counterparts.

“I had planned to kick on powerfully and catch up to the two of them and then take control of the race. However, this muscle pul and it just kept bothering me and instead the other guys managed to widen the gap. Otherwise, the result would have been much better than it is,” Githae said.

Githae was initially a reserve athlete on Athletics Kenya’s marathon team for the Commonwealth Games, which included Philemon Kacheran, Jonathan Korir and Eric Kiptanui.

Despite being on standby, the Fukuoka Marathon champion said he never relented in his training and was always ready to give his best when called upon.

“My dream coming into these championships was to get to the podium and so I thank God for that. Despite being a reserve, I did not rest but kept training intensely and I am happy that I delivered when I was called upon. This medal has set the pace for the other milestones I want to reach in life,” he said.

The other Kenyan in the race, Korir, clocked 21:14:06 in fifth.