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When 23-year-old Emmanuel Kiprop boarded the plane to race in Gabon early this month, he was elated to learn that he would be competing against one of Britain’s great runners, Mo Farah.

By finishing in the third position in the Port-Gentil 10K road, he beat the Briton but it turned out the race was a baptism of fire for him and he had to step up to the plate and take athletics seriously.

 “Racing at 40 degrees of humid conditions was unbearable and many athletes dropped out of the race, some at 6KM and others at 8KM.

I fainted on crossing the line and when I regained consciousness, I found myself and others on a drip in a first aid tent,” he said.

The race held on April 8, was won by Vincent Kipkemoi in 28 minutes and 11 seconds whereas the 40-year-old Mo Farah Farah came in at position seven – the top non-African in 30:25.

Kipkemoi’s compatriot, Boniface Kibiwott, finished second in 28:22 and Kiprop finished third in 28:29

Speaking after doing speed intervals at the Nyahururu stadium early this week, Kiprop said that he has learnt the need to research race venue climatic conditions in advance.

Kiprop began running seriously in 2019 after Form Four at Brethren Secondary School in Laikipia West, Laikipia County.

He travelled to Gabon a week after escaping an accident when a speeding matatu brushed him during a morning training session along Nyahururu road.

Kiprop has seen a meteoric rise in the sport including earning a national team slot in this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.Australia where he finished 19th.

The matatu incident and fainting after the Gabon race never dampened his morale of pursuing more endeavours in athletics.

“I am now focusing on running several races including Kip Keino Classic as I prepare to seek a team slot for World Championships,” he said, adding that his main challenge now is to attain the qualifying standards for the Games set to be held in Budapest, Hungary this year from19-27 August.