Athlete uses father's death as defense after being denied victory in Iten Marathon
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 01.12.25. | 20:32
Simon Njuguna, who finished behind Sikuku had his silver upgraded to gold, with Edwin Tuitoek and Dennis Kibiwott taking the second and third positions respectively
Emmanuel Sikuku thought he had added another title to his profile- and bagged a million shillings- when he cut the tape ahead of the rest during the fourth edition of the Iten International Marathon.
Sikuku maintained a steady pace with the leading pack before pulling away with five kilometres to go to win the race, held on Sunday in Elgeyo Marakwet.
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However, Sikuku's smiles and the joy on the faces of his spouse, Rael Kimaiyo- and their two children- who were on the finish line to celebrate the proud moment, were unexpectedly cut short.
As the young family, coach Mathew Kemboi and other handlers of the 32-year-old athlete struggled to contain their joy, a handful of race officials- and a staff from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK )- pulled Sikuku aside for a word.
The brief communication turned the celebrations sour, as the officials informed Sikuku that bending the competition rules had triggered the nullification of his victory.
Race Director Bonface Tiren, who was among the officials who delivered the sombre news to Sikuku, revealed that what appeared to be a simple act, at least in the eyes of a layman, of failing to collect a running number cost the athlete his win.
The official cited Sikuku's failure to collect his running number (bib) as a sufficient reason to render his labour on the course invalid.
"I feel sorry for the athlete, as he ran a brilliant race. However, we are required to strictly enforce the law.
We have long told our athletes to register and ensure they collect their bibs in person so as to avoid scenarios like this one," said Tiren.
Athletics Kenya (AK) also requires runners to collect the numbers in person.
Race marshals, who noticed the absence of a bib on the athlete's singlet, twice attempted to yank him off the contest, but were unsuccessful, leaving them with no option but to nullify the win.
In his defence, Sikuku disclosed that he had registered for the race online, but could not find time to fetch the bib, having travelled to the Mount Elgon area to lay his father, Ernest Ndiwa, to rest on Thursday.
The 2024 Nairobi City Marathon bronze medalist cited bereavement and logistical challenges faced in travelling from their rural home in Kapsokwony to Iten as reasons for his inability to collect the race number before the Saturday evening deadline.
Efforts to produce a soft copy of the burial program, along with spirited appeals from the coach and his spouse, could not soften the officials' stance.
A frustrated man, Sikuku declined media interviews even as the ADAK official hastily whisked him away to perhaps collect his samples.
Coach Kemboi, frustrated with the outcome, blamed the athlete for the lost title.
"He fully understands the rules regarding registration. He has also been in marathon running since 2015, and therefore, I do not expect him to make such a mistake.
Of course, he was bereaved, but he ought to have collected the bib in time," said Kemboi.
