Kiplimo’s feat did not make the back pages. But it was an achievement, that saw him bag the ForteBet Real Stars athlete of the month of November award. This award had last been held in March, before lockdown. However, although this award came with a beautiful plaque of recognition from the sponsors, and a cash prize of Shs 250,000, it could not overshadow the odds Kiplimo had to overcome.
Kiplimo had to travel by road all the way to Dar es Salaam, where this marathon was held. In many ways, this was in stark contrast with what his star compatriots normally experience, when travelling for international meets. But for Kiplimo, who is quite meek and reserved (seemingly shy), that is part of the process; one he trusts to get him into the higher echelons of global sport.
Kiplimo said recently, after receiving the ForteBet Real Stars award: “For one to realize their dreams, sacrifice is part of the process to success. As well as hard work, that I have had to put in, I am happy, that I am ending the year on a good note. And to receive this award is a huge motivation to me.”
This year has been difficult for most athletes and Kiplimo is no exception. Being able to prepare for the marathon had logistical challenges, many owing to the restrictions related to fighting the spread of Covid-19. As a Prisons officer, he is certainly not among the big earners.
Yet, he had to make do with what he could muster. Travelling from Kapchorwa to Bulambuli for flat surface training was costly, as was maintaining a good diet needed for a marathon. It is the ‘can-do attitude’ that kept him in good stead and focused.
Essentially, Kiplimo’s recent achievement, is a precursor to bigger goals. As he has watched his compa-triots: Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo become global icons in recent years, Phillip Kiplimo is daring to dream. He hopes that he can have the same kind of push at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
On Monday morning, as he did his 70-minute run, it was all geared to matching the Olympic time, which is two hours and ten minutes. In Dar es Salaam, he ran two hours 17 minutes.
But because it was a marathon with some hilly planes, that are not standard, his coach Benjamin Njia is confident Kiplimo will hit the time, when he runs in a standard marathon next year, possibly in Europe. Last year, Kiplimo, 29, won the MTN Kampala marathon.
And with that bit of consistency, Njia believes that even with the dominance of Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, there is still room for him, to be on the same pedestal.
Just as he received his ForteBet award, Kiplimo stood side by side with other Real Stars of the month of November: basketball player Jimmy Enabu, who captained Uganda at the Afro-Basket Championship in Egypt and Ivan Bogere, the under-20 footballer who was represented by his mother.