Written by Roberto McGowan
In 2008, Sophomore Daniel Kirwa won a national championship in the outdoor 10,000m indoor mile. In 2009, Kirwa is only looking to get better.
It all started when Kirwa was in the sixth grade. He used to run three miles to school every morning.
“My brother would force me to run,” Kirwa said. “When I would run, I would slack behind my brother, and he would punish me by making me carry his books while I ran. The punishment motivated me to want to beat him.”
Kirwa said that while still in the sixth grade he ran his first 1,500m race, and everybody lapped him. He said his brother told him that whenever he ran to never quit; no matter what place he was in always finish because this would make him a better runner in the future. Kirwa said he was embarrassed by the loss and wanted to be number one, so he started running harder and stayed focused.
By the time Kirwa was in the eighth grade he ran in districts, which would be the same as conference, and placed third.
As a high school freshman Kirwa met a sophomore named Wilson Samoei, a distance runner, who inspired him and taught him about workouts.
“Before I met Wilson, I didn’t know anything about running at a pace; I just ran,” Kirwa said.
“Wilson told me to run hard so I could receive a scholarship to a school in the U.S.,” Kirwa said. “This is when I first started dreaming of coming to the U.S.”
In the 2009 season, Kirwa has already added two more All-American honors to his list of impressive awards. Kirwa is now a six-time All-America honoree.
Kirwa said he has to train very hard. He sets time goals for himself every day, and forces himself to be honest with himself.
Kirwa said he looks to Julius Kosgei, a former Harding track runner, for advice.
“Kosgei keeps me motivated,” Kirwa said. “He has 12 All-American honors, and I want to be better than he was.”
Harding’s Track Head Coach Steve Guymon said it is always good to have someone like Kirwa on the team. Guymon said he believes Kirwa is one the top five collegiate runners at any level.
“He is the Matt Hall of track,” Guymon said.
Last year, Kirwa ran in three different events for a total of nine miles in a three-day period, and he still placed in the top ten in each event, Guymon said. Kirwa is only the third runner to finish first in the 10,000m and second in the 5,000m.
Guymon said he has coached a lot of talented runners, but doesn’t know if anyone has had the range Kirwa has.
“He can run the one mile indoor, come outside and run the 10,000m and still place high in each event,” Guymon said.
Guymon said he believes Kirwa’s talent comes from genetics.
“Kirwa has long strides and is only four percent body fat,” Guymon said. “He has a strong work ethic and is very determined. Every time Kirwa steps to the line, he believes he is going to win, and that is what makes him a tough national type runner. It is very rare to find someone with the whole package,” Guymon said.
Guymon said he believes being a national champ adds pressure to Kirwa, but he handles it well.
“There is nothing like being a champion, but it only lasts for one year, so I have to keep training so I can win it again,” Kirwa said.
