Twenty-five years ago, Mark Elliot crowned a Jamaica Boys Athletics Championships career with a record run in the 5000m. Today, he is one of several US college coaches recruiting current record holder Kemoy Campbell. Understandably, Elliot thinks very highly of the Bellefield High School student athlete but thinks the lad needs overseas training and competition to improve.
As a schoolboy, Elliot ran for St. Jago High School and was nicknamed ‘Yifter’ after the Ethiopian who won the 5000 and the 10,000 at the 1980 Olympics. He punctuated successful sojourns at Blinn Junior College and Louisiana State University (LSU) by setting national records at 3000, 5000 and 10,000. These records – 7 minutes 55.78 secs, 13 minutes 33.10 secs and 28 minutes 32.44 secs respectively – haven’t been approached since he set them in 1989.
Speaking in Jamaica recently, Elliot described Kemoy as “the most talented Jamaican long distance runner that I’ve personally ever seen. His times alone kind of dictate that.” I would say he’s 100 times better than I was at this age,” he summarized. Continuing, he said, “You get better with age as it goes.”
Elliot, who is the distance-running coach at LSU, is already tipping Kemoy to break his records. “Back in those days, it was impressive but not anymore and I don’t put that past him. He possibly could run as fast as that next year if he gets into a good system that can progress him to that level.”
He thinks that Kemoy will benefit from training, racing and studying in the US college system. “Just to put it out on the table”, he revealed, “I’m one of the many coaches recruiting him so I have a vested interest in what he does.”
“So obviously I think, based on the way the system is for distance running,” he said, “he needs to move on to a college system where he can get into a program that can facilitate him getting better. Staying home in Jamaica is great but I don’t think he’ll run into the competition he needs.”
Drawing on his own experience, Coach Elliot reflected, “On the personal side for me, I think when I was younger running, the training was fine but as soon as I got to school in the United States, my roommate turned out to be the Olympic champion in the steeplechase 1988. I started learning how a real distance runner trained.”
“And I think for Kemoy,” Elliot continued, “he needs something like that. I’m pretty sure that the sentiment now is for everyone to stay home and that’s great but some need to go and some need to stay. In this case, and that’s if he wants to do that, that would be in his best interest, from an athletic standpoint.”
LSU is known more for its sprinters and hurdlers but has its fair share of success at longer events. In addition to Elliot himself, the Baton Rouge institution has produced 1996 Olympic 800m finalist David Kiptoo of Kenya, and NCAA 800m winners Jamaica’s Claudine Williams, Guyana’s Marion Burnett, Grenada’s Neisha Bernard-Thomas and US’ Latavia Thomas.
Elliot’s national 5000m record is also the LSU record.
First Step
If Kemoy goes to college in the USA, Elliot says the first step would be to find out what his best event would be. “First, you’ve got to find out what event is going to be his primary event,” he suggests.
“If that’s the 1500, then, of course, you’ve got to work on his speed. I watched him run at Penn Relays; that’s my first time really watching him run. Or if his primary event will turn out to be the 5000, he has speed and, of course, endurance but to the point. I ran 3:40 in the 1500 when I ran 13.33. He’s at 3:45. At that age I was running 4 minutes probably.”
During the 2010 high school season, Kemoy produced several noteworthy performances. At the Gibson Relays, his 4×800 leg was timed at 1:52.8. He ran a road 10-k race in under 31 minutes and at Champs he set records of 3:45.54 and 14:18.55 for the 1500 and 5000, respectively.
At the Penn Relays where Elliot watched Campbell keenly, the youngster won the 3000m in 8:20.14.
“It’s very easy to get carried away with the times here because there aren’t ten Kemoys running around, just him,” said the coach.
According to Elliot, helping Kemoy improve to world standards is a long term project. “It’s not something that you’re gonna get this instant gratification from. So it’s a project but it’s something good in the making and it requires patience and as you go, you increase your miles, you increase your speed … you know, all that good kinda stuff. There’s no quick fix.”
Elliot believes that Kemoy will benefit from training with a group that will push and pull him.
Kemoy’s 1500m time stands out for Elliot. “3:45 grabs my attention because honestly 3:45 in the 1500 would equate to a 13:50 in the 5,000”, he pinpointed.
“So more than likely, in the 14:18, he wasn’t pushed,” he surmised. In the Champs 5000, Kemoy won by over almost a minute and a half. If Elliot is right again, Campbell will need more of a push to reach his stated target of Olympic gold.