Yuda: Tanzania’s greatest hope in world athletics

From Derek Otieno in London

It is 5.00am in the morning and John Yuda sets off for his early morning run in Teddington in the outskirts of London as he struggles with a tendon injury that he has fought off to maintain his standards.

His mission is set on the top position at this year’s world championships in France that starts in a week’s time.

In his growing glamorous curriculum vitae, there is a line that goes, ‘Comes from the same tribe as Juma Ikangaa’ one of Tanzania’s greatest long distance runners.

He strides to the World Athletics Championships carrying the hopes of his country and the form in the last two years suggest that he is able to pull a surprise.

Yuda, is a beacon and hope for this vast east African country struggling to join the elite league of its northern neighbours Kenya and Ethiopia in middle and long distance running, something that seemed achievable only a few years ago when Retistuta Joseph competed courageously against the Kenyan opposition across the world.

At the KIM Macdonald Management camp that he is based in London, John is surprisingly the only non-Kenyan in the camp that boasts of some of the best middle and long distance athletes in the world.

"I am just trying. I have had this nagging tendon injury that has pulled me down in the last few months. I cannot say anything now because there is another one and a half weeks to go and anything can happen" says Yuda.

Going through his running record this year will show that the athlete has not had the best of running this year.

Open minded and straight in his answers, suggesting confidence, Yuda curses the injury that stopped what could have been a glorious year.

"If not for the injury, which is part of the athlete’s life, then I should have been very happy at this year’s World championships and win a gold medal for my country. I love Tanzania and I am a real patriot. I am proud of being one," he says.

Coming from last season with a top placing of seventh in the world over 10,000m, Yuda kicked off the season in a dream fashion on January 6 finishing second to Kenya’s Albert Chepkurui in the 49^th Cross International Zornotza in Amorebieta Spain.

At the World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, he repeated another glorious achievement by finishing second to Ethiopian double Cross Country winner Kenenisa Bekele for the second time in as many years.

Last year in Dublin, Ireland, Yuda finished in the same position as the Kenyan runners over the main event failed to click, as he added to his short-race second the previous day.

In his first Commonwealth Games in Manchester last year, Yuda spoiled what was to be a podium sweep for the Kenyan runners, clinching bronze behind Wilberforce Talel and Paul Kosgei who won gold and silver respectively in the 10,000m.

"It was just a great feeling. This is the Commonwealth countries competition and the whole world is watching you challenging some of the best runners in the world. I was very proud of that moment, especially when they raised the flag during the medal presentation" he underlines his desire for a repeat performance.

Born in Dodoma in Central Tanzania from the Rirangi tribe from Kondoa, Yuda spends most of his time training in the hilly Arusha region and Nyahururu in the Kenyan Rift Valley, another training haven for a large number of the Kenyan distance runners including former country and 5000m champion John Ngugi, world 10,000 champion Charles Kamathi.

Yuda struggles to discount a belief that he is only a bridesman and never the bride.

On several very important occasions, he has finished second in some events that he seemed to be on the way to achieving success.

But then, Yuda has come a long way in running career after his debut in Oostend Belgium when he finished 27^th in the 12km and 14^th in the short race at the rescheduled world cross country championships after the foot and mouth break out in the United Kingdom forced the postponement of the event at the eleventh hour.

"You can see this year I am really prepared for the championships. I have had few races but the injury is really affecting me. It is improving but I only wish I could be at my best" he asserts.

Just a week after finishing second in the cross country in Lausanne, Yuda won the legendary Stramilano Half Marathon in Milan Italy, closely followed by Kenyan Patrick Ivuti and another Tanzanian upcoming runner Martin Sulle was third.

On his chances this year, Yuda maintains that it is predictable for any runner and obviously going to be very tough till the very end.

"I say again that it is not going to be easy. There is not open winner in this race. It is going to be tough. I have been analyzing the events in the last one month and I can tell you that it will not be easy for anyone.

This is a big championship and the final kick is what counts most. There is planning to be done and this can prove to be useless. It all depends on the final kick during the final. The final kick is what counts most and as usual, there is alot of planning and tactics involved throughout the race" he says.

True for this runner. He was second to legendary Paul Tergat of Kenya during the World Half Marathon in Newcastle in 2001 and for him, the planning and all that involved in a race is something that he is aware of.

As an athlete of international repute and recognition, he castigates a fact where many other runners, more so Kenyans who are talking easy of challenging Ethiopian distance running icon Haile Gebresellasie, who will be running for yet another time in two main long distance events.

"Haile is one of the main challengers for the top honours at the event. Indeed he is one of the greatest runners of all time. He plans his races well and you can see the way he wins them. No athlete plans a whole year like him and I believe he is the man to beat in Paris" Yuda says.

"How did you manage to curve a place in the international arena?" I pose a question to this talkative runner who in pure, clear and simple Swahili takes you through the interview with ease and satirical jokes that cap it all.

"I ran at school. After that, I started to run locally before this senior army man heard about me and came to encourage me to run because they were involved in running and athletics activities. He had not seen me before but heard about my talent through villagers and people in the place I grew up

"That was in 1998. Immediately after that, I found out that there was a lot in athletics and in 2000, I joined the KIM stable and took up professional running and it has been my life since, bringing in fortune that I could not have found outside running" he adds.

Next year will be an Olympic year in Athens and Yuda wants to conserve some of his energy for the coming year.

"It all depends on whether I will be in good form or my feet will allow me. I still have many years to run and particularly in Athens where everyone is looking forward to" he parts off.

Not a second place this time Yuda!!!

Factfile

Name: John Yuda

DOB: 9/6/1979, Dodoma Tanzania

Honours: World Half Marathon bronze medallist (2001 and 2002), Double World Cross Country runner-up (4km and 12km in Dublin, 2002); World Cross Country runner-up (Laussane, 2003), Commonwealth Bronze medallist (10,000m Manchester 2002))

Personal best: 5 Miles-23:03 in Balmoral, Scotland and Half Marathon-1:00.12 ion Bristol in 2001.

Last modified: August 22, 2003.
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