Kipyego breaks 600 record
St. Raphael junior runs 1:19.65 to win race in Boston
St. Raphael All-American middle-distance runner Darius Kipyego has reached the point where he’s no longer competing against the field, just the clock.
It was a fait accompli the Saints junior was going to win the 600-meter dash at Friday afternoon’s Boston Holiday Challenge, the only question was whether Kipyego could break his second state record this month at Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center.
Kipyego achieved his goal and produced the No. 1 time in the nation all in the same three-lap race. After grabbing the lead following the first lap, Kipyego pulled away from the talented field and started his race against the clock. Kipyego crossed the final line in 1 minute, 19.65 seconds to shatter current Iowa State star Cebastian Gentil’s state record of 1:19.92 set two years ago when Gentil ran for East Greenwich.
“I can’t explain how he does it because I was a competitive runner at a high level at one point, but this is a whole nother level,” St. Raphael coach Chris Magill said. “This is new for me as a coach to see something like this because guys like Darius don’t walk through your high school doors very often – once in a lifetime if you’re lucky.”
Kipyego wasn’t the only member of his family to return down Interstate 95 with an gold medal because younger brother Devan claimed the freshman mile title in a time of 4:43.22, which was just over a second off the meet record. Teammate Pedro Mayol finished second in a time 4:40. Mayol stumbled down the home stretch, allowing his teammate to claim the title.
“It was awesome watching the two of them going for it,” Magill said. “They just missed out on the meet record. Pedro’s stumble allowed Devan to win it because they were neck and neck and we weren’t sure who was going to win it. It was a lot of fun to watch those two and the future looks bright for the program.”
The older Kipyego, however, was the star of the show and he was awarded the athlete of the meet after recording his superb time. While breaking Classical senior Conor Murphy’s indoor 800-meter record earlier this month was important to him, Kipyego has been chasing Gentil’s record for over a year. He missed out on the record at the Yale Invitational and nearly broke it on the PCTA’s flat track at the state meet.
Friday, however, was the junior’s best opportunity on a banked track. Against a field of runners who can run 1:23, Kipyego bolted to the lead and ran the first 200 meters in around 26 seconds. Magill was concerned after Kipyego slowed down and crossed the 400-meter mark at 53 seconds, but the Saint sped up to break Gentil’s record. Clay MacDonald of Marshfield, Mass. Was second in 1:24.01.
“Going into the last 200 meters he knew he was on the higher end of the time we wanted and he knew he had to go,” Magill said. “Those last 200 meters were about the work ethic he has. It’s awesome to see it. I know I’m his coach, but I was just a big fan today. We really wanted to get this record off his back, so now he can focus on preparing for the championship season.”
Kipyego will be back in the Ocean State to compete in a Northern Division dual meet on Jan. 8, but his focus is now on the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Junior Mile on Jan. 25 back at the Reggie Lewis Center. Kipyego has already shown he can compete at that distance after beating Murphy and Hendricken’s David DelBonis in the 1,500-meter run at the RITCA Invitational.
DelBonis won the Boston Holiday Challenge mile in 4:22.29. Cumberland sophomore Ethan Carpenter took third in 4:26.31.
“It’s one of the best mile events in the country and I think he will be a really good miler,” Magill said. “For him, this will be a change of pace. He’s filling out his resume pretty good, so if there are any colleges out there that have doubts about him and want to see his range, this is his opportunity. Dar-t ius is showing he’s more than a onetrick pony.”
The fourth St. Raphael athlete to come home with a medal was juniorb distance runner Rachael Mongeau, who was fourth in the two-mile run in a timep of 11:42.
The only other local athlete to place in Boston was Cumberland’s Owen Molis, who was fifth in the 1,000 meters in a time of 2:41.17.