When Alexander Mutiso Munyao won his first World Marathon Major in London last month, he proved that he is ripe to fly the flag for his country in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For many track and field enthusiasts, when discussing and debating who should be in the top three of the marathon delegation to Paris, Mutiso's name is not mentioned among the favorites.
And on Wednesday, his name made headlines when Athletics Kenya (AK) and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) announced Kenya's final marathon team for Paris.
in side chat standard sports, Mutiso, 27, promised to give his best to the Paris Olympics duties.
But who is Mutiso? Mutiso comes from a poor background in the village of Nditini in Makueni County, eastern Kenya, and has made his lofty ambitions known in each of his races.
Mutiso said when he was growing up in Nditini, in the Kakswi district of Makueni, athletics was not a popular sport locally.
He said he was inspired to run after watching decorated road race marathoner Patrick McCaw, who won the Berlin Marathon three times, win.
“In Kakusuwi and the larger area of Kiteta where I was born, athletics was not a favorite sport, but watching Patrick Makau run and win races inspired me and I started participating in school competitions. After taking up athletics and following in Makau's footsteps, I realized that it was possible for people from my region to succeed in athletics,'' says the modest Mutiso.
The Ngong-based athlete continued, “It was when I was a student at Kiteta Boys that my coach Peter Muteti noticed my talent in athletics.”
Coach Muteti, who was a teacher at nearby Luani Secondary School, was impressed by Mtiso's athletic ability during the cross-country competition at the Makueni County Schools Games.
Muteti recalls that Muteti immediately enrolled him in the Ndumbi athletics camp, where he attended training during the school holidays and continued to impress the tactician.
Mutiso is still being coached by the same coach at Gon.
“When I finished my high school education in 2013, I attended a residential camp under the close supervision of Muteti and was called up to Team Kenya for the first time that year. I participated as a representative of the London Marathon champion.
He won a bronze medal in the 3,000 meters at the 2013 World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine, a medal he says helped propel him to the big stage.
So far, he says athletics has meant a lot to him, helping him grow from a poor family into a dependable family man.
“The Paris Olympics are the biggest challenge and that is my focus right now.
“Discipline is a key pillar for me. Thanks to discipline, I have realized progress over time. I listen to what my coach tells me because I know that lack of discipline can hinder a career. I follow it strictly. Most of the time, my coach gives me a training program and we follow it, whether he is there or not,” Mutiso said in an interview.
He is grateful to his wife Eileen Alex and their two young children for giving him enough time to train.
“I always leave the house and train at camp, and Eileen and the kids are really supportive. It's all thanks to them,” he says.
At the Paris Olympics, he will compete alongside fellow compatriots Eliud Kipchoge, two-time Olympic marathon winner, and Benson Kipruto, winner of the 2024 Tokyo Marathon.
“We are very motivated after our first World Major Marathon in London. Eliud and the rest of the team will give us confidence.
“Even if I don't beat my personal best in Paris, I'll still have another chance. The best thing is teamwork and winning medals,” he added.
