NN Running Team Coach Patrick Sang On His Success With Faith Kipyegon, Eliud Kipchoge

"We think of ourselves as people on a journey. So when you get to your first station, that's not the end of the journey. We still have to walk some more distance. That is their mindset and it's my mindset because if I dwell on the past, then we'll end up in that station. We still have many to cover, and I’m happy that they still trust me to cover their distance and be with them."

CITIUS MAG is in Kenya. I am coming to you live from Eldoret, where I had the pleasure of being invited to visit and cover some of the behind-the-scenes of how the NN Running Team trains.

Coach Patrick Sang is 59 years old and is the man behind all of Kipchoge’s success on the track and the roads. He’s the runner who Eliud grew up admiring since Sang was a silver medalist in the steeplechase at the 1992 Olympics. He’s been coaching for more than half his life and is one of the most knowledgeable men in the sport. While he keeps it traditional and old-school in some of his approaches to training with three hard workouts a week for most of his athletes including Kipchoge, his philosophy is aimed at making his athletes well-rounded.

One of his most recent success stories has been Faith Kipyegon cementing herself as the greatest 1500m runner ever by breaking the 1500m world record in 3:49.11 at the Florence Diamond League on June 2 and then surprising herself a week later and breaking the 5000 meter world record in 14:05.20. 

What you’re about to listen to is my conversation with one of the greatest minds in the sport and someone who wasn’t surprised by Faith Kipyegon. He’ll share how we got to this point, where we’re going and what brings him joy and satisfaction in the sport. 

He’s 59 years old and the man behind all of Kipchoge’s success on the track and the roads. He’s the runner, who Eliud grew up admiring since Sang was a silver medalist in the steeplechase at the 1992 Olympics. He’s been coaching for more than half his life and is one of the most knowledgeable men in the sport. While he keeps it traditional and old-school in some of his approaches to training with three hard workouts a week for most of his athletes including Kipchoge, his philosophy is aimed at making his athletes well-rounded.

One of his most recent success stories has been Faith Kipyegon cementing herself as the greatest 1500m runner ever by breaking the 1500m world record in 3:49.11 at the Florence Diamond League on June 2 and then surprising herself a week later and breaking the 5000 meter world record in 14:05.20. 

What you’re about to listen to is my conversation with one of the greatest minds in the sport and someone who wasn’t surprised by Faith Kipyegon. He’ll share how we got to this point, where we’re going and what brings him joy and satisfaction in the sport. 

Host: Chris Chavez | @Chris_J_Chavez on Instagram

Guest: Patrick Sang | @NNRunningTeam on Instagram

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