BAA 10K Winner Sambu Enjoying ‘Breakout’ Season

The 25-year-old Sambu won Sunday’s race in a world-leading time of 27:25.

(c) 2014 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

BOSTON — There’s one thing that coach James Li accounts for Stephen Sambu’s meteoric rise to success in 2014: confidence. Li, who has coached Sambu since 2010 when the Kenyan enrolled at the University of Arizona, has seen the 25-year-old rapidly develop his mental approach to racing, something that has catapulted him into the upper echelon of road racers this year.

“It’s really been a breakout year for him,” Li told Race Results Weekly here in Boston on Sunday, taking a pause for effect and trying to find more descriptive words before settling on, “it’s great.”

While a dozen or so members of the media circled around Sambu following his B.A.A. 10K victory, Li stood 10 meters away. Wearing a gray University of Arizona fleece and a proud smile, Li watched his newest star answer question after question in stride. Sambu had just run a world leading 27:25 to win the fourth annual event, and also bettered the U.S. All-Comers and Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) World Record for 8K in the process (22:01.03), pending validation.

Speaking in his usual soft, meaningful tone, Li was proud and happy for Sambu. Battling stride for stride with 2011 Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai, Sambu’s confidence was on full display, something Li took immense delight from.

Reflecting on the last four months, Li points to March 16 as the turning point—the day when Sambu went from above average racer to fearsome contender. It was on that chilly morning that Sambu raced aggressively against Mutai and double Olympic champion Mo Farah, finishing third at the NYC Half in 1:01:08.

“Ever since the New York Half, I think that was the race that gives him the confidence and knowing that he could compete with these guys. After that every race has been really good,” said Li.

RELATED: Photos From The BAA 10K

Indeed, Sambu has been on fire since the NYC Half. He won the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C., (45:29), defeated 10K world record holder Leonard Patrick Komon while claiming the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K title in New York City (27:39) and ran a personal best 26:54.61 for 10,000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, leading the field through a majority of the race and deciding to stay on the track after his pacing duties were complete. He only agreed to run that event two days before.

In each race, Sambu ran out front and disregarded any notion that other entrants may have better credentials than himself. He wouldn’t let their world championships medals, personal best times or lengthy racing resumes dissuade him from challenging for the win.

“The confidence level is really high and training feels great,” confirmed Li.

Interestingly, for all the accomplishments and great races Sambu has had this year, his mileage is relatively low. That, says Li, is a key to his consistency and tenacity.

“We always try to do things conservatively,” said Li, who also coaches Bernard Lagat and Lawi Lalang. “Consistency is the most important thing for me. But, he understands the system and he follows it really well.” He continued: “He would never do anything more than what we discuss and he understands the important aspect of this whole thing is consistency. I think it’s paid off. After four or five years training together, this year we really get to see the results.”

Although Li doesn’t count mileage, he estimates that Sambu has reached at the most 90 miles a week, a modest amount when considering other elites routinely reach the 100 to 125 miles per week level.

“I think he can run a little bit lower still. He’s still young relatively and we don’t do much mileage,” Li said. “I think so, I think he’ll be able to go longer and do better still. He’s an awesome runner and he’s been very steady.”

RELATED: Sambu Wins Healthy Kidney 10K

In college, Li dubbed Sambu “Mr. Consistency,” a nickname he is fulfilling this year. Sambu agrees with Li in that working together has provided him added confidence and experience that has served him quite well.

“I’ve been training with Coach Li since when I was in school, since 2010, so I’ve been with him all these years,” said Sambu, emphasizing the word all. “I love him so much, I thank him a lot for good training, giving me all the time.”

Firmly believing he can race alongside some of the best 10K athletes ever to compete in America—including the aforementioned world record holder Komon and Mutai—Sambu has pushed the envelope a bit more this season.

At the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, Sambu made a very risky, yet decisive, move at the halfway point, surging hard away from Komon. Komon had no response, losing his first 10K on the roads since February 2011.

Similarly, at the B.A.A. 10K, Sambu was step for step with Mutai through 8K. It was then he surged despite feeling pain and fatigue.

“After 8K I knew I still had to run 2K so I thought, ‘let me increase the pace’ because I was just thinking about finishing,” he said. “It’s really good, it makes me feel good.”

That move broke Mutai, who would finish second.

Sambu now finds himself all alone as the fastest man in the world for 10K this year. Next up, according to his manager Karen Locke, is the B.A.A. Half Marathon on Oct. 12. Last year, Sambu finished third in that race, overshadowed by 2013 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa. Desisa would win in 1:00:34, seven seconds up on Daniel Salel and Sambu (1:00:41).

This year, with confidence and another few months of training under Li, he very well could be the odds on favorite.

“It means a lot, a lot to me,” said Sambu, describing winning and his recent success. “It is good, I am so happy. I feel like I’m improving.”