BEIJING - The men’s steeplechase at the 2015 World Championships provided all the fireworks that the highly anticipated race had promised, as 33-year-old Kenyan Ezekiel Kemboi kicked hard to win his remarkable fourth straight World title in 8:11.28.

 

Led by Kemboi, Kenya completely dominated the final in Beijing as the East African nation swept places 1-4, the first time in history that they've accomplished that feat. Conseslus Kipruto finished second behind Kemboi in 8:12.38, followed closely by Brimin Kipruto in 8:12.54, marking the third time in World Championship history that they have put three men on the podium. 

 

2015 World leader Jairus Birech of Kenya was fourth tonight in 8:12.62. 

 

American record holder Evan Jager hung tough up until the final lap, when Kemboi’s sudden burst of speed with 300 to go completely broke the 26-year-old. After taking the bell in front with one lap to run, Jager would fade to sixth in 8:15.47 as his Bowerman TC teammate Dan Huling scored the performance of his life by kicking down Jager and finishing fifth in 8:14.39. 

 

Kemboi’s thrilling win on Monday in Beijing made him the most decorated steepler in World Championships history, as the Kenyan passed countryman Moses Kiptanui for the most titles in event history. Kemboi has now won a medal at the last seven World Championships dating back to 2003. Ridiculous.

 

Here’s how the race shook out in Beijing: 

 

It was clear from the beginning that the Kenyans were going to do everything possible to sweep the medals in an event that they have historically dominated. Coming into tonight, the East African nation had won nine out of the last 12 medals to be had at the World Championships, with six of those medals belonging to Kemboi and Brimin Kipruto alone.

 

That success doesn’t just happen by chance, as the Kenyans are great at their tactics working as a unit. This was once again the case on Monday in Beijing, as the experienced quartet steadily broke down the rest of the field with frequent change of pace. 

 

As the field passed 1K in 2:49, all four of the Kenyans were working together with a race strategy bent on denying anyone else a medal. The primary threat to break up that sweep coming into tonight’s final was Jager, who staked his claim for medal consideration with his near sub-8:00 American record in Paris on July 4th. 

 

Despite a fall over the final barrier that cost him a Diamond League victory, Jager clearly put a scare into the Kenyans in that race because tonight he was the target of their tactical scheme, and it proved to be a good one as the American didn’t have any gas reserved for the final sprint. While Kemboi sprinted away with a 57-second final 400m, Jager couldn't hang as he covered the last lap four seconds slower in 61-seconds. 

 

Jager did his best to maintain contact throughout the race, even after a hard move by Birech with four laps to go forced him to work his way back up to the front after falling back with the Kenyan’s initial move. Jager got to the front and actually took the lead at the bell, but by then the damage had been done with the fluctuating pace taking a bite out of his speed.  

 

“My legs just didn’t have it over that last lap, they put in the surge and I tried to go with them and stay relaxed, yeah I just didn’t have it in my legs today,” Jager said. 
 

It’s not so much that Jager did anything wrong tonight, he didn’t make any foolish moves or let any big gaps develop in the middle of the race, but his inability to grab a medal is just a testament to the strength of the Kenyans in championship steeples. 

 

While Jager was able to beat Kemboi and both Kiprutos in the Paris Diamond League with relative ease on July 4th, the story was entirely different tonight as the sporadic pace is a lot tougher to maneuver. Everyone knows that championship races are run very differently from Diamond League efforts, and learning how to navigate the mind games of a final is still something that Jager has yet to master.  

 

“I didn’t do anything near close to what was needed to zap those guys legs. It’s frustrating to not be able to perform to the level that I thought I was at,” Jager said. 

 

Jager would actually be caught in the last 50 meters by his teammate Dan Huling, who at 32-years-old was running in his first World Championships final. Huling used a huge last lap to catch Jager, beating him in a steeple for only the second time in his career. 

 

The idea of someone other than Jager being the top American wasn't  even a thought entering the race , but for Huling it came as a perfect storm, with he himself having a career night and Jager struggling in the last lap after expending so much energy to stay with the leaders. 

 

“I thought if I ran the race like I did, that maybe 5th would come to me. I was hoping it was a Kenyan, it’s a shame it was Evan. 5th is what I thought I could do on my best day,” Huling said.

 

Notably, fellow American Donn Cabral was 10th tonight in 8:24.94.