Nairobi — Newly crowned world half marathon silver medalist Daniel Simiu is not about to exchange his spikes for slippers as he eyes more success in the current road running season.
Simiu said he will not be taking a rest after a grueling and action-packed season but rather will be in contention in road races before turning his attention to cross country.
"I am just saying it is God...and it is always be God (secret to this year's successes). The season is not yet over. Next week, I will be in India for the New Delhi Half Marathon so for me the season has just started. We are just closing the track season and now coming to the road races and afterwards, we come for cross country," the world 10,000m silver medalist said.
He added: "Next year, I want to be in the team for the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade. That is what I want to prepare for...I also want the big thing, which is the Paris Olympics."
Simiu was part of a 1-2-3 Kenyan finish in the men's half marathon at the past weekend's World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia after he clocked 59:14 to finish second.
Sebastian Sawe clinched gold in 59:10 as another Kenyan, Samwel Mailu, timed 59:19 to claim bronze.
The 28-year-old produced one of the highlights of the inaugural edition of the championships when he beckoned Sawe to take the lead in the race and go all the way for gold.
Introspecting on that moment, Simiu said it was a spontaneous action motivated by the desire to see his fellow countryman win his first title in national colours.
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"It's not that I was not strong...I just wanted to tell the world that it is not always about winning. I wanted Sawe to win because I have been at the world stage. I wanted to send a message to the world that there is humanity. You can come first and then at times, let your competitor win as well," the African 5000m silver medalist.
Nonetheless, Simiu promises that it will be a while before the world witnesses a repeat of the same from him, adding that his focus is on graduating to winning gold after a series of second-place finishes.
"I want to get out from winning silver...this was the last. I don't want to win silver anymore. Many people have been calling me Mr Silver because of that," he said.
The Samburu born-and-raised athlete will be looking to perform better than this year's World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia where he finished sixth in the senior men's race.
