No time too steep for steeplechaser Avinash Sable

In 2017, when Amrish Kumar—the army’s then long-distance running coach—asked Avinash Sable to switch from cross country to 3,000m steeplechase, the soft-spoken runner was reluctant. The coach and his pupil, eager to earn a promotion after joining the Mahar Regiment of the Indian army in 2012, though wagered a deal. Kumar promised that a promotion would come about; Sable promised a switch to steeplechase the moment it did. In about one month, Sable, now a havildar, had risen in the ranks.

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In about five years, Sable, now India’s top steeplechase runner, continues to lower the national record at breakneck speed.

The latest was rewritten in his most competitive field thus far. Sable clocked 8:12.48 at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athletisme de Rabat, a Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco in a creditable fifth-place finish on Sunday night. That timing has lowered more than three seconds of his previous best mark of 8:16.21, set at the Indian Grand Prix in Thiruvananthapuram in March.

Ahead of Sable by a fraction in Rabat was the fourth-placed Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto (8:12.47), winner of the 2016 Rio Olympics who also clinched the gold at the 2019 Doha World Championships. Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning 3000m steeplechase Olympic champion, stole the show on his home turf by winning in 7:58.28.

The 27-year-old Sable continues to make commendable and consistent progress in his primary event, even as he also holds the national record in 5000m and half marathon.

Hailing from Mandava, a village with a population of around 2,500 in the heart of Maharashtra’s drought-hit Beed district, Sable’s main objective of running was to get recruited in the army. Once he found himself in and made the switch to steeplechase in 2017, there has been no looking back.

Sable has shaved off more than 17 seconds from his personal best since he first broke Gopal Saini’s 37-year old record by clocking 8:29.80 at the 2018 Open Nationals in Bhubaneswar.

Kumar believes there could be more to come. “His capacity is between the 8:06-8:08 range,” Kumar, his long-time coach, said.

For the record, El Bakkali won the Tokyo Olympics gold last year at 8:08.90. In Tokyo, where Kumar accompanied him, Sable registered 8:18.12 in the heats, also a new national record and personal best. It was the fastest time among those who failed to qualify for the final. This year, Sable has been training in Colorado from April with American coach Scott Simmons. Sable has competed at the Sound Running meet—where he set the 5000m mark—and the USATF Distance Classic in 3000m steeplechase in California last month before the Rabat meet.

Kumar believes the high-quality competition that Sable is getting overseas over the last couple of months is crucial. In India, Sable has been far ahead of the rest of the challengers and has not lost a 3000m steeplechase race since his first national mark in September 2018.

“High-level competition makes a big difference. Competing with runners of a level higher than you is extremely important. Sable won’t find that in India at the moment. If this kind of exposure would have come 2-3 years earlier, he would have done much better in Tokyo as well. There’s only so much one can do training and competing in India. He is getting to compete in that level now, even if it’s a touch late,” he said.

Kumar said with improvements to his finishing and continued attention to speed and endurance, Sable can continue to push the bar higher in a year of the Commonwealth Games and the world championships. “Technically, he is there. It’s the finishing, his run in the final round, where the focus has to be on now. That could prove to be the difference between winning a medal or not,” Kumar said.

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