The competition, known as the "Orenburg Mile," took place on January 24 in Orenburg.
Keneshbekov ran the distance of 2 miles (3218 meters) and finished second, only behind Vladimir Nikitin, who became the new record holder for Russia in this distance with a time of 8 minutes 29.74 seconds.
The Kyrgyz athlete recorded a time of 8 minutes 33.94 seconds, which set a new record for Kyrgyzstan.
In an interview with Sport AKIpress, Keneshbekov shared his impressions of the race.
- How did you end up competing in Russia again?
- Everything is the same. I have a manager who invited me to participate. Vladimir Nikitin planned to break the Russian record, and I was offered to help him. I was also looking for an opportunity to compete before the Asian Championship and agreed.
- How did the race go? How many participants were there?
- Since the goal was to set a Russian record, there were not many participants — only 5-6 people. I started first and helped Nikitin. With 400 meters to go, he surged ahead and broke the record, while I finished second, setting my national record.
- Were there any prizes?
- For second place, I received 50,000 rubles, and another 25,000 rubles for the new national record.
- You have already established yourself in Russia.
- Yes, I am invited to many competitions. I received a new invitation, but the dates coincide with the Asian Indoor Championship.
