TUBINGEN. Germany. Oct 9 (Reu ters): St Patrick s School in the rural Kenyan town of Iten has become famous as a breeding ground for some of the world's most talented distance runners.

It can count Olympic champions such as Peter Rono and Matthew Birir among its former pupils, along with the Kenyan-bom Dane Wilson Kip-keter. who currently holds the 800 metres world record.

This season it has been the turn of Japheth Kimutai to place his name on the list of illustrious runners who have passed through its school gates.

The Kenya teenager has staked his claim to being the leading 800 metres runner in the world this year despite his tender years.

He has run the two fastest times of the year, leading the world with the one minute 42.76 seconds he clocked over two laps in Stuttgart on July 19.

Into the bargain he also notched up the African and Commonwealth titles during 1998.

However arguably his most significant win came. In Zurich on when he ended the unbeaten streak of Kipketer's which had stretched -back nearly three years, a period in which Kipketer had been the worlds undisputed top 800 metres runner.

The victory has caused the modest Kimutai to readjust his sights.

"If you ask if I have any limits then my answer is that there are no limits.

"I say that because I would never have thought I would have beaten Kipketer this year." he commented.

Kimutai acknowledges that he caught Kipketer at a low

moment, still recovering from a debilitating bout of Malaria caught on a brief trip back to the country of his birth in January.

However Kimutai believes that soon there will be no question marks about the value of his victories although the most he will say about his rivalry with Kipketer is: "I respect a and admire Wilson but 1 want to run faster than him."

Kimutai has had to face other obstacles than Just Kipketer to becoming the world's number one 800 man. both in life and within the sport.

He hails from the village of Lelmokwo. 30 kms from the main provincial city of Eldoret. the home of Amos Biwott. the 1968 Olympic 3.000 steeplechase champion and arrived at St Patrick's in 1994.

Coming from a large Kenyan family of eight children and modest means, he had to rely on his school fees being paid by an English sponsor throughout his four years there.

His guiding light while he was at St Patrick's was the renowned Irishborn brother Colm O'Connell, who for nearly two decades was headmaster at the school until he recently decided to concentrate on coaching. and who still advises Kimutai '

Kimutai's other mentor is his Australian agent James Templeton.

Templeton, himself a club 800 runner in his younger days, was a volunteer liaison officer with the Kenyan team at the World Junior Championships in Sydney two years ago. where Kimutai finished fourth in his specialist event.

The pair got on well and Kimutai asked the former financial consultant to look after his interests.

Templeton admits It was a

struggle getting the then Kenyan schoolboy into good quality races at first but a world junior 800 best of 1:43.64 in a Zurich B race in August 1997 changed attitudes as well as the record

' Before then I had to beg to get Japheth into races. I got him into a 1.000 race in Brussels but promised to repay the expenses if Japheth did not run well. Templeton said.

"But after Zurich last year. Wifred Meert (the Brussels promoter) called me and said, every day I have someone telling me they have the next great middle distance runner, but it seems you might be right."

This year Meert was more than happy to increase his offer for Kimutai's services from meal vouchers and train tickets from his summer base in the German town of Tubingen to a five-figure appearance fee.

Templeton can also take some oi the credit for Kimutai's memorable victory in Zurich.

Aware that poor tactics had cost Kimutai several races earlier in this season. Templeton spoke with him at length for several days about how to win in Zurich when all the world's eyes would be upon him.

Now that the season has finished Kimutai is back home in Kenya relaxing and planning his programme for next year.

He will deciding also on how to spend his end-of season bonuses.

Sportswear companies and athletes they sponsor are notoriously reluctant to discuss how much is in their contracts if they are ranked number one in the world at their event by track and field news, the autnorita five American magazine which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, but it is an open secret that most athletes can count on around 50.000 dollars.