From 2000 onwards he later began concentrating on long-distance running and dropped his steeplechase speciality. He set a 10 km best of 27:40 to win the Parelloop race in Brunssum that year. He also took a third consecutive cross country medal at the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, continuing the streak of Kenya team victories with his bronze medal performance. He took road circuit wins in Europe at the Giro Podistico Internazionale di Pettinengo, winning the 9.5 km race in 27:03, and also at the Giro al Sas 10K in Trento. He ran for Kenya in the long race at the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships but could not match his short course form and finished in fifth place. The greater distances also did not bring him medals at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics as he finished seventh in the 10,000 metres final. He was the winner of the 2001 Giro Media Blenio 10K race in Dongio, recording a time of 28:13.4.