Bernard Kiprop Koech (born 31 January 1988) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running events. He has a personal best of 2:04:09 hours for the marathon and 59:10 minutes for the half marathon. He represented Kenya at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.
Koech began to make an impact on the Kenyan national cross country running circuit in his late teens. He was fourth at the Tuskys Wareng Cross Country in November 2009, [1] then achieved a win at one of the Athletics Kenya meets at the start of 2010, beating Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop and steeplechase world record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen. [2] He failed to build on this at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, finishing outside of the top fifty. [3]
After missing the 2011 season he re-emerged as a road specialist. He was eighth at the Discovery Half Marathon in January and his outing at the Paris Half Marathon established him firmly in the elite, as he placed second with a time of 1:00:06 hours. [4] He was a little slower at the CPC Loop Den Haag a week later but ran under an hour at the following month's Nice Half Marathon, winning that race in 59:57 minutes. He dropped his personal best further at the Lille Half Marathon, where he was runner-up to Ezekiel Chebii with a run of 59:10 minutes. [5] He ended the year as the fifth-ranked half marathon runner in the world. [6]
Koech's debut over the marathon distance came at the start of 2013. He successfully translated his half marathon abilities to the longer event at the Dubai Marathon as he finished in 2:04:53 hours in fifth place (eight seconds behind winner Lelisa Desisa). [7] This instantly raised him into the top twenty fastest marathon runners ever. [8] As a result, he was selected to compete at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in the marathon – his brother Bethwell Birgen was also chosen for the 1500 metres. [9] He only had two further races prior to the event: first he won the Lisbon Half Marathon with a run of 59:54 minutes. [10] After that he won the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon with the fastest time ever run in the United States (58:41 minutes – the fourth fastest ever for the event – although this was not an official record as the course was downhill). [11] [12] Despite being one of the fastest entrants into the World Championships marathon and sticking with the pace up to the 30-kilometer mark, he dropped out after that point and did not finish his first championship race. [13] October's Amsterdam Marathon was his third marathon race that year and this time he managed to finish, placing third with 2:06:29 hours. [14]
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized in the 5000 metres. Regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion, and was the world record holder in the marathon from 2018 to 2023, with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, until that record was broken by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:00:35. He has run four of the 10 fastest marathons in history.
Mike Kipruto Kigen is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres and won silver medals in both events at the African Championships in Athletics in 2006 representing Kenya. In October 2015, he changed his name to Kaan Kigen Özbilen and has since then competed for Turkey.
Michael Kipkorir Kipyego is a Kenyan runner who competes in marathon races. He was initially a specialist in the 3000 metres steeplechase and was the 2002 World Junior Champion in the event. He represented Kenya in the steeplechase at the World Championships in 2003 and was runner-up at the 2008 African Championships. He set a personal best of 8:08.48 in 2009.
Bernard Kiprop Kipyego is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. His personal best for the event is 2:06:22 hours. He has reached the podium at the Amsterdam Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Boston Marathon, Paris Marathon and Tokyo Marathon.
Florence Jebet Kiplagat is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She was the world record holder for the women's half marathon with a time of 1:05:09 hours until it was broken by Peres Jepchirchir on 10 February 2017 at the RAK Half Marathon.
Tadese Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He has represented Ethiopia at World championship level in cross country, road running, and on the track.
The 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake.
Geoffrey Kiprono Mutai is a Kenyan long distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. On 18 April 2011 at the Boston Marathon, Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever at the time in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 2 seconds, though the time was not recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a world record since the Boston course does not meet the criteria to be eligible for the mark.
Sharon Jemutai Cherop is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She won a bronze medal at the age of sixteen in the 5000 metres at the World Junior Championships. She was the bronze medal winner in the marathon at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won the Boston Marathon in 2012.
Wilson Kiprop is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specialises in the 10,000 metres and half marathon. He was the world champion at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2010 and was the 10,000 m gold medalist at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics.
Lelisa Desisa Benti is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. Desisa gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.
Azmeraw Bekele Molalign is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who competes in road running and cross country running competitions.
Philemon Kimeli Limo is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in cross country running and road running competitions. He has a half marathon best of 59:30 minutes and a marathon best of 2:09:25 hours. He typically competes on the Italian road circuit and has won the Roma-Ostia and Prague Half Marathons.
Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. He won the silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. Kamworor claimed victories at the World Half Marathon Championships three times in a row from 2014 to 2018. He took individual titles at the World Cross Country Championships in 2015 and 2017, and finished third in 2019. He won his first World Marathon Major at the 2017 New York City Marathon and regained his title in 2019, after a second-place finish in 2015. Kamworor also placed second at the 2023 London Marathon and earned three other podium finishes at a World Marathon Majors.
Peter Cheruiyot Kirui is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes over 10,000 metres on the track and in road running competitions. He was the 2011 Kenyan champion over 10,000 m and came sixth at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. He has acted as a pacemaker for major marathons and has a marathon best of 2:06:31 hours. His best for the half marathon is 59:22 minutes.
Flomena Chepchirchir is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in half marathon and marathon events. Chepchirchir has won half marathons in Venlo, Glasgow and Zwolle. She is a two-time winner of the BIG 25 Berlin race. She has a half marathon best of 1:08:22 hours and a marathon best of 2:23:00 hours.
Kenneth Kiprop Kipkemoi is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the 10,000 metres, the half marathon, and the marathon. He was the 2012 African champion in the 10,000 m, has a half marathon best of 59:11 minutes, and was the winner of the 2018 Rotterdam Marathon with a personal best of 2:05:44.
Bethwell Birgen is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. His personal best of 3:30.77 minutes for the 1500 metres ranks him among the top fifty ever for the event, while his indoor best of 3:34.65 minutes is among the top twenty. He represented Kenya in the 1500 m at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, but did not make the final on either occasion.
Helah Kiprop Jelagat is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in the half marathon and marathon. Her personal bests for the events are 1:07:39 minutes and 2:21:27 hours, respectively.
Ezekiel Kiptoo Chebii is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in half marathon and marathon races. He has personal bests of 59:05 minutes and 2:09:15 hours, respectively. His half marathon best ranks him among the top twenty all-time for the distance. He has won the Madrid Marathon and the Lille Half Marathon, both in course record times.
