Jonah Koech

Last updated
Jonah Koech
Personal information
Full nameJonah Koech Kipruto
Born (1996-12-12) December 12, 1996 (age 28)
Eldoret, Kenya
Education St. Patrick's High School
University of Texas at El Paso '18 BS Physical Therapy
Texas Tech University '19 MS Physical therapy [1] [2]
Sport
Country
  • Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya
  • Flag of the United States.svg United States
SportTrack and field
Event 800m
College team Texas Tech Red Raiders
UTEP Miners
Club Under Armour
Coached byTom Brumlik
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg United States
NACAC Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Freeport 800 m

Jonah Koech Kipruto (born 12 December 1996) is a Kenyan-born middle-distance runner who represents the United States in international competitions. He specializes in the 800 meters and 1500 meters.

Contents

In the 800 meters, he qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Championships and 2022 NACAC Championships after finishing second at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. [4] [5] In the 1500 meters, he won both the 2025 Rabat Diamond League and the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. [6] [7]

He competes for the Under Armour Mission Run team, based in Baltimore, Maryland. [6]

Early life and collegiate career

In the 2010s, Koech attended St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya, where he trained under Colm O'Connell, and alongside 800 meter world record holder David Rudisha. [6]

Koech is a 10-Time USTFCCCA All-American. [8] In 2015, as an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Texas at El Paso, Koech finished 11th at the 2015 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. In 2016, Koech finished 6th in the indoor mile and 6th in the outdoor 800m at the NCAA Division I Championships. He later transferred to Texas Tech in 2018, and became a U.S. citizen in 2019 after graduating and enlisting in the U.S. Army. [6]

Professional career

In 2022, Koech ran a personal best of 1:44.74 to finish second in the 800 meter final at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he advanced to the semifinals but was disqualified. [6]

On May 25, 2025, Koech won the 1500 meters at the Rabat Diamond League, in a meet record and personal best of 3:31.43. He became the third American man after Leo Manzano and Yared Nuguse to win a Diamond League 1500 meter or mile race. [6] On May 31, 2025, at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Koech improved his 800 meter personal best to 1:43.32. [9]

On August 2, 2025, Koech won a national title over the 1500 meters at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing in a personal best time of 3:30.17, thus qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Before the race, Koech stated that he was 75-percent healthy and was dealing with a hamstring issue. [7] [10]

Achievements and titles

NCAA performances

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Texas Tech University
2019 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships University of Texas at Austin 7th800m1:47.28
Big 12 Conference Outdoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma 2nd800m1:46.42
3rd1500m3:53.78
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex13th800m1:51.31
Big 12 Conference Indoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma 1st1000m2:23.75
3rd4000m DMR9:58.59
Representing University of Texas at El Paso
2018 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th800m1:47.28
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Rice University 1st800m1:48.79
1st1500m3:49.73
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas 9thMile4:02.26
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 1stMile4:10.03
2nd800m1:52.10
2017 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 24th4x400m3:18.65
25th1500m3:49.66
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships UTEP Miners 5th800m1:55.36
1st1500m3:44.64
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas 11th4000m DMR9:56.03
11thMile4:01.02
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 3rdMile4:04.93
1st4000m DMR10:03.04
2016 2016 NCAA Division I cross country championships LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course 122nd10km31:03.2
Conference USA Cross Country Championships University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Frank Liske Park Concord, North Carolina 		2nd8km24:05
NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 9th800m1:46.53
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Middle Tennessee State University 2nd800m1:50.00
1st1500m3:43.39
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 6thMile4:07.52
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 1stMile4:07.34
2nd4000m DMR10:10.13
Final800m1:51 - DQ
2015 2015 NCAA Division I cross country championships E. P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park cross country course
Louisville, Kentucky 		11th10km30:04.4
Conference USA Cross Country Championships Bowling Green, Kentucky 2nd8km24:44

References

  1. ↑ "Jonah Koech". texastech.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Jonah Koech UTEP Miners
  3. ↑ Jonah Koech at World Athletics
  4. ↑ Williams, Don (27 June 2022). "Texas Tech ex Koech makes U.S. team for World Championships". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ↑ Three World Class Athlete Program Track & Field Athletes Qualify for U.S. World Team United States Army
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 LetsRun.com (2025-05-27). "How An American Sprung One of the Biggest Upsets in Track & Field History". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  7. 1 2 null (2025-08-02). "Jonah Koech Stuns Field To Win U.S. 1500m Title at USATF Championships 2025". FloTrack. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  8. ↑ Jonah Koech results TFRRS
  9. ↑ Perelman, Rich (2025-06-01). "ATHLETICS: Two world leads at Keino Classic in Nairobi, plus U.S.'s Koech goes 1:43.32 in 800; NCAA women's second rounds conclude". The Sports Examiner. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  10. ↑ "Jonah Koech—Despite Just '75%' Health—Pulls Off a Huge 1500-Meter Upset at USAs". Runner's World. 2025-08-02. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
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