Benjamin Kiptoo
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Kolum Kiptoo is a Kenya
n professional marathon
runner
. He has won marathons in Rome
, Beijing
and Chuncheon
, and represented Kenya at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. He holds a personal best of 2:06:31 for the distance, set en-route to victory at the 2011 Paris Marathon
. He also holds the fastest ever time recorded on Italian soil (2:07:17), with which he won the 2009 Rome City Marathon
.
, Kenya, he was introduced to elite coach Claudio Berardelli by a friend and became part of the same training group as Martin Lel
. He started his career as a pacemaker for road races
and it was in the process of these duties that he completed his first marathon – he paced athletes at the 2006 Florence Marathon
, where he was seventh with a time of 2:16:08 for the distance. The following year he was fourth at the Brescia Marathon and then improved his best to 2:12:24 to take second place at the Lausanne Marathon
. A return to the Brescia race in 2008 proved to be a pivotal point for his career as he topped the podium for the first time. Completing the race seven seconds outside of the course record, he sliced over three minutes off his previous best to win the race in 2:09:23. More success followed at the Beijing Marathon
in October as a front-running performance brought him his second win of the year.
His strong form continued into 2009 as he took his third consecutive win over the distance at the Rome Marathon in March. His winning time of 2:07:17 was not just a significant personal best and course record – it was the fastest marathon time ever to be recorded in Italy
. He was selected for the Kenyan team at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, representing his country internationally for the first time in the men's marathon. However, he was soon left behind by the leading pack and dropped out of the race before the 30 km mark while his teammates went on to secure the Marathon World Cup. His third race of the year was the Frankfurt Marathon
and he finished in a relatively quick time of 2:10:07, although this was only enough for seventh place as the winner Gilbert Kirwa
entered the all-time top twenty runners.
He participated in the 2010 Paris Marathon
and led the pack at the 35 km mark, eventually taking fourth place in 2:08:01 – the second fastest run of his career at that time. The Chuncheon Marathon
was his next challenge that year and he broke Moses Tanui
's thirteen-year-old course record by over a minute to clinch victory over Deriba Merga and Benson Barus
. He made a step up in his career at his following race, as he won the 2011 Paris Marathon with a new best of 2:06:31 hours – the fourth fastest recorded on the elite course.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n professional marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
. He has won marathons in Rome
Rome City Marathon
The Rome Marathon is an annual marathon competition hosted by the city of Rome, Italy on a Sunday of March.The competition has also doubled as the Italian Marathon championships on two occasions; in 1983 and 1986. The race date was shifted from the traditional March schedule to 1 January in 2000...
, Beijing
Beijing Marathon
The Beijing International Marathon is an annual marathon race of 42.195 km held in October in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The race was first held in 1981 and has been held every year since. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Centre stadium...
and Chuncheon
Chuncheon Marathon
The Chuncheon International Marathon is an annual marathon race which is held in late October in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea. First held in 1946, it is the second oldest marathon in the country after the Seoul International Marathon...
, and represented Kenya at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. He holds a personal best of 2:06:31 for the distance, set en-route to victory at the 2011 Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
. He also holds the fastest ever time recorded on Italian soil (2:07:17), with which he won the 2009 Rome City Marathon
Rome City Marathon
The Rome Marathon is an annual marathon competition hosted by the city of Rome, Italy on a Sunday of March.The competition has also doubled as the Italian Marathon championships on two occasions; in 1983 and 1986. The race date was shifted from the traditional March schedule to 1 January in 2000...
.
Career
Born in KapsabetKapsabet
Kapsabet is a town in the Rift Valley Province, Kenya. It is the capital of Nandi Central District. Kapsabet hosts a municipal council and divisional headquarters of Kapsabet administrative division...
, Kenya, he was introduced to elite coach Claudio Berardelli by a friend and became part of the same training group as Martin Lel
Martin Lel
Martin Kiptolo Lel is a Kenyan long distance and marathon runner. He won the London Marathon in 2005, 2007, and 2008, the New York City Marathon in 2003 and 2007 and the Great North Run in 2007 and 2009. His personal best time, , is 2:05:15, which he ran in the 2008 London Marathon setting a...
. He started his career as a pacemaker for road races
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
and it was in the process of these duties that he completed his first marathon – he paced athletes at the 2006 Florence Marathon
Florence Marathon
The Florence Marathon is an annual full-length marathon race which takes place in late November in Florence, Italy. Established in 1984, the international competition has significantly grown in size since its inaugural edition of 462 runners – a total of 10,211 runners started the 2010 edition,...
, where he was seventh with a time of 2:16:08 for the distance. The following year he was fourth at the Brescia Marathon and then improved his best to 2:12:24 to take second place at the Lausanne Marathon
Lausanne Marathon
The Lausanne Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the Swiss city of Lausanne. The first edition was held in 1993, with the inauguration of the Olympic Museum. Ethiopia's Tesfaye Eticha won the men's competition for a record seventh time. Parallel to the marathon, a half-marathon, a 10 km, a...
. A return to the Brescia race in 2008 proved to be a pivotal point for his career as he topped the podium for the first time. Completing the race seven seconds outside of the course record, he sliced over three minutes off his previous best to win the race in 2:09:23. More success followed at the Beijing Marathon
Beijing Marathon
The Beijing International Marathon is an annual marathon race of 42.195 km held in October in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The race was first held in 1981 and has been held every year since. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Centre stadium...
in October as a front-running performance brought him his second win of the year.
His strong form continued into 2009 as he took his third consecutive win over the distance at the Rome Marathon in March. His winning time of 2:07:17 was not just a significant personal best and course record – it was the fastest marathon time ever to be recorded in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was selected for the Kenyan team at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, representing his country internationally for the first time in the men's marathon. However, he was soon left behind by the leading pack and dropped out of the race before the 30 km mark while his teammates went on to secure the Marathon World Cup. His third race of the year was the Frankfurt Marathon
Frankfurt Marathon
Frankfurt Marathon is an annual marathon held in Frankfurt, Germany in the month of October. The race, currently sponsored by BMW, is Germany's oldest city marathon.- List of winners :Key:- External links :***...
and he finished in a relatively quick time of 2:10:07, although this was only enough for seventh place as the winner Gilbert Kirwa
Gilbert Kirwa
Gilbert Kipruto Kirwa is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in long-distance running and the marathon.A Nandi from Nandi Hills, Kenya, Kirwa had no background in running when a friend, the Ugandan professional runner Nicholas Kiprono, asked him to begin training with him in 2005...
entered the all-time top twenty runners.
He participated in the 2010 Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
and led the pack at the 35 km mark, eventually taking fourth place in 2:08:01 – the second fastest run of his career at that time. The Chuncheon Marathon
Chuncheon Marathon
The Chuncheon International Marathon is an annual marathon race which is held in late October in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea. First held in 1946, it is the second oldest marathon in the country after the Seoul International Marathon...
was his next challenge that year and he broke Moses Tanui
Moses Tanui
Moses Tanui is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who won the gold medal over 10000 m at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo....
's thirteen-year-old course record by over a minute to clinch victory over Deriba Merga and Benson Barus
Benson Barus
Benson Kipchumba Barus is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon and half marathon competitions. He has a personal best of 2:07:07 hours for the distance, set at the 2011 Prague Marathon, which he won. He also won the 2009 Turin Marathon and has placed top three in Rome, Beijing...
. He made a step up in his career at his following race, as he won the 2011 Paris Marathon with a new best of 2:06:31 hours – the fourth fastest recorded on the elite course.
External links
- Marathon Info profile