Caroline Kilel
Encyclopedia
Caroline Cheptanui Kilel (born 21 March 1981) is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who competes road running
competitions, including the marathon
. She was the winner at the 2011 Boston Marathon
and the 2010 Frankfurt Marathon
.
Kilel has also won marathons in Ljubljana, Taipei, Nairobi and Palermo. Her personal best for the distance is 2:22:36 hours (set in Boston, 2011). She also competes in half marathon
s and has a personal best of 1:08:16 hours over that distance.
she finished eighth in the long race, while the Kenyan team, of which Kilel was a part, won the silver medal in the team competition. After having runner-up finishes at the 2003 Venice Marathon
and 2004 Prague Marathon, she won her first race over the classic distance at the Palermo City Marathon, knocking over five minutes off the former course record with her time of 2:31:15 hours. She finished sixteenth at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
and won the Nairobi Marathon
that year. In other competitions, she won the Semi-Marathon Marvejols-Mende and came seventh at the Hamburg Marathon
.
She began to focus exclusively on road events from 2006 onwards. She had top three finishes at the Dublin Marathon
and Prague Marathon that year and set a half marathon
personal best of 1:10:45 hours to win the Great Scottish Run. Her 2007 season was a low point, as she was out of the top five at both the RAK Half Marathon and the Seoul International Marathon
at the start of the year and did not compete after March. She returned to action in December 2008 and was in good form; she set a personal best to win the Pune Half Marathon then ran her second fastest ever time for the marathon (2:30:44) to claim the title at the Taipei International Marathon.
In 2009 she was third at the BIG 25 Berlin race and attended the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
in Birmingham
, England. She just missed out on the podium, finishing fourth, although she had managed to set a personal best of 1:08:16 as well as help Kenya to the team gold. She then went on to set a new personal best with a win at the Ljubljana Marathon
a few weeks later, improving her previous mark by almost five minutes and setting a new course record in the process. She also won the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow for a second time and topped the podium at the Montferland Run
15K race.
The following year, Kilel took part in the 2010 Seoul International Marathon
and clocked 2:26:58 for third place. That October she had her biggest win on the circuit, taking the women's title at the Frankfurt Marathon
in a new course record and personal best of 2:23:25 hours, defeating Dire Tune
by 19 seconds. She competed in numerous other events that year, including wins at the 20 kilomètres de Maroilles, Zwolle Half Marathon and Scottish Run.
In April 2011, Kilel won the Boston Marathon
in 2:22:36 beating American Desiree Davila
, who ran the fastest Boston Marathon for an American women, by two seconds. She stayed on in Boston to compete at the inaugural B.A.A. 10K
, which she also won in a time of 31:58 minutes. In September she came third in a Kenyan sweep of the Portugal Half Marathon
, behind Mary Keitany and Helena Kirop
.
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 long-distance runner who competes road running
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...
competitions, including the 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...
. She was the winner at the 2011 Boston Marathon
2011 Boston Marathon
The 2011 Boston Marathon took place on Monday, April 18, 2011. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the men's race in a time of 2:03:02. In recognizing Mutai's mark as the "fastest Marathon ever run", the International Association of Athletics Federations noted that the performance was not eligible for...
and the 2010 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 :***...
.
Kilel has also won marathons in Ljubljana, Taipei, Nairobi and Palermo. Her personal best for the distance is 2:22:36 hours (set in Boston, 2011). She also competes in half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
s and has a personal best of 1:08:16 hours over that distance.
Career
At the 2003 World Cross Country Championships2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
she finished eighth in the long race, while the Kenyan team, of which Kilel was a part, won the silver medal in the team competition. After having runner-up finishes at the 2003 Venice Marathon
Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon is a marathon road race that has been held each year in Venice since 1986, usually in October. The race is currently sponsored by Casino di Venezia , and thus it is known as the Casino di Venezia Venice Marathon. Ponte della Libertà and Parco San Giuliano are among the landmarks...
and 2004 Prague Marathon, she won her first race over the classic distance at the Palermo City Marathon, knocking over five minutes off the former course record with her time of 2:31:15 hours. She finished sixteenth at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Edmonton, Canada on 1 October 2005. This was the final World Half Marathon Championships to be staged, the competition being replaced by the World Road Running Championships in 2006. A total of 156 athletes, 87 men and 69 women, from 43...
and won the Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon is an annual road running competition over the marathon distance which held in October in Nairobi, Kenya. First held in 2003, the competition expanded and now includes a half marathon race along with the main race....
that year. In other competitions, she won the Semi-Marathon Marvejols-Mende and came seventh at the Hamburg Marathon
Hamburg Marathon
The Hamburg Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of held in Hamburg, Germany. In 2009, 13,938 participants were counted.- History :The first edition took place in 1986 with about 8,000 participants...
.
She began to focus exclusively on road events from 2006 onwards. She had top three finishes at the Dublin Marathon
Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon is an annual marathon in Dublin, Ireland, normally held on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year since 1980, in 2007 there were about 11,000 race participants, half of whom were from overseas....
and Prague Marathon that year and set a half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
personal best of 1:10:45 hours to win the Great Scottish Run. Her 2007 season was a low point, as she was out of the top five at both the RAK Half Marathon and the Seoul International Marathon
Seoul International Marathon
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
at the start of the year and did not compete after March. She returned to action in December 2008 and was in good form; she set a personal best to win the Pune Half Marathon then ran her second fastest ever time for the marathon (2:30:44) to claim the title at the Taipei International Marathon.
In 2009 she was third at the BIG 25 Berlin race and attended the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series.-Organisation:...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. She just missed out on the podium, finishing fourth, although she had managed to set a personal best of 1:08:16 as well as help Kenya to the team gold. She then went on to set a new personal best with a win at the Ljubljana Marathon
Ljubljana Marathon
Ljubljana Marathon is a marathon, organised in Ljubljana by the City Municipality of Ljubljana . It has been taking place since 1996 and attracts several thousand people each year...
a few weeks later, improving her previous mark by almost five minutes and setting a new course record in the process. She also won the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow for a second time and topped the podium at the Montferland Run
Montferland Run
Montferland Run is a 15-kilometres road running competition held every December in 's-Heerenberg, Montferland municipality, the Netherlands.-Winners:Key:- External links :**...
15K race.
The following year, Kilel took part in the 2010 Seoul International Marathon
Seoul International Marathon
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
and clocked 2:26:58 for third place. That October she had her biggest win on the circuit, taking the women's title at 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 :***...
in a new course record and personal best of 2:23:25 hours, defeating Dire Tune
Dire Tune
Dire Tune is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.Tune competed in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships. At the 2006 World Road Running Championships she finished fourth in the individual competition. This was good enough to help Ethiopia win a silver medal in the team competition.On April 21,...
by 19 seconds. She competed in numerous other events that year, including wins at the 20 kilomètres de Maroilles, Zwolle Half Marathon and Scottish Run.
In April 2011, Kilel won the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 2:22:36 beating American Desiree Davila
Desiree Davila
Desiree Nicole Davila is an American long-distance track runner.In the Road Running World Championships 2006 in Debrecen she finished in 43rd place and 2007 in Udine in 34th...
, who ran the fastest Boston Marathon for an American women, by two seconds. She stayed on in Boston to compete at the inaugural B.A.A. 10K
B.A.A. 10K
The B.A.A. 10K is an annual road running event for men and women over that takes place in June in Boston in the United States. A total of 3040 people finished the race at the inaugural edition....
, which she also won in a time of 31:58 minutes. In September she came third in a Kenyan sweep of the Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon is an annual half marathon contested every September in Lisbon, Portugal.A new, faster course was established for the race in 2010 and 25 km record holder Mary Keitany duly responded by setting a women's course record of 1:08:46...
, behind Mary Keitany and Helena Kirop
Helena Kirop
Helena Loshanyang Kirop is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in marathon running. Her personal best for the distance is 2:23:37 hours and she has won the Prague International Marathon and Venice Marathon....
.
Personal bests
- 10,000 metres - 32:27.8 min (2005)
- Half marathonHalf marathonA half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
- 1:08:16 hrs (2009) - MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
- 2:22:36 hrs (2011)