Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai (born October 12, 1984) is a long distance runner from Kenya
, who specialises in marathon
s. He is the sixth fastest man ever over the 42.195 km distance.
Initially running in half marathon
s, he made his debut over the full distance in 2007 and won his first race later that year at the Amsterdam Marathon
. He was fourth at both the 2008 and 2009 London Marathon
s, but managed to reach the podium at the 2009 World Championships
, claiming the silver medal
. His 2010 racing saw him finish as runner-up twice at the London and New York City Marathon
s. At the 2011 London Marathon
he won on his fourth attempt with a course record and personal best time of 2:04:40.
in the Rift Valley Province, and his extended family includes Richard Limo
, the 2001 World Champion
over 5000 metres
. Mutai began to make an impact domestically at the age of eighteen, taking third place over 10,000 metres at the Rift North Province Championships in 28:09.2 minutes.
It was on the roads of Europe that he began to make a name for himself, beginning with a win at the Nice Half Marathon in April 2006 and then a 10K best of 27:51 minutes for second place at the 10 km du Conseil Général 13 behind Edwin Soi
(one of the fastest runs that year). He fared poorly on the track at the FBK Games the following month, but improved his half marathon best to 1:00:49 hours at the highly-competitive Rotterdam Half Marathon
, where he came sixth.
in March 2007, a race which preceded his debut over the marathon distance the following month. At the Rotterdam Marathon
he completed the course in a time of 2:13:06 hours, placing seventh in a race affected by high temperatures. He defeated strong opposition in Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
and world champion Jaouad Gharib
at the Portugal Half Marathon
in September, winning the Lisbon race with a quick finish. Mutai and Richard Limo did the front running at the Amsterdam Marathon
the following month and the tactic paid off, as Mutai won his first marathon in a time of 2:06:29 hours – the second fastest mark that year after Haile Gebrselassie
's world record run.
He began 2008 with a third place finish at the 20 van Alphen race in the Netherlands. The London Marathon
was his next destination and he improved his best time to 2:06:15 hours, although this was only enough for fourth in a fast race with three men under two hours and six minutes. Mutai's next outing was also in the United Kingdom and he broke the course record for the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow
. His final run of 2008 was at the Chicago Marathon
and he began strongly, pushing the race tempo to the point where he forced the pacemaker to prematurely drop out. However, he suffered in the latter stages of the race and ended up in sixth.
broke the course record. He gained his first international selection that year as he was chosen for the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. He remained among the leading pack and the race came down to a duel between Mutai and Abel Kirui
in the latter stages. It was Kirui who took the lead to claim the title, but Mutai took the silver medal
in a time of 2:07:48 hours, which was the second fastest ever run at the event. He set a half marathon best at the end of the year, running 1:00:39 for second place behind Silas Sang
at the Portugal Half Marathon.
He ran on home turf at the beginning of 2010, coming third at the Discovery Half Marathon in Eldoret. He followed this with another personal best in Lisbon, approaching the hour mark with a time of 1:00:03 for third while Zersenay Tadese won in a world record time. At the 2010 London Marathon
, Mutai could not keep pace with eventual winner Tsegaye Kebede
, but he persevered nevertheless and made the podium for the first time, finishing in 2:06:23 for second place – his best ever placing at the race. The 2010 New York City Marathon
was a closer affair, as Mutai and Gebre Gebremariam were neck-and-neck after 40 km, but Mutai was again relegated to second as his rival pulled away to win.
with a course record and new personal best time of 2:04:40. This made him the fourth fastest runner ever over the distance.
The London race was run in nearly ideal weather conditions on Sunday 17 April: BBC news bloggers reported it was "cloudy and cool" at the start, but the temperatures warmed and the race finished (just before noon) in sunshine. There was no wind. The leaders covered mile 4 in 4:28. Mutai was with the lead group of nine racers when they reached the halfway mark at 1:02.45. The pacesetters "carried" the pack to the 30 kilometer mark in 1:29.22 (on pace for a 2:05.42 finish). After finishing his drink at the 30K aid station, Mutai accelerated and opened a lead of 15 meters. Only four other racers were able to respond, but none could catch Mutai has he covered the next 5 kilometers in a punishingly fast time of 14:16, running miles 21 and 22 in times of 4:29 and 4:32, respectively. The 26-year old Kenyan covered the second half of the marathon in 1:01.55, running the final 12 kilometers essentially by himself. His winning time of 2:04.40 was more than a minute ahead of second place (2:05.45, by 3-time London winner Martin Lel
), and he took 30 seconds off the London course record (and improved his personal best from 2:06.15).
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...
, who specialises in 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...
s. He is the sixth fastest man ever over the 42.195 km distance.
Initially running 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, he made his debut over the full distance in 2007 and won his first race later that year at the Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
. He was fourth at both the 2008 and 2009 London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
s, but managed to reach the podium at the 2009 World Championships
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....
, claiming the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. His 2010 racing saw him finish as runner-up twice at the London and New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
s. At the 2011 London Marathon
2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
he won on his fourth attempt with a course record and personal best time of 2:04:40.
Early life
Mutai grew up in Tulwet, a village near KerichoKericho
Kericho is a Kenyan County located to the South West of the country and lies within the highlands west of The Great Rift Valley. The capital of the district is Kericho town. The district home to the best of Kenyan Tea which is world famous for its brightness, attractive color, brisk flavor and...
in the Rift Valley Province, and his extended family includes Richard Limo
Richard Limo
Richard Kipkemei Limo is a Kenyan athlete. He specializes in long distance track events. He won the 5000 metres gold medal at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics....
, the 2001 World Champion
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
over 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
. Mutai began to make an impact domestically at the age of eighteen, taking third place over 10,000 metres at the Rift North Province Championships in 28:09.2 minutes.
It was on the roads of Europe that he began to make a name for himself, beginning with a win at the Nice Half Marathon in April 2006 and then a 10K best of 27:51 minutes for second place at the 10 km du Conseil Général 13 behind Edwin Soi
Edwin Soi
Edwin Cheruiyot Soi is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 and 5000 metres.His earliest honours were team gold medals with Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2006 and 2007...
(one of the fastest runs that year). He fared poorly on the track at the FBK Games the following month, but improved his half marathon best to 1:00:49 hours at the highly-competitive Rotterdam Half Marathon
Rotterdam Half Marathon
The Rotterdam Half Marathon was an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres, that was staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the second Sunday in September. The event was contested from 2004 to 2009. It was discontinued in 2010 due to lacking participation.- Winners :-External links:* from...
, where he came sixth.
Marathon debut
Mutai was fifth at the Lisbon Half MarathonLisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
in March 2007, a race which preceded his debut over the marathon distance the following month. At the Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
he completed the course in a time of 2:13:06 hours, placing seventh in a race affected by high temperatures. He defeated strong opposition in Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
Robert "Mwafrika" Kipkoech Cheruiyot , sometimes known as Omar Ahmed, is a Kenyan marathon runner and is the former record holder and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon.- Early career :...
and world champion Jaouad Gharib
Jaouad Gharib
Jaouad Gharib is a Moroccan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. Winner of the 2003 World Championships and 2005 World Championships over the distance, he is also notable because he only began running seriously at the age of twenty-two...
at 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...
in September, winning the Lisbon race with a quick finish. Mutai and Richard Limo did the front running at the Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
the following month and the tactic paid off, as Mutai won his first marathon in a time of 2:06:29 hours – the second fastest mark that year after Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
's world record run.
He began 2008 with a third place finish at the 20 van Alphen race in the Netherlands. The London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
was his next destination and he improved his best time to 2:06:15 hours, although this was only enough for fourth in a fast race with three men under two hours and six minutes. Mutai's next outing was also in the United Kingdom and he broke the course record for the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. His final run of 2008 was at the Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
and he began strongly, pushing the race tempo to the point where he forced the pacemaker to prematurely drop out. However, he suffered in the latter stages of the race and ended up in sixth.
World Championship medal
Mutai again used the Lisbon Half Marathon as preparation for a spring Marathon in 2009 and he proved to be in good form, setting a personal best of 1:00:45 hours. At the 2009 London Marathon he posted his third sub-2:07 time, but again this left him in fourth place in the perennially fast race while Samuel WanjiruSamuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
broke the course record. He gained his first international selection that year as he was chosen for the marathon 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 remained among the leading pack and the race came down to a duel between Mutai and Abel Kirui
Abel Kirui
Abel Kirui is a male long-distance runner from Kenya who competes in marathons. He had back-to-back wins in the World Championships Marathon in 2009 and 2011...
in the latter stages. It was Kirui who took the lead to claim the title, but Mutai took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in a time of 2:07:48 hours, which was the second fastest ever run at the event. He set a half marathon best at the end of the year, running 1:00:39 for second place behind Silas Sang
Silas Sang
Silas Kipngetich Sang is a Kenyan long-distance runner who mainly competes in half marathon competitions. He is a three-time winner of the Portugal Half Marathon and set his personal best of 1:00:20 hours at the race in 2009....
at the Portugal Half Marathon.
He ran on home turf at the beginning of 2010, coming third at the Discovery Half Marathon in Eldoret. He followed this with another personal best in Lisbon, approaching the hour mark with a time of 1:00:03 for third while Zersenay Tadese won in a world record time. At the 2010 London Marathon
2010 London Marathon
The 2010 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 25 April 2010. Up to 36,000 people are thought to have taken part, a record for the event. The men's event was won by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia with a time of 2:05:19 and the women's event by Liliya Shobukhova of Russia with a time of 2:22:00...
, Mutai could not keep pace with eventual winner Tsegaye Kebede
Tsegaye Kebede
Tsegaye Kebede Wordofa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including marathons. He quickly rose to become a prominent distance runner after his international debut at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2007...
, but he persevered nevertheless and made the podium for the first time, finishing in 2:06:23 for second place – his best ever placing at the race. The 2010 New York City Marathon
2010 New York City Marathon
The 41st New York City Marathon took place on Sunday , 2010. Sponsored by ING, the competition was the fifth World Marathon Major of 2010 and an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. A record 45,344 people were entered into the race. Ethiopian runner Gebregziabher Gebremariam won the men's race in a time of...
was a closer affair, as Mutai and Gebre Gebremariam were neck-and-neck after 40 km, but Mutai was again relegated to second as his rival pulled away to win.
Breakthrough at 2011 London Marathon
Mutai won his first World Marathon Major event in April 2011, taking the title at the 2011 London Marathon2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
with a course record and new personal best time of 2:04:40. This made him the fourth fastest runner ever over the distance.
The London race was run in nearly ideal weather conditions on Sunday 17 April: BBC news bloggers reported it was "cloudy and cool" at the start, but the temperatures warmed and the race finished (just before noon) in sunshine. There was no wind. The leaders covered mile 4 in 4:28. Mutai was with the lead group of nine racers when they reached the halfway mark at 1:02.45. The pacesetters "carried" the pack to the 30 kilometer mark in 1:29.22 (on pace for a 2:05.42 finish). After finishing his drink at the 30K aid station, Mutai accelerated and opened a lead of 15 meters. Only four other racers were able to respond, but none could catch Mutai has he covered the next 5 kilometers in a punishingly fast time of 14:16, running miles 21 and 22 in times of 4:29 and 4:32, respectively. The 26-year old Kenyan covered the second half of the marathon in 1:01.55, running the final 12 kilometers essentially by himself. His winning time of 2:04.40 was more than a minute ahead of second place (2:05.45, by 3-time London winner 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...
), and he took 30 seconds off the London course record (and improved his personal best from 2:06.15).
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon and half marathon
Representing 2006 Nice Half Marathon Nice, France 1st 1:01:24 2006 Rotterdam Half Marathon Rotterdam Half MarathonThe Rotterdam Half Marathon was an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres, that was staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the second Sunday in September. The event was contested from 2004 to 2009. It was discontinued in 2010 due to lacking participation.- Winners :-External links:* from...Rotterdam, Netherlands 6th 1:00:49 2007 Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon Half MarathonFirst held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...Lisbon, Portugal 1st 1:01:54 2007 Rotterdam Marathon Rotterdam MarathonThe Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...Rotterdam, Netherlands 7th 2:13:06 2007 Amsterdam Marathon Amsterdam MarathonThe Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...Amsterdam, Netherlands 1st 2:06:29 2008 Glasgow Half Marathon Glasgow, United Kingdom 1st 1:01:10 2008 Chicago Marathon Chicago MarathonThe Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...Chicago, United States 6th 2:09:52 2008 London Marathon London MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...London, United Kingdom 4th 2:06:15 2009 Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon Half MarathonFirst held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...Lisbon, Portugal 2nd 1:00:39 2009 London Marathon London MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...London, United Kingdom 4th 2:06:53 2009 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's MarathonThe Men's Marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 22, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Qualification standard:...Berlin, Germany 2nd 2:07:48 2010 Eldoret Half Marathon Eldoret 3rd 1:02:13 2010 Lisbon Half Marathon Lisbon Half MarathonFirst held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...Lisbon, Portugal 3rd 1:00:03 2010 London Marathon London MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...London, United Kingdom 2nd 2:06:23 2010 New York Marathon New York City 2nd 2:09:18 2011 London Marathon London MarathonThe London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...London, United Kingdom 1st 2:04:40 (course record) 2011 Great North Run Great North RunThe Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...South Shields South ShieldsSouth Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...3rd 59:52 (downhill course)