Florence Barsosio
Encyclopedia
Florence Jepkemoi Barsosio (born 11 August 1976 in Keiyo District
) is a Kenya
n athlete who specialises in long-distance running. Her sister, Sally Barsosio
, is also a professional runner.
She has competed at world championship finals in long-distance track event
s, cross country running
and road running
. The majority of her success has come marathon
races: she won the 2000 Turin Marathon
in her debut over the distance and has gone on to win marathons in Paris
, Madrid
, Florence
and Vienna
.
Barsosio has taken part in two New York Marathons: finishing fifth in 2000 (with her 2:27:00 personal best performance), and eleventh at the 2001 race. Her only Marathon World Championship race came in 2001 and she finished in sixth position. She has also competed over the half marathon
distance and has won the Paris Half Marathon
and Prague Half Marathon
.
, Florence began her career as a track and cross country runner. At the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
she finished 13th in the women's 5000 metres final. She was the 1996 winner of the Cross della Vallagarina
, Montefortiana Turà and Giro di Castelbuono
competitions. She also finished in 13th place at the 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
in Turin
. However, it was not until she began focusing on road running
in the early 2000s that she found greater success.
At the start of 2000, Barsosio won in her debut marathon race, taking the Turin Marathon
with a time of 2:27:58. and she took the Scalata al Castello 10 km title in Arezzo
, Italy, soon after. She remained successful on the cross country circuit, with victories at the Cross de Caceres and the Cross Campaccio. She competed in the New York City Marathon
later that year and recorded a personal best time of 2:27:00 to take fifth place. The following year she won both the Paris Marathon
and Paris Half Marathon
races and managed a sixth place finish in the women's marathon at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
. She also took third at the New York Mini Marathon, eleventh at the New York Marathon, and won the Prague Half Marathon
. After two successful seasons of road running, she decided to take time away from competition to get married and have a child.
and finished in second place at the Dublin Marathon
. She ran virtually unopposed at the Florence Marathon
that year, beating second placed Marcella Mancini
by over five minutes. Barsosio's time of 2:29:11 was much faster than her previous outings and she was confident of returning to her full pre-pregnancy form for the following season.
Continuing to focus on the marathon in 2005, she finished second to Lidiya Grigoryeva at the Paris Marathon, although her time of 2:27:19 was her second fastest ever. A dominant performance followed at the Vienna Marathon
: a high temperature affected all the runners, but she won the race by over eight minutes despite the fact that the race had no pacemaker. She closed the year with a second place finish at the Taipei International Marathon in Taiwan
, beaten to the title by Jane Ekimat Auro. She took second place at the Madrid Marathon in 2006.
Keiyo District
Keiyo District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The district was formed in 1994, when Elgeyo/Marakwet-District was split into two, the other half is Marakwet District of today. Keiyo District has a population of 143.865...
) is a Kenya
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 athlete who specialises in long-distance running. Her sister, Sally Barsosio
Sally Barsosio
Sally Barsosio is a Kenyan distance runner. , Barsosio is the youngest ever medallist at the World Junior Championships in Athletics...
, is also a professional runner.
She has competed at world championship finals in long-distance track event
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
s, cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and 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...
. The majority of her success has come 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...
races: she won the 2000 Turin Marathon
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
in her debut over the distance and has gone on to win marathons in Paris
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....
, Madrid
Madrid Marathon
Maratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid is an annual marathon race which takes place in Madrid, Spain, in late April. The event was first held in 1978 and has since gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had over 10,000 runners participate in the 2010 edition...
, Florence
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,...
and Vienna
Vienna Marathon
The Vienna City Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km held in Vienna, Austria since 1984. The first edition was held on March 25, 1984 with a total of 794 competitors...
.
Barsosio has taken part in two New York Marathons: finishing fifth in 2000 (with her 2:27:00 personal best performance), and eleventh at the 2001 race. Her only Marathon World Championship race came in 2001 and she finished in sixth position. She has also competed over the 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...
distance and has won the Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France. It currently holds IAAF Bronze Label status....
and Prague Half Marathon
Prague Half Marathon
The Prague Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Spring on the city streets of Prague, Czech Republic. Known as the Hervis Prague Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons, it holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, making it the foremost race of its type in...
.
Early career
The older sister of 10,000 metres World Champion Sally BarsosioSally Barsosio
Sally Barsosio is a Kenyan distance runner. , Barsosio is the youngest ever medallist at the World Junior Championships in Athletics...
, Florence began her career as a track and cross country runner. At the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
she finished 13th in the women's 5000 metres final. She was the 1996 winner of the Cross della Vallagarina
Cross della Vallagarina
The Cross della Vallagarina is an annual cross country running competition that is held in mid-January in Rovereto, Italy. The competition derives its name from the Vallagarina valley in which the city is located. It was first held in 1978 following the success of local runner Cristina Tomasini at...
, Montefortiana Turà and Giro di Castelbuono
Giro di Castelbuono
The Giro di Castelbuono is an annual road running competition over 10 kilometres which takes place in Castelbuono, on the island of Sicily, Italy...
competitions. She also finished in 13th place at the 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 25th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on 23 March 1997 in Turin, Italy.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- External links :**...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. However, it was not until she began focusing on 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...
in the early 2000s that she found greater success.
At the start of 2000, Barsosio won in her debut marathon race, taking the Turin Marathon
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
with a time of 2:27:58. and she took the Scalata al Castello 10 km title in Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, Italy, soon after. She remained successful on the cross country circuit, with victories at the Cross de Caceres and the Cross Campaccio. She competed in the 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...
later that year and recorded a personal best time of 2:27:00 to take fifth place. The following year she won both the 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 Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France. It currently holds IAAF Bronze Label status....
races and managed a sixth place finish in the women's marathon at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
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...
. She also took third at the New York Mini Marathon, eleventh at the New York Marathon, and won the Prague Half Marathon
Prague Half Marathon
The Prague Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Spring on the city streets of Prague, Czech Republic. Known as the Hervis Prague Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons, it holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, making it the foremost race of its type in...
. After two successful seasons of road running, she decided to take time away from competition to get married and have a child.
Return from pregnancy
She made her competitive return in 2004 and soon regained her international standing. She won the Madrid MarathonMadrid Marathon
Maratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid is an annual marathon race which takes place in Madrid, Spain, in late April. The event was first held in 1978 and has since gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had over 10,000 runners participate in the 2010 edition...
and finished in second place 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....
. She ran virtually unopposed at the 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,...
that year, beating second placed Marcella Mancini
Marcella Mancini
Marcella Mancini is an Italian long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. A two-time Italian champion in the marathon, she has twice represented Italy at the international level – at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and the 2006 European Championships Marathon...
by over five minutes. Barsosio's time of 2:29:11 was much faster than her previous outings and she was confident of returning to her full pre-pregnancy form for the following season.
Continuing to focus on the marathon in 2005, she finished second to Lidiya Grigoryeva at the Paris Marathon, although her time of 2:27:19 was her second fastest ever. A dominant performance followed at the Vienna Marathon
Vienna Marathon
The Vienna City Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km held in Vienna, Austria since 1984. The first edition was held on March 25, 1984 with a total of 794 competitors...
: a high temperature affected all the runners, but she won the race by over eight minutes despite the fact that the race had no pacemaker. She closed the year with a second place finish at the Taipei International Marathon in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, beaten to the title by Jane Ekimat Auro. She took second place at the Madrid Marathon in 2006.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track | 3000 m | 8:53.50 | Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of... , France |
16 July 1997 |
| 5000 m | 15:20.51 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
26 August 1997 | |
| 10,000 m | 34:01.0 | Novara Novara Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin... , Italy |
24 April 2005 | |
| Road | 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... |
1:11:09 | Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France |
13 March 2000 |
| 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... |
2:27:00 | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , United States |
5 November 2000 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Major competition record
| Year | Tournament | Place | Result | Distance | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | World Championships in Athletics 1995 World Championships in Athletics The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations.... |
Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Sweden |
13th | 5000 metres | 15:56.96 |
| 1997 | World Cross Country Championships 1997 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 25th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on 23 March 1997 in Turin, Italy.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- External links :**... |
Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy |
13th | Long race | 21:36 |
| 2001 2001 in athletics (track and field) This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field, cross country and road running, in the year 2001.The foremost competition of the season was the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton, Canada... |
World Championships in Athletics 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... |
Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census... , Canada |
6th | Marathon | 2:28:36 |
Other competitions
- 1st – 2000 Turin MarathonTurin MarathonThe Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
, 2:27:58 - 1st – 2001 Paris MarathonParis MarathonThe 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....
- 1st – 2001 Paris Half MarathonParis Half MarathonParis Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France. It currently holds IAAF Bronze Label status....
- 1st – 2001 Prague Half MarathonPrague Half MarathonThe Prague Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Spring on the city streets of Prague, Czech Republic. Known as the Hervis Prague Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons, it holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, making it the foremost race of its type in...
- 1st – 2004 Madrid MarathonMadrid MarathonMaratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid is an annual marathon race which takes place in Madrid, Spain, in late April. The event was first held in 1978 and has since gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had over 10,000 runners participate in the 2010 edition...
- 2nd – 2004 Dublin MarathonDublin MarathonThe 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....
- 1st – 2004 Florence MarathonFlorence MarathonThe 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,...
- 2nd – 2005 Paris MarathonParis MarathonThe 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....
- 1st – 2005 Vienna MarathonVienna MarathonThe Vienna City Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km held in Vienna, Austria since 1984. The first edition was held on March 25, 1984 with a total of 794 competitors...
- 2nd – 2005 Taipei International Marathon
- 2nd – 2006 Madrid MarathonMadrid MarathonMaratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid is an annual marathon race which takes place in Madrid, Spain, in late April. The event was first held in 1978 and has since gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had over 10,000 runners participate in the 2010 edition...