Gilbert Kirwa
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Kipruto Kirwa is a Kenya
n 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 Uganda
n professional runner Nicholas Kiprono, asked him to begin training with him in 2005. Based on what he had seen in training, Jason Mbote asked if Kirwa would be a pacemaker for him at the 2008 Seoul International Marathon
in South Korea
. This was the first time Kirwa had left Kenya, and his first ever international competition, but he set a strong pace up to the 33 kilometre mark and athletics agent Gerard van de Veen signed him on the strength of the run.
He made his competitive debut in 2009, to much success: he won the Vienna Marathon
with a time of 2:08:21, in what was he first ever attempt at the distance. He won the Hamburg Half Marathon in June with a best of 1:01:52, won the 10 km race in Wierden
the following month, and took third at the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen 10 km race. Running in the Frankfurt Marathon
in October, his second race at the distance, he beat the defending champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot
and also broke the course record. His time of 2:06:14 ranked among the top-twenty fastest marathons on record. The win at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race earned the runner €95,000 in prize money and bonuses. Following this result, Kirwa stated his career ambition to challenge Haile Gebrselassie
's world record.
He signed up for the 2010 Seoul International Marathon but was beaten to the finish line by surprise winner Sylvester Teimet. Kirwa's time of 2:06:59 for a silver medal was the second fastest ever marathon recorded in South Korea after Teimet's winning time. He ran the BIG 25K in Berlin
in May and ran significantly faster than the world record pace, but still his mark of 1:11:58 was not enough to beat the race winner Samuel Kosgei.
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 and 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...
.
A Nandi
Nandi people
The Nandi people are a number of Kenyan tribes living in the highland areas of the Nandi Hills in Rift Valley Province who speak the Nandi languages. They are a sub-group of the Kalenjin people....
from Nandi Hills, Kenya
Nandi Hills, Kenya
Nandi Hills is a highland area of lush green rolling hills at the edge of the Great Rift Valley in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The scenic area is known for its tea estates, and is home to many world-renowned athletes, including Kipchoge Keino, Nandi Hills is a highland area of lush green...
, Kirwa had no background in running when a friend, the Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n professional runner Nicholas Kiprono, asked him to begin training with him in 2005. Based on what he had seen in training, Jason Mbote asked if Kirwa would be a pacemaker for him at the 2008 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...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. This was the first time Kirwa had left Kenya, and his first ever international competition, but he set a strong pace up to the 33 kilometre mark and athletics agent Gerard van de Veen signed him on the strength of the run.
He made his competitive debut in 2009, to much success: he won 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...
with a time of 2:08:21, in what was he first ever attempt at the distance. He won the Hamburg Half Marathon in June with a best of 1:01:52, won the 10 km race in Wierden
Wierden
Wierden is a town and a municipality in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel.The municipality of Wierden also includes the following towns, villages and townships:Enter, Hoge Hexel, Ypelo, Notter, Rectum, Zuna....
the following month, and took third at the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen 10 km race. Running in 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 October, his second race at the distance, he beat the defending champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot is a Kenyan marathon runner. He is known as a "true marathoner" who rarely races other distances. He has finished fifth or better in the first four international marathons he has entered....
and also broke the course record. His time of 2:06:14 ranked among the top-twenty fastest marathons on record. The win at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race earned the runner €95,000 in prize money and bonuses. Following this result, Kirwa stated his career ambition to challenge 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.
He signed up for the 2010 Seoul International Marathon but was beaten to the finish line by surprise winner Sylvester Teimet. Kirwa's time of 2:06:59 for a silver medal was the second fastest ever marathon recorded in South Korea after Teimet's winning time. He ran the BIG 25K in 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...
in May and ran significantly faster than the world record pace, but still his mark of 1:11:58 was not enough to beat the race winner Samuel Kosgei.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing 2009 Vienna Marathon Vienna 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...Vienna, Austria 1st 2:08:21 Frankfurt Marathon Frankfurt MarathonFrankfurt 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 :***...Frankfurt, Germany 1st 2:06:14 2010 Seoul Marathon Seoul International MarathonThe 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...Seoul, South Korea 2nd 2:06:59
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1:01:52 | Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
28 June 2009 |
| 25 kilometres | 1:11:58 | 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... |
9 May 2010 | |
| 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... |
2:06:14 | Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
25 October 2009 |