Lydia Cheromei
Encyclopedia
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. She specializes in long distance running. She rose to fame at the age of thirteen with a win in the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
. She took some years away from competition, citing burnout
Burnout (psychology)
Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners have the highest proportion of burnout cases; according to a recent Dutch study in Psychological Reports, no less than 40% of these experienced high levels of...
, and returned in the mid-nineties, making an appearance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Cheromei enjoyed success on the roads, taking wins at the Saint Silvester Road Race and came sixth on the track at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. She did not compete from 2000 to 2004 due to private problems, and missed another two years of competition after a positive doping test in 2006.
Cheromei returned in 2008 and began competing 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, followed by the Italian Coach Gabriele Nicola, taking a debut win 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:...
.
Junior and burnout
Cheromei was bronze medalist at the World Junior Championships1990 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1990 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com...
and won the junior category of the World Cross Country Championships in 1991
1991 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 19th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 24, 1991 in Antwerp, Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- External links :**- References :...
at the age of 13. She won Kenyan trials for the 1991 World Championships
1991 World Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
, but was considered too young to compete in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. She was at the time coached by Sister Christine Heverin of Singore Girls Secondary School. Her brother, Joseph Cheromei, is also a runner.
She was mostly inactive between 1994–1997, since the young runner had allegedly burnt out. She made a comeback but had another three year break until 2004 due to private problems.
Return to running and doping ban
Cheromei has three victories (1999, 2000 and 2004) at Saint Silvester Road Race held annually in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. She won the 2004 Zevenheuvelenloop
Zevenheuvelenloop
Zevenheuvelenloop is an annual 15 kilometres road running race held in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It was first organised in 1984 and has grown to be one of the largest road races in the Netherlands; it attracted over 30,000 runners in 2008...
by running 47:02, the second best 15K time ever.
In 2006 Cheromei was found guilty of clomiphene doping. The sample was delivered on 24 February 2005 in an out-of-competition test in Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
. She received an IAAF suspension from May 2005 to May 2007. She claimed she was taking the substance under the prescription of her doctor as she was undergoing fertility treatment at the time of testing. She gave birth to a daughter, Faith Chelagat, seven months after the doping test. The ban remained as she did not inform the relevant authorities of the information.
Marathon running
Cheromei won the 2008 Rotterdam Half MarathonRotterdam 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...
with a course record of 68:35; the previous record (69:13) had been set by herself in 2004 when she also won the event.
She had a successful marathon debut by winning the 2008 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:...
and timing 2.25.27. In the 2009 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...
she finished 2nd behind Nailya Yulamanova of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
She ran at the 2011 Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
and secured second place behind Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia
Aselefech Mergia Medessa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She began taking part in professional road races in 2006, starting with a seventh place finish at the Delhi Half Marathon....
– her time of 2:23:01 marked an improvement upon her previous best of more than three minutes. She broke the course record at 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...
in April and her winning time of 1:07:33 marked a career improvement for the distance of well over a minute. The following month she made a successful return to the city, winning the Prague Marathon in a course record time of 2:22:34, again a personal best. In October she won the Marseille-Cassis Classic with a course record run of 1:08:23 hours, but managed only fifth at the Delhi Half Marathon the following month.
Achievements
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | World Junior Championships 1990 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 3rd World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1990 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com... |
Plovdiv Plovdiv Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
3rd | 10,000 m | |
| 1991 | World Cross Country Championships 1991 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 19th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 24, 1991 in Antwerp, Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- External links :**- References :... |
Antwerp, Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
1st | Junior race | |
| 1992 | World Cross Country Championships 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 20th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 21, 1992 in Boston, United States.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- External links :**... |
Boston Boston Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
3rd | Junior race | |
| 1995 | IAAF Grand Prix Final 1995 IAAF Grand Prix Final The 11th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Stade Louis II in Monte Carlo, Monaco on September 9th, 1995.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
7th | 3000 m | |
| 1996 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, 44 events in athletics were contested, 24 by men and 20 by women. There were a total number of 2053 participating athletes from 191 countries.-Men:... |
Atlanta, United States | 10th (heats) | 10,000 m | |
| 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 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... |
11th | Long race | |
| World Championships 1997 World Championships in Athletics The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
5th | 5000 m 1997 World Championships in Athletics - Women's 5000 metres These are the official results of the Women's 5,000 metres event at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece. There were a total number of 42 participating athletes, with two qualifying heats and the final held on Saturday 1997-08-09.-First round:... |
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| IAAF Grand Prix Final 1997 IAAF Grand Prix Final The 13th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Hakata-no-mori Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan on September 13, 1997.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
2nd | 5000 m | ||
| 2000 | World Cross Country Championships 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 28th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 18-19 March 2000 in Vilamoura, Portugal.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :... |
Vilamoura Vilamoura Vilamoura is in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve, Portugal. Its boundaries lie within the parish of Quarteira. Vilamoura is a purpose built resort and Marina which was started from scratch by a wealthy banker from Porto, Cupertino de Miranda. The resort was started in 1974 and is still... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
4th | Long race | |
| Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 46 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 22 for women. There were a total number of 2134 participating athletes from 193 countries.-Men's events:... |
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
6th | 5000 m | ||
| IAAF Grand Prix Final 2000 IAAF Grand Prix Final The 16th IAAF Grand Prix Final was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on October 5, 2000.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
Doha Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar... , Qatar Qatar Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its... |
4th | 3000 m | ||
| 2001 | World Cross Country Championships 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 29th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 24–25 March 2001 in Ostend, Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Oostende, Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
3rd | Long race | |
| 2004 | World Half Marathon Championships 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 13th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 3, 2004 in New Delhi, India. A total of 152 athletes, 91 men and 61 women, from 55 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*... |
New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... , India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
2nd | Half marathon | |
| 2008 | 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:... |
Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1st | Marathon | |
Personal bests
- 1500 metres1500 metresThe 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
- 4:13.06 min (2000) - 3000 metres3000 metresThe 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
- 8:29.14 min (2000) - 5000 metres5000 metresThe 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...
- 14:46.72 min (1997) - 10,000 metres - 31:41.09 min (1992)
- 10 kilometres - 31:33 min (2004)
- 15 kilometres - 47:02 min (2004)
- 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...
- 1:07:33 hrs (2011) - MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
- 2:22:34 hrs (2011)