Mercy Cherono
Encyclopedia
Mercy Cherono (born 7 May 1991 in Kericho
) is a Kenyan middle distance
runner. She is a two-time world junior champion
in the 3000 metres
(2008, 2010) and has also won gold medals at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
and 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
. She has been a success junior athlete in cross country running
, taking the silver medals in the junior team and individual competitions at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and improving to the gold medals at the 2010 edition
.
in Mombasa
and she finished 23rd in the junior race. She reached her first international podium at the 2007 World Youth Championships
as she ran a championship record time of 8:53.94 to win the gold medal
in the 3000 metres
. She had a successful cross county
season at the end of the year, taking 6 km junior race victories in three of the Athletics Kenya
meetings.
She did not receive selection for the 2008 World Cross Country Championships
, but instead focused on track running. First she added a junior title to her youth 3000 m win, beating Bizunesh Urgesa
in a time of 8:58.07 to win the gold at the 2008 World Junior Championships
in Bydgoszcz, and then she won the gold at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
, running largely uncontested to set a Games record time.
Her place on the Kenyan world cross country team looked uncertain in 2009 as head coach Julius Kirwa dismissed her chances, saying she had run too many races that season. Cherono replied by taking the lead immediately at the Kenyan Trials and winning the junior race by a margin of thirteen seconds. At the 2009 World Cross Country Championships
in Amman
, Cherono engaged in a race-long duel with Genzebe Dibaba
in the junior race. Cherono took the lead in the final stages but a difficult stretch with a 40-metre climb enabled Dibaba to overtake her and Cherono ended up with the silver medal
. At the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
, Cherono eased to the 3000 m title by some 13 seconds but found herself beaten again by Genzebe Dibaba in 5000 m race, finishing with the silver medal. She competed on the senior track circuit that year and was third at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
, recording a personal best of 8:44.67 for the 300 m. She took third for a second time at the Memorial van Damme
in September, recording personal bests in the 1500 metres
and 2000 metres and beaten only by reigning world champions Gelete Burka and Vivian Cheruiyot
.
She won a junior cross country race on home turf in Kericho in late 2009, but failed to reach the top three at the 2010 Kenyan Trials. Her fourth place finish was enough to gain a place on the team for the 2010 World Cross Country Championships
. Cherono rose to the occasion at the World Championships in Bydgoszcz, the same location as her 2008 World Junior win. She led with her Kenyan team-mates for much of the race and she won by a margin of seven seconds, leading home a 1-2-3-4 victory for the Kenyan team. Despite the significant winning margin, she did not need to push herself to the victory, later saying: "In the second lap, I had a lot left". She made her first outing on the IAAF Diamond League
circuit in May, running a personal best of 14:47.13 for seventh in the 5000 metres
at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
. At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
, Cherono became the first woman to retain the 3000 m junior title as she held off a challenge from Emebet Anteneh to become the first gold medallist of the event. She also won a silver medal in the 5000 m, finishing behind Genzebe Dibaba
.
Taking to the senior circuit, she ran at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
in August and took second in the 3000 m behind Sylvia Kibet
, setting a new lifetime best of 8:42.09. She turned her focus to senior cross country and won at the AK meet in Kericho
in November, while her sister Caroline Chepkoech went on to win the junior race. She was chosen as the most promising sportswoman at Kenya's annual SOYA Awards. In January 2011 she ran at the Discovery Kenya Cross Country meet in Eldoret
, but misjudged her run and slipped into fourth place near the end.
Cherono came thirteenth in the national senior cross country race in February 2011. Although she missed out on a place for the world team, she headed to the newly created 2011 African Cross Country Championships
and won the gold in a medal sweep alongside Viola Kibiwot
and Doris Changeywo
. Her cross country season ended with a top three finish at the Trofeo Alasport
.
and eventually Ngariet Secondary School in Sotik. She is coached by Gabriel Kiptanui and managed by Gabriel Rosa. She is the oldest of six siblings. Her younger sister Sharon Chepkorir is also a runner. Their father John Koech runs a training camp in Kipajit village.
Cherono won the Most Promising Sportswoman of the Year category at the 2009 Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year
awards, and repeated by winning the same category the next year.
Kericho
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...
) is a Kenyan middle distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
runner. She is a two-time world junior champion
IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics
The IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics are the world championships for junior aged athletes athletes, organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is held biennially since 1986.-Championships:-Men:-Women:-External links:* at...
in the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 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...
(2008, 2010) and has also won gold medals at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *...
and 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia....
. She has been a success junior athlete in 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...
, taking the silver medals in the junior team and individual competitions at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
and improving to the gold medals at the 2010 edition
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
.
Career
Cherono made her first international appearance at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
and she finished 23rd in the junior race. She reached her first international podium at the 2007 World Youth Championships
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *...
as she ran a championship record time of 8:53.94 to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 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...
. She had a successful cross county
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...
season at the end of the year, taking 6 km junior race victories in three of the Athletics Kenya
Athletics Kenya
Athletics Kenya is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Kenya. It is a member of the IAAF and Confederation of African Athletics. AK organises athletics competitions held in Kenya. It also sends Kenyan teams to international championships. Isaiah Kiplagat is the current chairman of...
meetings.
She did not receive selection for the 2008 World Cross Country Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, but instead focused on track running. First she added a junior title to her youth 3000 m win, beating Bizunesh Urgesa
Bizunesh Urgesa
Bizunesh Mohammed Urgesa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in the marathon.She started out as a 800 and 1500 metres runner. She ran in the latter event at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics and won the bronze medal, setting a personal best of 4:19.34 minutes...
in a time of 8:58.07 to win the gold at the 2008 World Junior Championships
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
in Bydgoszcz, and then she won the gold at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
2008 Commonwealth Youth Games
The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia....
, running largely uncontested to set a Games record time.
Her place on the Kenyan world cross country team looked uncertain in 2009 as head coach Julius Kirwa dismissed her chances, saying she had run too many races that season. Cherono replied by taking the lead immediately at the Kenyan Trials and winning the junior race by a margin of thirteen seconds. At the 2009 World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Cherono engaged in a race-long duel with Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu....
in the junior race. Cherono took the lead in the final stages but a difficult stretch with a 40-metre climb enabled Dibaba to overtake her and Cherono ended up with 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....
. At the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
2009 African Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships were held in Bambous, Mauritius from 30 July to 2 August. There were 41 events in total, of which 21 were contested by male athletes and 20 by female athletes. Multiple gold medallists Caster Semenya and Amaka Ogoegbunam broke championships records,...
, Cherono eased to the 3000 m title by some 13 seconds but found herself beaten again by Genzebe Dibaba in 5000 m race, finishing with the silver medal. She competed on the senior track circuit that year and was third at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge....
, recording a personal best of 8:44.67 for the 300 m. She took third for a second time at the Memorial van Damme
Memorial Van Damme
Memorial van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium that takes place in late August or early September...
in September, recording personal bests in the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 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...
and 2000 metres and beaten only by reigning world champions Gelete Burka and Vivian Cheruiyot
Vivian Cheruiyot
Vivian Cheruiyot is an athlete from Kenya who specialises in long distance running. She represented Kenya at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics...
.
She won a junior cross country race on home turf in Kericho in late 2009, but failed to reach the top three at the 2010 Kenyan Trials. Her fourth place finish was enough to gain a place on the team for the 2010 World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
. Cherono rose to the occasion at the World Championships in Bydgoszcz, the same location as her 2008 World Junior win. She led with her Kenyan team-mates for much of the race and she won by a margin of seven seconds, leading home a 1-2-3-4 victory for the Kenyan team. Despite the significant winning margin, she did not need to push herself to the victory, later saying: "In the second lap, I had a lot left". She made her first outing on the IAAF Diamond League
IAAF Diamond League
The Samsung Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings held from 2010 onwards, beginning with the 2010 IAAF Diamond League...
circuit in May, running a personal best of 14:47.13 for seventh in the 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...
at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix
The Shanghai Golden Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, PR China as part of the IAAF Diamond League. The meeting has had its inaugural edition in 2005...
. At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 13th World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes under the age of 20 which was held at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from 19–25 July 2010. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the Championships, 22 by male...
, Cherono became the first woman to retain the 3000 m junior title as she held off a challenge from Emebet Anteneh to become the first gold medallist of the event. She also won a silver medal in the 5000 m, finishing behind Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu....
.
Taking to the senior circuit, she ran at the Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
Rieti IAAF Grand Prix
The Rieti Meeting is an annual athletics event at the Stadio Raul Guidobaldi in Rieti, Italy that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF World Challenge....
in August and took second in the 3000 m behind Sylvia Kibet
Sylvia Kibet
Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet is an Kenyan long-distance runner. She was the silver medallist at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in the 5000 metres...
, setting a new lifetime best of 8:42.09. She turned her focus to senior cross country and won at the AK meet in Kericho
Kericho
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 November, while her sister Caroline Chepkoech went on to win the junior race. She was chosen as the most promising sportswoman at Kenya's annual SOYA Awards. In January 2011 she ran at the Discovery Kenya Cross Country meet 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...
, but misjudged her run and slipped into fourth place near the end.
Cherono came thirteenth in the national senior cross country race in February 2011. Although she missed out on a place for the world team, she headed to the newly created 2011 African Cross Country Championships
2011 African Cross Country Championships
The 1st African Cross Country Championships was an international cross country running competition for African athletes which was held on 6 March 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa...
and won the gold in a medal sweep alongside Viola Kibiwot
Viola Kibiwot
Viola Jelagat Kibiwot is a runner form Kenya who specialises in 1500 metres.Kibiwot won her first international medal as a junior runner at the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where she took the bronze medal for Kenya...
and Doris Changeywo
Doris Changeywo
Doris Chepkwemoi Changeywo is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the 10,000 metres and cross country running....
. Her cross country season ended with a top three finish at the Trofeo Alasport
Trofeo Alasport
The Trofeo Alasport, also known as the Cross di Alà dei Sardi, is an annual cross country running competition which takes place in March in Alà dei Sardi on the Italian island of Sardinia. Unusually for a high-profile cross country event, it has often been held after the IAAF World Cross Country...
.
Personal
Cherono is from Kipajit village, near Sotik town. She started running while at Kipajit Primary School and later moved to Chelimo Primary School 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...
and eventually Ngariet Secondary School in Sotik. She is coached by Gabriel Kiptanui and managed by Gabriel Rosa. She is the oldest of six siblings. Her younger sister Sharon Chepkorir is also a runner. Their father John Koech runs a training camp in Kipajit village.
Cherono won the Most Promising Sportswoman of the Year category at the 2009 Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year
Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year
Kenyan Sport Personality of the Year Awards, also known as SOYA Awards, are annual national awards given for sports personalities and organisations in Kenya. The awards were initiated in 2004 by Paul Tergat. The awards for each year are held at the beginning of the next year Kenyan Sport...
awards, and repeated by winning the same category the next year.
Achievements
| 2007 | World Cross Country Championships 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Mombasa Mombasa Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.... , Kenya |
23rd | Junior race |
| World Youth Championships 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *... |
Ostrava Ostrava Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the... , Czech Republic |
1st | 3000 m | |
| 2008 | World Junior Championships 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008.... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland | 1st | 3000 m |
| Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games The 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Pune, India, a city in the state of Maharashtra. They were the third Commonwealth Youth Games, which are held every four years; they were the first Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Asia.... |
Pune Pune Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ... , India |
1st | 3000 m | |
| 2009 | World Cross Country Championships 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition... |
Amman Amman Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost... , Jordan |
2nd | Junior race |
| 2nd | Junior team | |||
| African Junior Championships 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships The 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships were held in Bambous, Mauritius from 30 July to 2 August. There were 41 events in total, of which 21 were contested by male athletes and 20 by female athletes. Multiple gold medallists Caster Semenya and Amaka Ogoegbunam broke championships records,... |
Bambous, Mauritius | 1st | 3000 m | |
| 2nd | 5000 m | |||
| 2010 | World Cross Country Championships 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking... |
Bydgoszcz, Poland | 1st | Junior race |
| 1st | Junior team | |||
| World Junior Championships 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 13th World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes under the age of 20 which was held at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from 19–25 July 2010. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the Championships, 22 by male... |
Moncton, Canada | 1st | 3000 m | |
| 2nd | 5000 m |