İlham Tanui Özbilen is a middle distance runner

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...

 now representing Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

.

Tanui won the 1500 metres at the 2009 World Athletics Final

2009 IAAF World Athletics Final

The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...

 in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. Tanui holds the current world junior record in the mile run

Mile run

The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...

 with his clocking of 3:49.29 minutes, achieved in Oslo

Bislett stadion

Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...

 on 3 July 2009. Tanui was also part of the Kenyan team (with Gideon Gathimba

Gideon Gathimba

Gideon Gathimba is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.He finished fourth at the 2008 World Athletics Final and fifth at the 2009 World Athletics Final....

, Geoffrey Kipkoech Rono and Augustine Kiprono Choge) that, at the 2009 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...

 Golden League

Golden League

Golden League may refer to:*Golden Baseball League*IAAF Golden League*BIGBANK Kuldliiga...

 meeting in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, 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...

, set a new world record of 14:36.23 in the rarely contested 4 x 1500 metres relay.

Tanui switched allegiance to Turkey in June 2011, changing his name to İlham Tanui Özbilen. He will be eligible to internationally represent his adoptive country from 8 June 2013.