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Astonishing records broken by Kenyans athletes

Monday, November 4th, 2019 08:48 | By

Whenever a world record is broken in athletics, Kenyan athletes are never far away. In just over two weeks, two records have been set in the marathons one legitimate, the other one not and the number is increasing by the day.

Brigid Kosgei 

(Chicago 2019)

The latest on the list of record breakers, Brigid Kosgei stunned the world when she lowered a 16-year record held by Britain’s Paula Radcliffe by an astonishing 81 seconds. Kosgei clocked 2:14:04 in the Chicago Marathon just over two weeks ago to assert herself as one of the women marathoners to watch out for, having also won the 2019 London Marathon in April. The feat has seen her nominated for the IAAF Women’s Athlete of The Year Award.

Eliud Kipchoge 

(Vienna 2019)

Brigid Kosgei’s record-breaking feat came just less than 48 hours after Eliud Kipchoge made history in Vienna, Austria by becoming the first man to run a marathon under two hours. Dubbed the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, Kipchoge lived up to his no-human-is-limited mantra when he clocked 1:59.40 in Vienna on October 12, achieving what was considered impossible over the distance. His feat was, however, not recognised as a world record by the IAAF but he has earned plaudits all over the world for making the impossible possible. 

Geoffrey Kamworor 

(Copenhagen 2019)

Before Kipchoge flew to Austria, he had received enough motivation from his NN Running team-mate Geoffrey Kamworor who smashed compatriot Abraham Kiptum’s world Half Marathon record in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 15. Kamworor shaved 17 seconds off Kiptum’s mark set in Valencia last year when he run 58:01 in the Danish capital. It was just another demonstration of the capabilities of The Man of All Surfaces who has titles in marathons, full marathons, cross-country and track. His next stop is New York Marathon on November 2. 

         Eliud Kipchoge 

(Berlin 2018)

Eliud Kipchoge went to Vienna for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge knowing he had nothing to lose. This is because while his time will not be ratified by IAAF, he indeed is the holder of the legitimate world record. Mr Philosophical as they call him became the first man ever to run under 2:02 in a marathon when he set a new world record of 2:01:39 in the 2018 Berlin Marathon. His feat shaved 78 seconds off compatriot Dennis Kimetto’s 2:02:57 mark set on the same course in 2014.

Beatrice Chepkoech (Monaco 2018) 

World 3,000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech produced the crowning performance of the tenth IAAF Diamond League meeting of the 2018 season as she took more than eight seconds off the women’s world record in 8:44.32. That obliterated the mark of 8:52.78 set by Kenyan-born Bahraini Ruth Jebet in winning at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris in 2016, and the 8:58.78 set in Eugene 2017 by her compatriot Celliphine Chespol. Chepkoech was clear of the field with three laps remaining as the rising tone of the commentary highlighted the growing possibility of a monumental performance that was duly delivered.

David Rudisha (London 2012)

King David may not have been seen on track for the last two years but his crown is still intact. Rudisha broke his own world record to claim an Olympic gold medal in the 800m at the London Olympics in 2012.

Rudisha, then 23, stormed through the first lap in 49.28 and powered to a stunning victory in 1:40.91, taking 0.10 off his previous record as all eight finalists set record times. Rudisha is the first and only person to ever run under 1:41 over the distance. 

Mary Keitany (London 2017) 

Before April 2017, Britain’s Paul Radcliffe was the proud holder of two world records, the outright mark of 2:15:25 and the women’s-only of 2:17:42. She no longer has both. Before Brigid Kosgei lowered the  2:15:25 in Chicago a few days ago, she had watched another Kenyan Mary Keitany obliterate the women’s-only mark by taking 41 seconds off it after running 2:17:01. Keitany had said in the build-up that she was in shape to break Radcliffe’s mark and delivered just that. 

David Rudisha (London 2012)

King David may not have been seen on track for the last two years but his crown is still intact. Rudisha broke his own world record to claim an Olympic gold medal in the 800m at the London Olympics in 2012.

Rudisha, then 23, stormed through the first lap in 49.28 and powered to a stunning victory in 1:40.91, taking 0.10 off his previous record as all eight finalists set record times. Rudisha is the first and only person to ever run under 1:41 over the distance. 

Daniel KomEn 

(Rieti 1996)

The men’s 3,000m steeplechase and 3,000m flat word records have proved difficult to break. While the steeplechase record of 7:53.63  set in 2004 is held by Kenyan-born Qatari Saif Saaeed Shaheen formerly known as Stephen Cherono, the 3,000m mark is owned by Kenya’s Daniel Komen who set a new time of 7:20.67 in Rieti, Italy in September 1996.  

Joyciline Jepkosgei

 (Valencia 2017) 

Joyciline Jepkosgei kept her stellar 2017 momentum alive when she broke yet another record at the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Half Marathon in October that year. Jepkosgei chopped a second off her own world record to win in 1:04:51. Going to the race, Jepkosgei said she had been training well since running a world 10km record of 29:43 in Prague in September 2017 where she became the first woman to break 30 minutes for a road 10K and expected to run a fast race.

Peres Jepchirchir

 (RAK 2017)

Before Joyciline Jepkosgei’s heroics, 2017 had already seen a new World Half Marathon record set. This was a mark of 1:05:06 set by Peres Jepchirchir at the RAK Half Marathon in Ras al-Khaimah, UAE in February that year. Jepchirchir, who won the world title over the distance in 2016, knocked three seconds from the previous record set by her compatriot Florence Kiplagat in Barcelona two years earlier.

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