Kenyan athletes have long been dominant forces in long-distance running, holding numerous world records across various disciplines.
From the legendary Kip Keino’s feats in the 1960s and 70s to the current crop of stars like Faith Kipyegon and Eliud Kipchoge, Kenyan runners have consistently pushed the boundaries of human endurance and speed.
In 2023 alone, Kenyan athletes shattered several world records, cementing their status as the world’s preeminent distance running nation.
These achievements are a testament to the dedication, discipline, and talent of Kenyan runners, who hone their skills at high-altitude training camps in the Rift Valley.
In this article, WoK seeks to explore Kenyan athletes who hold world records.
Faith Kipyegon
Kipyegon broke her own 1500m world record at the Paris Diamond League on July 7, 2024, clocking a time of 3:49.04.
She eclipsed her previous record of 3:49.11 set in Florence in June 2023, shaving off 0.07 seconds.
Kipyegon, a double Olympic 1500m champion, is also the current world record holder for the mile, which she set at the Monaco Diamond League in 2023 with a time of 4:07.64.
She is considered one of the hot favorites for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Australian Jessica Hull finished second with the fifth fastest 1500m time in history, clocking 3:50.83.
Kipyegon’s stunning performance was warmly received in Kenya, with government officials and fellow athletes praising her dedication and talent.
Eliud Kipchoge
Kipchoge set a new world record at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, running a time of 2:01:39.
This was the largest improvement on the marathon world record since 1967, beating the previous record of 2:02:57 set by Dennis Kimetto in 2014.
Kipchoge’s splits were remarkable, with the first half in 1:01:06 and the second half in 1:00:33, making it the most evenly paced marathon ever recorded.
He reached the halfway point 1 minute ahead of his own previous world record pace.
Kipchoge’s average speed was 21.02 km/h or 2:52 per km, and his average 5k split was an incredible 14:21.
He was able to maintain this blistering pace for the entire marathon, despite losing his pacemakers after 25 km.
The 2018 Berlin Marathon was the 8th time the men’s world record was set on that course, cementing its status as the fastest marathon in the world.
Kipchoge’s performance was described as “the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967” and “like a Mars landing for Space travel”. performance was described as “the greatest improvement in a marathon world record time since 1967” and “like a Mars landing for Space travel”.
David Rudisha
Rudisha set the world record in the 800m event at the 2012 London Olympics with a time of 1:40.91.
He led from start to finish and finished 0.18 seconds ahead of Botswana’s Nijel Amos, who set a world U20 record in second place.
Rudisha’s average speed per 200m section was 25.22, and his performance was described as “the most extraordinary piece of running ever” by Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London 2012 organizing committee.
Rudisha became the first reigning 800m world champion to win Olympic gold, and his record-breaking run is considered one of the greatest athletic achievements in Olympic history.
Brigid Kosgei
Kosgei of Kenya broke the women’s marathon world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2:14:04.
She shattered the previous record of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 by an astonishing 81 seconds.
Kosgei, who wore a modified version of the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% shoes, maintained a blistering pace throughout the race, passing the halfway mark in 1:06:59.
She finished nearly 7 minutes ahead of second place, Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia.
The 25-year-old expressed confidence in her ability to further improve her record, stating that she believes a time of 2:10 is possible for a woman to run.
Kosgei’s achievement came just a day after Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.
Beatrice Chepkoech
Chepkoech of Kenya broke the women’s 3000m steeplechase world record at the 2018 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco, clocking a time of 8:44.32.
This performance obliterated the previous world record of 8:52.78 set by Ruth Jebet of Bahrain in 2016.
Chepkoech was the first Kenyan woman to hold the 3000m steeplechase world record.
She was clear of the field with three laps remaining and delivered a monumental performance, saying “I wanted to break the world record, that was the plan from the beginning of the season.”
Agnes Tirop
Tirop set a new women’s-only 10km world record of 30:01 at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany on September 12, 2021.
She broke the previous record of 30:29 set by Asmae Leghzaoui of Morocco in 2002, shaving 28 seconds off the mark.
Tirop, a two-time bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the World Championships, defeated her Kenyan compatriot Sheila Chepkirui, who finished second in 30:17, also inside the previous world record.
Tirop passed through 9km in 27:07 and maintained her pace to the finish, covering the final kilometer in 2:54.
She said, “I’m so happy to have broken the world record. I felt the pace was good and Sheila assisted me a lot. The course was very good too.”
Leonard Patrick Komon
Komon held the world records in the 10K and 15K road races.
In September 2010, he set the 10K world record with a time of 26:44 minutes, improving the previous record by 17 seconds.
Later that year, in November 2010, he set the 15K world record at the Zevenheuvelenloop race in Nijmegen, Netherlands, with a time of 41:13, breaking the previous record by 16 seconds.
Komon was a dominant force in long-distance running during this period, also winning the half marathon in Berlin in 2014 with a time of 59:14, which was the fastest debut half marathon at the time.
Noah Ngeny
Ngeny broke the 1000m world record in 1999, clocking a time of 2:11.96 at the Rieti Grand Prix meeting in Italy.
Ngeny, a Kenyan middle-distance runner, had previously come close to the record a couple of months earlier in Nice, running 2:12.66, the second-fastest time ever.
At the Rieti meeting, Ngeny was paced through the first 400m in a blistering 49.66, putting him on world record pace.
He passed the 800m mark in 1:44.6, exactly the same split as Sebastian Coe’s previous record of 2:12.18 set in 1981.
Ngeny then covered the final 200m in 27.2 seconds, 0.4 quicker than Coe, to break the long-standing record.
Ngeny’s achievement cancelled out one of the oldest track world records in the history of athletics, Coe’s 1000m mark that had stood for over 18 years.
Dennis Kimetto
Kimetto broke the 25K road world record in 2012 with a time of 1:11:18 at the BIG 25 Berlin race in Germany.
This broke the previous record of 1:11:50 set by fellow Kenyan Sammy Kosgei at the same event two years earlier.
Kimetto’s record-breaking performance was the seventh world record set at this event, which has been held annually since 1981.
The race featured a very fast men’s race, with Kimetto and Wilfred Kigen battling for the lead before Kimetto pulled away in the final stages to claim the record.
Kimetto’s triumph was the biggest success of his career at the time, as it was only the third time he had competed in a race outside of Kenya.
Moses Mosop
Mosop set the world record for the 25,000m track event on June 3, 2011 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA.
He completed the distance in 1:12:25.4, breaking the previous record that had stood for 30 years.
Mosop dominated the race from the start, leading from 18,000m onwards.
He was paced by Ethiopian Keteme Tola for the first 10,000m, which he covered in 29:19.
Mosop then pushed the pace and went on to add a second world record to his achievements that day, setting a new 30,000m track world record of 1:26:47.4.
Stanley Biwott
Biwott set the world record for the 30km road race at the 2016 London Marathon with a time of 1:27:13.
He achieved this record alongside Eliud Kipchoge, who also recorded the same time.
In the marathon event at the 2016 London Marathon, Biwott finished second with a personal best time of 2:03:51.
The winner of the marathon was Eliud Kipchoge, who missed the world record by just 7 seconds, finishing in 2:03:05.
Tegla Loroupe
Lorupe holds several world records in long-distance running. She holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometers.
She previously held the world marathon record, which she set on April 19, 1998 with a time of 2:20:43. She held this record until September 30, 2001.
Loroupe set a new world record distance of 18,340m in the women’s one hour race on August 8, 1999 in Borgholzhausen, Germany.
The previous record was 18,084m set in 1981 by Silvi Cruciata of Italy.
The fastest 30,000 m by a female athlete is 1 hour 45 minutes 50 seconds, set by Tegla Loroupe in Warstein, Germany, on June 6, 2003.
Loroupe was the first African woman to hold the marathon world record. She is also a three-time World Half-Marathon champion.
Joyciline Jepkosgei
Jepkosgei is a Kenyan long-distance runner who holds multiple world records. She broke the world records for the 10K, 15K, 20K, and half marathon distances in 2017.
Specifically, she set the world record for the half marathon with a time of 1:04:51 at the 2017 Valencia Half Marathon.
She is also the current world record holder for the 10K, with a time of 29:43 set at the 2017 Birell Grand Prix 10K.
Jepkosgei made her marathon debut in 2019 at the TCS New York City Marathon, where she won with a time of 2:22:38, the second-fastest time in the event’s history.
Mary Jepkosgei Keitany
Keitany set the women’s half-marathon world record of 1:19:53 on May 9, 2010, at the BIG 25 in Berlin, Germany.
This record stood for over 8 years until it was broken by Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017.
Keitany’s record-breaking performance showcased her incredible speed and endurance over the half-marathon distance.
At the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon, she broke the women’s-only world record with a time of 2:17:01. This record was 41 seconds faster than the previous record held by Paula Radcliffe.
The “women-only” designation means the race did not include any male pacemakers, making Keitany’s achievement even more impressive.
This record demonstrated Keitany’s dominance in the marathon distance and her ability to push the boundaries of women’s marathon performance.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a series of the six most prestigious annual marathon events in the world.
Keitany won the series twice, in 2012 and 2016, cementing her status as one of the greatest marathon runners of her era.
Winning the series requires consistent excellence across multiple major marathon events, further highlighting Keitany’s exceptional talent and consistency.
Keitany’s world records and achievements in the half-marathon and marathon distances, as well as her success in the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series, solidify her place as one of the most accomplished female long-distance runners in history.
