6 Kenyan Athletes Who Are Currently World Record Holders
Kenyan athletes have dominated athletics in Africa and the World with several of them breaking world records. With Kevin Kiptum’s Men’s Marathon World record approved this week by World Athletics 4 months after breaking it. In this article, we will look at 6 Kenyan athletes who holds different world records on track and on the road.
6. David Lekuta Rudisha
Rudisha is one of the greatest Kenyan Athletes the country has ever produced, he is commonly referred by his fans as ‘King David’ for his 800m world record he set on 9th August 2012 during London Olympics. He is the first and only person to ever run 800m under 1:41, where he clocked 1:40.91. The record still stands 11 years later.
5. Beatrice Chepkoech
The 3000m steeplechase veteran marathoner she set the 3000m Steeplechase world record during the Diamond League in Monaco in 2018. She clocked 8:44.32, beating the 3000m steeplechase record set in 2016 Bahrain marathon by Kenyan born Ruth Jebet who represents Bahrain where she clocked 8:52:78. Her record still stands 6 years later.
READ ALSO: Top 6 Kenyan Greatest Marathoners Of All Time
4. Kevin Kiptum
Kiptum is the only person in history to run the marathon under two hours and one minute in a record-eligible race with his record ratified by World Athletics four months after the historical race. He has run three of the seven fastest marathons in history. Where in October 2023 at the Chicago Marathon, the 24-year-old Kiptum, broke the world record by 34 seconds with a time of 2:00:35 beating Eliud Kipchoge’s world record (2:01:09) he set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. Four months after Kiptum broke the world record Kenya’s Greatest marathoner of all time Eliud Kipchoge has not yet congratulated him for breaking his Marathon record.
3. Agnes Jebet Ngetich
Jebet is the latest World record holder in Kenya after she broke the women’s 10-kilometre world record on January 14, 2023, at the 10KM Valencia Ibercaja. She clocked 28:46, becoming the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier.
2. Beatrice Chebet
The 2000 born marathon star won the gold medal during the 2022 Diamond league before winning 2023 World Cross Country championship in Bathurst. The 23-year-old Chebet broke Ejegayehu Taye’s 5-kilometre world record in Barcelona on December 31, 2023. Where she clocked 14 minutes and 13 seconds (14:13) to win the 5 KM race.
1. Faith Kipyegon
The 31-year-old Kenyan marathon is regarded as one of greatest women marathoners Kenyan has ever have in recent years. Kipyegon holds two world records, which she set in 2023, the women’s 1,500m and the Mile. She also broke the women’s 5,000m world record in 2023 before the Ethiopian Gudaf’s Tsegay she broke her 5000m World record months later.
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