Sammy Kitwara
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Sammy Kirop Kitwara (born 26 November 1986 in Sagat,
Marakwet District Marakwet District is a defunct administrative district in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kapsowar. The district had a population of 140.629. Local people are predominantly of the Marakwet tribe. The district was cr ...
) is a Kenyan
long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...
who specialises in
road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...
events. He is coached by
Moses Kiptanui Moses Kiptanui (born 1 October 1970) is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete mostly famous for 3,000 m steeplechase in which he was the number one ranked athlete from 1991 to 1995 and three time IAAF World Champion. Kiptanui was al ...
. As of January 2020 he is the 12th fastest half marathon runner in history.


Biography

He went to Embomir Primary School and Kerio Valley Secondary school, from which he graduated in 2004. He did not take up running until 2007, later quoting ''"I saw I was not making any progress in life and my family needed assistance"''. Kitwara won four national cross-country circuit competitions in 2008, but failed at the trials for the cross-country world championships. In 2008 he took to the European road running circuit and won at the
20 Kilomètres de Paris The 20 Kilomètres de Paris (''Paris 20 km'') is an annual road running competition over 20 kilometres which takes place on the streets of Paris, France in October. First held in 1979, the race attracts top level international competitors ...
,
Dam tot Damloop Dam tot Damloop (''Dam to Dam Run'' in English) is an annual road running competition held in North Holland in the Netherlands. It is a Silver Label 10-mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam. The event was first held as a fun run event in 1985 and ...
and
Singelloop Utrecht The Singelloop Utrecht is an annual road running event over which takes place on the streets of city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. It is typically held in either September or October The competition, which roughly translates as the ''Utrecht Can ...
races. Kitwara, a policeman by occupation, won the 2009
Rotterdam Half Marathon The Rotterdam Half Marathon was an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres, that was staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the second Sunday in September. The event was contested from 2004 to 2009. It was discontinued in 2010 due to lacking ...
in a time of 58:58 – a course record which made him only the sixth runner to complete a sub-59-minute run. Earlier in the year Kitwara won another major half marathon, the City-Pier-City half marathon in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, beating
Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie ( am, ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, ''haylē gebre silassē''; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian retired long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Champions ...
into second place, as well as winning at the
Peachtree Road Race The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is an American 10-kilometer run held annually in Atlanta. After being held on Independence Day from 1970 to 2019, the race was cancelled because of the COVID pand ...
. He set a new course record of 27:25.6 at the
World's Best 10K The World's Best 10K (WB10K) is a road race of 10 kilometers celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the International Amateur Athletic Federati ...
in February that year. Kitwara won the 10,000 m race at the Kenyan Trials in June 2009, earning a place in the national team for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. However, he was subsequently removed from the team by
Athletics Kenya Athletics Kenya (AK) is the governing body for the sport of athletics (track and field) in Kenya. It is a member of World Athletics and Confederation of African Athletics. AK organises athletics competitions held in Kenya. It also sends Kenyan team ...
for participating in road races after the Trials. He did, however compete at the
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series. Organisation The city of B ...
in Birmingham, finishing 10th. He began 2010 with two second-place finishes: finishing just behind
Tilahun Regassa Tilahun Regassa Dabe (born 18 January 1990) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who mainly competes in road running competitions. He has a half marathon best of 59:19 minutes and has won the Zayed International Half Marathon and Lille Half Marath ...
at the
Abu Dhabi Half Marathon The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The inaugural edition of the half marathon race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
, and recording 59:47 minutes for second at the
Lisbon Half Marathon EDP Lisbon Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every March in Lisbon, Portugal. It carries IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. The men's course record of 57:31 was set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2021, whi ...
behind a
world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
-beating
Zersenay Tadese Zersenay Tadese (Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is an Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres ...
. Kitwara is a three-time champion of the Bay to Breakers and the course record holder in that event. In 2009, race organizers reported that his 33:31 was the fastest 12 km ever run. In 2010, he edged out fellow Kenyan Peter Kirui by less than a second for the victory in 34:15. He ran a personal best for the 10K at the Utrecht Singelloop in September 2010, finishing as runner-up with a time of 27:11 minutes. This elevated him into the top eight of all time, although race winner
Leonard Komon Leonard Patrick Komon (born 10 January 1988) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner and was the List of world records in athletics, world record holder in the 10 kilometres. His 10K world record in 2010 with a time of 26:44 is a 17 seco ...
overshadowed this achievement by breaking the
world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
by a large margin. Kitwara took his second win at the World's Best 10K in February 2011, becoming one of three men (including
Hendrick Ramaala Hendrik Ramaala (born 2 February 1972) is a South African long-distance runner. Biography Education Ramaala is a law graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand. He matriculated at St. Bede's secondary school in Ga Molepo area, Polokwane ...
and John Korir) to have won twice in Puerto Rico. He was out-stripped at the City-Pier-City race in March, however, as he came fifth while
Lelisa Desisa Lelisa Desisa Benti (born 14 January 1990) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. Desisa gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,00 ...
(whom he had beaten in Puerto Rico) won the race. He won his second title at the Peachtree Road Race in July that year. Later that year he ran a 58:48-minute personal best for second place at the
Philadelphia Half Marathon The Philadelphia Distanced Run is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States on the third Sunday of September. The competition was established in 1978 as the Philadelphia Distan ...
, making him the fourth fastest runner ever for the distance. He did not reach the same form in November, when he came fourth at the
Delhi Half Marathon Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) is an annual half marathon foot-race held in New Delhi, India. Established in 2005, it is both an elite runner and mass participation event. It is an AIMS-certified course and is listed as a Gold Label Road Rac ...
. He opened 2012 with another win at the World's Best 10K, completing the course in 28:02 minutes. He attempted a
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
debut at the
Rotterdam Marathon The Rotterdam Marathon, currently branded NN Rotterdam Marathon, is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April every year since the third edition in 1984 and attracts many top athletes. ...
(where he has acted as pacemaker before), but did not finish as he dropped out after 30 km. In October, he was placed fourth at the
2012 Chicago Marathon The 2012 Chicago Marathon was the 35th edition of the annual marathon race in Chicago, Illinois and was held on Sunday, October 7. An IAAF Gold Label Road Race, it was the fourth and final World Marathon Majors event to be held that year. Tsega ...
with a time of 2:05:54 hours. He won his third straight World's Best 10K title at the beginning of 2013. A return to the Rotterdam Marathon saw him complete the distance, although his time of 2:07:22 hours was slower than his last. At the 2015 London Marathon he came 6th in 2.07.43. Kitwara won the 2016 Lisbon half marathon in 59.47 some way off his personal best.


Performances

*2008
Nike Hilversum City Run Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
– 1st *2008
Humarathon The Humarathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place between Ivry-sur-Seine and Vitry-sur-Seine in France every Easter Weekend (usually April). First held in 1986,Civai, Franco et al (2012-04-16)Humarathon Association of ...
(half marathon) – 1st *2008
Rabat Half Marathon Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
– 1st *2008 Paris 20K – 1st *2008
Dam tot Damloop Dam tot Damloop (''Dam to Dam Run'' in English) is an annual road running competition held in North Holland in the Netherlands. It is a Silver Label 10-mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam. The event was first held as a fun run event in 1985 and ...
(10 Miles) -1st *2009
City-Pier-City Loop The CPC Loop Den Haag (abbreviated for ''City-Pier-City Loop'') is an annual half marathon competition held in the Hague, Netherlands, every mid-March. The inaugural edition was held in 1975 and featured a 14.5 km course. This was extended to ...
(half marathon) – 1st *2009
Peachtree Road Race The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is an American 10-kilometer run held annually in Atlanta. After being held on Independence Day from 1970 to 2019, the race was cancelled because of the COVID pand ...
(10K) – 1st *2009 Bay to Breakers (12K) – 1st *2009
Rotterdam Half Marathon The Rotterdam Half Marathon was an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres, that was staged in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on the second Sunday in September. The event was contested from 2004 to 2009. It was discontinued in 2010 due to lacking ...
– 1st *
2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series. Organisation The city of B ...
– 10th *2010
Abu Dhabi Half Marathon The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The inaugural edition of the half marathon race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
– 2nd *2010 Bay to Breakers (12K) – 1st *2011
World's Best 10k The World's Best 10K (WB10K) is a road race of 10 kilometers celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the International Amateur Athletic Federati ...
– 1st *2012
World's Best 10k The World's Best 10K (WB10K) is a road race of 10 kilometers celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the International Amateur Athletic Federati ...
– 1st *2012 Bay to Breakers (Men's 12K) – 1st *2012
Chicago Marathon The Chicago Marathon is a marathon (long-distance foot race) held every October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is the fourth-largest r ...
(marathon) – 4th *2013
World's Best 10k The World's Best 10K (WB10K) is a road race of 10 kilometers celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the International Amateur Athletic Federati ...
– 1st *2016
Lisbon Half Marathon EDP Lisbon Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every March in Lisbon, Portugal. It carries IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. The men's course record of 57:31 was set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2021, whi ...
– 1st *2017 Marathon Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP - 1st


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitwara, Sammy 1986 births Living people People from Elgeyo-Marakwet County Kenyan male long-distance runners Kenyan male marathon runners