John Kibet Koech (born 23 August 1995) is a Kenyan-born
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 stamina as well as mental strength.
Within endurance ru ...
who competes internationally for
Bahrain
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
. He specialises in the
3000 metres steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually Abbreviation, abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase (athletics), steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 met ...
and was the winner of the event at the
2015 Asian Athletics Championships
The 21st Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Wuhan Sports Center in Wuhan, China from 3–7 June 2015.Isiah is an Olympic long-distance runner.
Koech first began competing at national level in the steeplechase in 2012, running at the national junior championships. He also acted as
pacemaker
A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...
at the
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events. Herculis is now part of the Diamond League.
Editions
World records
Over the course of its histo ...
meeting that year. The following year he won at the
Kenyan Athletics Championships
The Kenyan Athletics Championships is an annual track and field meeting which serves as Kenya's national championships for the sport. Athletics Kenya, the country's governing body for athletics organises the event.
The championships is usually hel ...
, but placed tenth at the national trial event for the
2013 World Championships in Athletics
The 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Moscow 2013; ) was an international athletics (sport), athletics competition held in Moscow, Russia, from 10 to 18 August 2013. Initially, Russia at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, Russia ...
. His best performance of the year was a personal best of 8:16.96 minutes at the
DN Galan
BAUHAUS-galan, formerly known as DN-Galan is an annual, international athletics meeting that takes place at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. Previously it was one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events until 2010, and has since been part of th ...
, where he placed sixth – this time ranked him twentieth in the world for the event that season.
Koech switched his international eligibility to Bahrain in September 2013. In the 2014 season he competed extensively on the
track and field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
Golden Grand Prix
The Seiko Golden Grand Prix, formerly known as the Golden Grand Prix Kawasaki, is a track and field competition at the International Stadium Yokohama, Japan as part of the World Athletics Continental Tour. It was first organized in 2011 at the T ...
in Japan, then had a season's best of 8:19.99 minutes in
Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz is a city in northern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Kuyavia. Straddling the confluence of the Vistula River and its bank (geography), left-bank tributary, the Brda (river), Brda, the strategic location of Byd ...
, which ultimately placed him in the top-25 in the year's world lists, as well as second in the world junior category lists. On the
2014 IAAF Diamond League
The 2014 IAAF Diamond League was the fifth edition of the annual Diamond League. It consisted of fourteen one-day track and field meetings, starting on May 9, 2014, in Doha, Qatar and ending on September 5, 2014, in Brussels, Belgium. Other events ...
circuit he was tenth at the
Athletissima
Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League.
The first edition was held on 8 July 1977 in the Stade Pierre de Coubertin. In ...
meeting and 13th at the Herculis meeting. As the second highest ranked Asian runner, after
Abubaker Ali Kamal
Abubaker Ali Kamal (born 8 November 1983) is a Qatari runner who has specialized mostly in the 1500 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase.
He won a 5000 m/steeplechase double at the 2011 Pan Arab Games, but failed a drugs test at the competit ...
of Qatar (another Kenyan emigrant), he was selected to represent the region at the
2014 IAAF Continental Cup
The 2014 IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event that was held in Marrakech, Morocco, on 13–14 September 2014.
It was the second edition of the IAAF Continental Cup since the name and format was changed from th ...
, where he placed fifth.
At the
2015 Arab Athletics Championships
The 2015 Arab Athletics Championships was the nineteenth edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries that took place from 24–27 April 2015 at Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town, close to Manama, the capital of B ...
, held in Bahrain, he missed out on a steeplechase medal behind African opposition, taking fourth. A month later at the
IAAF World Challenge Beijing
IAAF World Challenge Beijing is an annual track and field competition held in Beijing, China, in May. First held in 2013, it takes place at the Beijing National Stadium, the venue for the Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is part of the IA ...
he gave a stronger performance with a personal best of 8:14.75 minutes for third place. His first major title followed shortly after at the
2015 Asian Athletics Championships
The 21st Asian Athletics Championships was held at the Wuhan Sports Center in Wuhan, China from 3–7 June 2015.Tareq Mubarak Taher
Tareq Mubarak Taher, born as Dennis Kipkurui Sang (, born 1 December 1986), is a middle-distance runner who represents Bahrain after changing nationality from Kenya. His speciality is the 3000 metres steeplechase. His personal best time of 8:06 ...