Leonard Kiplimo Barsoton (born 21 October 1994) 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 stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who competes mainly in

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and soil, earth, pass through woodlands and ope ...

and track events. He has represented his country twice at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...

and was a silver medallist over

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...

at the

African Games The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and the ...

Career

After starting his career based in Japan, Barsoton emerged as a junior athlete in 2013 by placing second to

Ronald Kwemoi Ronald Chebolei Kwemoi (; born 19 September 1995) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in cross country running and track running events. He specialises in the 1500 metres and holds a personal best of 3:28.81 minutes set at Herculis on ...

at the national cross country trials. He was chosen for the junior team at the

2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 24, 2013. The races were held at the Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Kenya topped the medal standings in the competition with 5 gold, and Ethiopia had the most overall ...

and claimed the silver medal in both the individual and team races, having finished adrift of the comfortable favourite

Hagos Gebrhiwet Hagos Gebrhiwet Berhe (, born 11 May 1994) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 5,000 m at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal in the 5 km at the 2023 World Road Running Championships. He ...

. After a runner-up finish behind

Bedan Karoki Bedan Karoki Muchiri (born 21 August 1990) is a Kenyan professional long distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running disciplines. He represented Kenya at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He was a silver medallist a ...

at the

Kenyan Cross Country Championships The Kenyan Cross Country Championships is an annual cross country running competition that serves as the national championship for Kenya. It is organised by Athletics Kenya and has permit race status from the International Association of Athletics ...

, he led Kenya to a sweep of the medals at the

2014 African Cross Country Championships The 2014 African Cross Country Championships was the third edition of the international cross country running competition for African athletes organised by the Confederation of African Athletics. It was held on 16 March at the Kololo Golf Course in ...

, winning the race with his teammates Kipruto Kangogo, Rono Cherop and Solomon Kirwa Yego completing the top four. He also proved himself on the track that year with a

best of 27:20.74 minutes, ending the year fifth on the world rankings. Barsoton established himself as a senior level runner in the 2015 season. Following his third place at the Kenyan Championships, he finished fifth at the

2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships () was the 41st edition of the global championships in cross country running, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was held in Guiyang, China on 28 March. It was the ...

, helping the Kenyan men to a team silver. On the outdoor track he took a 10,000 m silver at the

2015 African Games The 11th African Games (), also known as Brazzaville 2015, took place from September 4–19, 2015 in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. This edition marked the 50th anniversary of the Games, as well as their return to Brazzaville, which hosted t ...

, beaten by Ethiopia's Tsebelu Zewude. He failed to build on this in the 2016, not making any national teams, and ranked just outside the world's top 30 for the 10,000 m for season. He became national champion at the 2017

Personal bests

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...

– 8:07.1 min (2011) *

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...

– 13:16.25 min (2015) *

– 27:20.74 min (2014) *

10K run The 10K run is a long-distance road running competition over a distance of . Also referred to as the 10K road race, 10 km, or simply 10K, it is one of the most common types of road running event, alongside the shorter 5K and longer half ...

– 27:42 min (2016) All information from All-Athletics profileLeonard BARSOTON
All-Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.

International competitions

National titles

**Senior race: 2017

References

External links

*
Interview at 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barsoton, Leonard Living people 1994 births Kenyan male long-distance runners Kenyan male cross country runners African Games silver medalists for Kenya African Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 African Games African Cross Country Championships winners Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Japan 21st-century Kenyan sportsmen