Thomas Osano (born 4 June 1970) is a Kenyan former

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 competed across track,

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

, and

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 ...

disciplines. His greatest individual honour was a

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 ...

gold medal at the

1991 All-Africa Games The 5th All-Africa Games (), also known as Cairo 1991 (), were held from September 20 to October 1, 1991, in Cairo, Egypt. Forty-three countries participated in eighteen sports. For the first time the Games were held on a four-year cycle as plan ...

. He also shared in a team gold medal with Kenya at the 1993 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. His best global placing was fourth at the

1991 World Championships in Athletics The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1. 1517 athletes from 167 countries partic ...

. Osano ran extensively in professional road races and among his victories were the Route du Vin Half Marathon, CPC Loop Den Haag,

Bay to Breakers Bay to Breakers is an annual road running, footrace in San Francisco, California typically on the third Sunday of May. The phrase "Bay to Breakers" reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks fro ...

and Bolder Boulder.

Career

Early career

Osano competed for Kenya at an early age and as a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...

athlete he shared in a team silver at the

1987 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 1987 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held in Warsaw, Poland, at the Służewiec, Służewiec Racecourse on March 22, 1987. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald and in the Evening Times. Complete results for m ...

(led by winner

Wilfred Kirochi Wilfred Kirochi (born 12 December 1969) is a former Kenyan middle-distance runner who won a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo in the 1500 m event. Previously Kirochi had won two World Junior Championship titles in 1986 and 19 ...

) before returning in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

to finish fourth and help Kenya to the team title alongside individual medallists Kipyego Kororia and Stephenson Nyamau.Thomas Osano
IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-03-30. He won an individual medal at the

1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1988 edition of the World Junior Championships in Athletics, held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada from July 27 to July 31, 1988."Junior host out to bury bad image". ''The Globe and Mail'', Jul ...

, entering the

20K run The 20K run (20 kilometres, or approximately 12.4 miles) is a long-distance running, long distance foot race. It is a rarely held race that is not recognized as an Olympic Games, Olympic event. The event held IAAF world championship status in 20 ...

, where he was runner-up to Ethiopia's Zeleke Metaferia. He began running in the Japanese corporate athletic system in 1990 and had much success in the country. He took a distance double at the

Japan Championships in Athletics The is an annual outdoor track and field competition, organized by Japan Association of Athletics Federations. Currently it takes place in June or July. The competition is also for the qualifying trial for the Japanese national team of internati ...

and won a second 10,000 m title in 1991. He also competed on the roads, winning the Kosa and Nobeoka 10-milers in 1990, then having successive wins in 1991 and 1992 at the All Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships, Beppu-Oita Half Marathon and Hyogo Relays 10,000 m.Thomas Osano

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

. Retrieved on 2016-03-30.

African champion and missed Olympics

Osano competed extensively around the world in the 1991 season. In May he had wins at the Great West Run in England, as well as at the

and Bolder Boulder in the United States. At the

Bislett Games The Bislett Games is an annual track and field meeting at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. History The first international athletics meeting at Bislett ...

in Norway in July he recorded a lifetime best of 27:28.87 minutes for the 10,000 m. Although this only brought him third at the competition, it made him the fifth fastest runner over the distance that year. He was selected to represent Kenya on the track at the

. His compatriots

Moses Tanui Moses Tanui (born 20 August 1965 in Sugoi, Nandi District, Kenya) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who won the gold medal over 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. Biography At the 1993 World Championships ...

and

Richard Chelimo Richard Chelimo (21 April 1972 – 15 August 2001) was a Kenyan long-distance runner, and a world record holder over 10,000 metres. However, he is best known as the silver medallist in the controversial 10,000m at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona ...

took the top two spots in the 10,000 m. Osano's plan was to disrupt the running of the (highly favoured) Moroccan

Khalid Skah Khalid Skah () (born 29 January 1967) is a Moroccan track and field athlete, winner of the 10,000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Born in Midelt, Morocco, Skah established himself first as a good cross country runner by winning the IAAF ...

and though the tactic was successful for his teammates, Osano finished behind Skah in fourth. Two weeks later he ran the same distance at the

Memorial Van Damme The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it now serves as a final event of the D ...

, taking second behind his more experienced Kenyan rival

John Ngugi John Ngugi Kamau (born 10 May 1962) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in Seoul, South Korea. Career Born in Ki ...

. He finally topped the podium in the event at the

All-Africa 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 ...

later that month, beating fellow Kenyan

William Koech William Koech (born December 2, 1961) is a retired Kenyan long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres. In 1991 he won a silver medal in the 10,000 metres at the All-Africa Games held in Cairo. He finished seventh in the same distanc ...

by a narrow margin. Osano was dominant in Japan in the first half of 1992, going unbeaten with wins including the

Chiba International Cross Country The Chiba International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition which takes place in Chiba, Japan, in mid-February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Ch ...

and Shizuoka International. He also had repeat wins at the Bolder Boulder and Bay to Breakers in the United States. Osano finished third at the Kenyan Olympic trial race for the 10,000 m, but in a controversial decision the selectors decided instead to send Moses Tanui, who had failed to even complete the distance at that race.Njenga, Peter (2000-08-06)
Africa: Lagat Back in As Door Is Slammed On Tanui
''Daily Nation''. Retrieved on 2016-03-30. His Olympic debut thwarted, Osano did not compete again in 1992. He returned to action in May 1993 and headed to the American road circuit, taking wins at the

Peachtree Road Race The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is a series of two 10-kilometer runs held annually in Atlanta, once during the first weekend of January and the other on Independence Day. They are held on the sa ...

Boilermaker Road Race The Boilermaker Road Race is a USATF-certified 15K run, foot race and wheelchair racing, wheelchair race held annually in Utica, New York, Utica, New York (state), New York, United States. Although local recreational runners are the majority of ...

and

Bix 7 Road Race The Bix 7 Road Race is held annually in Davenport, Iowa, as a commemoration to Davenport native and jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke. It is followed a week later by the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. Race The 7 mile road race is annually h ...

. Given his form, he was chosen for the Kenyan team at the 1993 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. This was his only

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

that year and he placed thirteenth in a time of 62:10 minutes, helping the team to victory with the help of fourth-placed

Lameck Aguta Lameck Aguta Orero (born October 10, 1971) is a former Kenyan marathon runner. He was the winner of the 101st Boston Marathon in 1997 with a time of 2:10:34 hours. He also competed in the men's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Biography Agu ...

. This proved to be his final international appearance.

Later career and decline

He began 1994 with a win at the

Fukuoka International Cross Country The Fukuoka International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition which takes place in Fukuoka, Japan in either late February or Early March. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAA ...

and then moved on to American road races, though he was less successful on this occasion and his best results were runner-up placings at the Azalea Trail and Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. He ran in Europe in the second half of the year, but again was one place short of the top at the

Dam tot Damloop Dam tot Damloop (; ) is an annual road running competition held in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. The main event is a 10-mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam. The race was an IAAF Road Race Silver Label Event from 2013 until ...

, Route du Vin Half Marathon and Paris 20K. He made his

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), 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 ...

debut at the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fini ...

in November, but his time of 2:18:43 hours was not impressive and left him in 14th place. He ran at shorter distances the following year and won the Crim 10-Miler, Breda Singelloop and the Brussels 10K. A runner-up finish in 60:36 minutes at the Route du Vin race was a lifetime best for the half marathon event. Osano ran in no less than 27 road races in Europe and the United States in 1996. These took in wins at the CPC Loop Den Haag,

Parelloop Parelloop (''Pearl Run'' in English) is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition usually held in late March or early April in Brunssum, Netherlands. The inaugural edition was held in 1989. In 2009, Micah Kogo broke the List of world record ...

(a career best for the

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 ...

at 28:02 minutes), Bay to Breakers, Tilburg Ten Miles and Route du Vin Half Marathon. He had a similarly planned 1997, but had less success, his sole win coming in Tilburg (though he was the

Falmouth Road Race The Falmouth Road Race is an annual road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights. The race organizer is Falmouth Road Race, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that puts on the race ea ...

runner-up). He made his second outing in the marathon in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

that November, but his run of 2:23:31 hours was even slower than his last. His performances declined in the 1998 and 1999 season and he generally placed outside the top five of his races. Despite being only 29 years old, he retired from competition.

International competitions

National titles

Japan Championships
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-30. **5000 m: 1990 **10,000 m: 1990, 1991

Circuit wins

: 1994 *

: 1992 * Route du Vin Half Marathon: 1996 * CPC Loop Den Haag: 1996 * Breda Singelloop: 1995, 1996 * Beppu-Oita Half Marathon: 1991, 1992 * All Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships: 1991, 1992 * Great West Run: 1991 * Tilburg Ten Miles: 1996, 1997 * Crim 10-Miler: 1995 * Kosa 10-miler: 1990 * Nobeoka 10-miler: 1990 *

: 1996 *

: 1993 *

: 1991, 1992 * Bolder Boulder: 1991, 1992

Personal bests

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 ...

– 13:30.40 min (1993) *

– 27:28.87 min (1991) *

– 28:02 min (1996) *

Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

– 60:36 min (1995)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Osano, Thomas Living people 1970 births Kenyan male long-distance runners Kenyan male cross country runners African Games gold medalists for Kenya African Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field) African Games athletes for Kenya Athletes (track and field) at the 1991 All-Africa Games World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya Japan Championships in Athletics winners 20th-century Kenyan sportsmen