John Ekiru Kelai is a male long-distance runner from Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, who specialises in the marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

. He set his personal best (2:09:09) in the men's marathon race in the 2005 edition of the Eindhoven Marathon

Eindhoven Marathon

The Eindhoven Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km which is held in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in October...

, where he finished fourth. He is a two-time winner of the Enschede Marathon

Enschede Marathon

The Enschede Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. The race is the distance of a typical marathon . It has been held annually since 1991, after being bi-annual for the previous 44 years. The race crosses the German border through the city of Gronau...

 in the Netherlands and had consecutive wins at the Mumbai Marathon

Mumbai Marathon

The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...

 in 2007–2008.

Kelai won the 2003 Singapore Marathon

Singapore Marathon

The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...

, the 2004 Brussels Marathon, and was the 2007 winner of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....

. In 2009 he was third at the Mumbai Marathon, failing to defend his title, and took fourth at both the Singapore and Karstadt Marathons.

He was selected for the marathon at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on a street course running through the city on 14...

 and he moved away from the field in the final 10 km to become Commonwealth champion (only the second Kenyan man to take the title after Douglas Wakiihuri

Douglas Wakiihuri

Douglas Wakiihuri is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. No other male Kenyan runner had ever won the marathon at World Championships or Olympic Games until 2007, when Luke Kibet became a world champion...

). "I am so humbled to win here. It is an honour. I didn't know I could be the winner", said Kelai, "I feel on top of the world".

Achievements

Representing
2003	Singapore Marathon Singapore Marathon The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...	Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...	1st	Marathon	2:19:02
2004	Brussels Marathon	Brussels, Belgium	1st	Marathon	2:10:59
	Singapore Marathon Singapore Marathon The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...	Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...	4th	Marathon	2:17:49
2005	Enschede Marathon Enschede Marathon The Enschede Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. The race is the distance of a typical marathon . It has been held annually since 1991, after being bi-annual for the previous 44 years. The race crosses the German border through the city of Gronau...	Enschede, Netherlands	1st	Marathon	2:11:44
	Eindhoven Marathon Eindhoven Marathon The Eindhoven Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km which is held in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in October...	Eindhoven, Netherlands	4th	Marathon	2:09:09
	Singapore Marathon Singapore Marathon The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...	Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...	5th	Marathon	2:16:58
2006	Enschede Marathon Enschede Marathon The Enschede Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. The race is the distance of a typical marathon . It has been held annually since 1991, after being bi-annual for the previous 44 years. The race crosses the German border through the city of Gronau...	Enschede, Netherlands	2nd	Marathon	2:12:05
	Eindhoven Marathon Eindhoven Marathon The Eindhoven Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km which is held in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands in October...	Eindhoven, Netherlands	14th	Marathon	2:18:37
2007	Mumbai Marathon Mumbai Marathon The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...	Mumbai, India	1st	Marathon	2:12:30
	National Capital Marathon National Capital Marathon National Capital Marathon, or Ottawa Race Weekend, is one of Canada's largest marathons. It is held in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. The 42.195 kilometres event features many races, including: the MDS Nordion 5K Run/Walk, the MDS Nordion 10K Run/Walk, the ING Ottawa Marathon Walk, the ING Marathon...	Ottawa, Canada	4th	Marathon	2:11:10
	Toronto Waterfront Marathon Toronto Waterfront Marathon The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....	Toronto, Canada	1st	Marathon	2:09:30
2008	Mumbai Marathon Mumbai Marathon The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...	Mumbai, India	1st	Marathon	2:12:22
	Toronto Waterfront Marathon Toronto Waterfront Marathon The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the last Sunday in September. Starting from 2011, the marathon will be held in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race....	Toronto, Canada	5th	Marathon	2:12:43
2009	Mumbai Marathon Mumbai Marathon The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...	Mumbai, India	3rd	Marathon	2:12:13
	Ruhr Marathon	Essen, Germany	4th	Marathon	2:11:15
	Singapore Marathon Singapore Marathon The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...	Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...	4th	Marathon	2:13:14
2010	Enschede Marathon Enschede Marathon The Enschede Marathon is an annual marathon race held in the city of Enschede, Netherlands. The race is the distance of a typical marathon . It has been held annually since 1991, after being bi-annual for the previous 44 years. The race crosses the German border through the city of Gronau...	Enschede, Netherlands	1st	Marathon	2:12:17
	Commonwealth Games 2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...	Delhi, India	1st	Marathon	2:14:35 Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on a street course running through the city on 14...

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