Kipchoge Keino
Encyclopedia
Kipchoge ("Kip") Keino (born 17 January 1940), chairman of the Kenya
n Olympic Committee (KOC), is a retired Kenyan track and field
athlete and two-time Olympic
gold medal
ist. Kip Keino was among the first in a long line of successful middle
and long
distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his fellow countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today.
, Kenya
. Both of his parents died while he was young. He was then brought up by his aunt. After finishing school, he joined Kenya Police
. Before taking athletics, he played rugby
He began his international career at the 1962 Commonwealth Games
in Perth, Australia
where he came eleventh in the three miles. At the 1964 Summer Olympics
he finished fifth in 5000 m and barely missed the 1500 m final.
On 27 August 1965, Keino lowered the 3000 m world record
by over 6 seconds to 7:39.6 at his first attempt at the distance. He won two gold medals (1500 & 5000 metres) at the inaugural All-Africa Games
. Later in that year he broke the 5000 m world record held by Ron Clarke
clocking 13:24.2. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica
he won both the mile run
and three mile run. In the next Commonwealth Games, Keino won the 1500 metres and was third in the 5000 metres.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
, he won the 1500 metres gold medal (defeating American
favourite and world record holder Jim Ryun
by 20m, the largest winning margin in the history of the event ) and 5000 m silver medal
. Four years later, he won the 3000 metres steeplechase gold and 1500 metres silver at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
, Germany
. He retired in 1973.
In 1987, he shared Sports Illustrated
magazine's "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year
" award with seven others, characterized as "Athletes Who Care," for his work with orphans.
Currently, Keino lives on a farm in Western Kenya where he controls and runs a charitable organization
for orphan
s, and is president of the Kenyan Olympic Committee. He is married to Phyllis Keino. One son Martin was a two-time NCAA champion and highly successful pace-setter. Another son, Andrew, aka "Kippy", is currently competing while attending Villanova http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4603&c=132.
He has built Kip Keino Primary School located near Eldoret, while Kip Keino Secondary School is under construction and due to open in 2008. Kipchoge Keino Stadium
in Eldoret is named after him.
In 1996, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
In 2007, he was made an honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Bristol
. Earlier, Egerton University
in Nakuru
had awarded him an honorary degree. His name, Kipchoge, is a Nandi language expression for "born near the grain storage shed".
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...
n Olympic Committee (KOC), is a retired Kenyan track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete and two-time Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
ist. Kip Keino was among the first in a long line of successful middle
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
and long
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his fellow countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today.
Biography
Keino was born in Kipsamo, Nandi DistrictNandi District
Nandi District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kapsabet. The district has a population of 578,751 .The topography of the district is dominated by the Nandi Hills...
, 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...
. Both of his parents died while he was young. He was then brought up by his aunt. After finishing school, he joined Kenya Police
Kenya Police
The Kenya Police is a national body in charge of law enforcement in the East Africa State of Kenya. While organised at a national level, each arm reports to a Provincial police authority, which in turn divides its force by local Police Divisions, headquartered at local police stations...
. Before taking athletics, he played rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
He began his international career at the 1962 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in Perth, Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
where he came eleventh in the three miles. At the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
he finished fifth in 5000 m and barely missed the 1500 m final.
On 27 August 1965, Keino lowered the 3000 m world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
by over 6 seconds to 7:39.6 at his first attempt at the distance. He won two gold medals (1500 & 5000 metres) at the inaugural All-Africa Games
Athletics at the 1965 All-Africa Games
The inaugural All African Games were held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo in July 1965.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:*...
. Later in that year he broke the 5000 m world record held by Ron Clarke
Ron Clarke
Ronald William "Ron" Clarke, MBE is a former Australian athlete, writer, and current Mayor of the Gold Coast. He is one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.- Early life and family :He attended Melbourne High School...
clocking 13:24.2. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
he won both the mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
and three mile run. In the next Commonwealth Games, Keino won the 1500 metres and was third in the 5000 metres.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, he won the 1500 metres gold medal (defeating American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
favourite and world record holder Jim Ryun
Jim Ryun
James Ronald Ryun is an American former track athlete and politician, who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing the 2nd District in Kansas. In the 2006 election, Ryun was defeated by Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda...
by 20m, the largest winning margin in the history of the event ) and 5000 m silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. Four years later, he won the 3000 metres steeplechase gold and 1500 metres silver at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He retired in 1973.
In 1987, he shared Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine's "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
" award with seven others, characterized as "Athletes Who Care," for his work with orphans.
Currently, Keino lives on a farm in Western Kenya where he controls and runs a charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
for orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
s, and is president of the Kenyan Olympic Committee. He is married to Phyllis Keino. One son Martin was a two-time NCAA champion and highly successful pace-setter. Another son, Andrew, aka "Kippy", is currently competing while attending Villanova http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4603&c=132.
He has built Kip Keino Primary School located near Eldoret, while Kip Keino Secondary School is under construction and due to open in 2008. Kipchoge Keino Stadium
Kipchoge Keino Stadium
Kipchoge Keino Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Eldoret, Kenya, named after the athlete Kipchoge Keino. It holds 10,000 people.In 2007, the Kenyan Government allocated Sh100 Million for the upgrade of the stadium, which had fallen into disrepair....
in Eldoret is named after him.
In 1996, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
In 2007, he was made an honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
. Earlier, Egerton University
Egerton University
Egerton University is a public university; the main campus is in Njoro, near the city of Nakuru, Kenya. The chancellor is Ambassador Bethuel K Kiplagat and the vice chancellor is Professor J. K. Tuitoek.-History:...
in Nakuru
Nakuru
Nakuru, the provincial capital of Kenya's Rift Valley province, with roughly 300,000 inhabitants, and currently the fourth largest urban centre in the country, lies about 1850 m above sea level...
had awarded him an honorary degree. His name, Kipchoge, is a Nandi language expression for "born near the grain storage shed".