Nicholas Chelimo
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Chelimo Kipkorir (born 8 January 1983) is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who specialises in road running
, including the marathon
. He has a personal best of 2:07:38, set at the Eindhoven Marathon
in 2010, and took his first win at the 2010 Nagano Marathon.
in 2006, finishing in fourth place with a time of 2:17:38. Under the tutelage of former world record holder Paul Tergat
, Chelimo significantly improved upon this the following year. He ran a personal best of 2:11:56 for second place at the Belgrade Marathon
, finishing three seconds behind John Maluni, and he felt it was clear he needed more training to improve further. He knocked two minutes off his best with of run of 2:09:42 at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
, although this was only enough for fifth place in a quick race won by Joshua Chelanga
.
His first marathon of 2008 came at the Twente Marathon, where he was out of the medals with a fifth place finish. He returned to Seoul for another attempt at the JoongAng Marathon race and the competition developed into a duel between Chelimo and Solomon Molla
. He set a best time of 2:08:51 but it was his Ethiopian rival who took the honours, five second ahead. He began his 2009 season at the Daegu Marathon
, where he ran 2:10:13 for sixth place. He took part in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow
that September and recorded a time of 1:02:25 for fourth place in the half marathon
event. The typically fast Amsterdam Marathon
saw Chelimo pitted against top competition. His run of 2:07:46 was another improvement over the distance, but he finished fifth as fellow Kenyans Gilbert Yegon
and Elijah Keitany took the top two spots on their event debuts. His third marathon performance of the year came in December at the Honolulu Marathon
and he was second behind defending champion Patrick Ivuti
.
At the Nagano Marathon he controlled the race, gradually pulling away from the rest of the field to record his first victory over the distance. He came within a whisker of a second win of 2010 at the Eindhoven Marathon
: a sprint finish between Chelimo, Charles Kamathi
and Paul Biwott
left him as runner-up to Kamathi. The winning margin was so narrow that Chelimo's new personal best time of 2:07:38 was the same as that recorded by the winner.
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 long-distance runner who specialises in road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
, including 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 has a personal best of 2:07:38, set at 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...
in 2010, and took his first win at the 2010 Nagano Marathon.
Career
He made his debut over the distance at the Edinburgh MarathonEdinburgh Marathon
The is a marathon race that has been held each year in Edinburgh, Scotland since 2003, usually in May. It is run over the traditional distance of .The principal charity partner for the 2011 marathon is...
in 2006, finishing in fourth place with a time of 2:17:38. Under the tutelage of former world record holder Paul Tergat
Paul Tergat
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan professional long distance runner. He held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time.Now concentrating exclusively on the marathon, Tergat won many...
, Chelimo significantly improved upon this the following year. He ran a personal best of 2:11:56 for second place at the Belgrade Marathon
Belgrade Marathon
The Belgrade Marathon is a marathon race held annually in Belgrade since 1988. It is typically held in mid-April and also features half marathon and fun run for the public.-Background:...
, finishing three seconds behind John Maluni, and he felt it was clear he needed more training to improve further. He knocked two minutes off his best with of run of 2:09:42 at the JoongAng Seoul Marathon
JoongAng Seoul Marathon
The JoongAng Seoul Marathon is an annual footrace that takes place in Seoul, South Korea, usually in early November. First held in 1999, the race was established as a commemoration of Olympic marathon race which was held as part of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It features a men's marathon elite race,...
, although this was only enough for fifth place in a quick race won by Joshua Chelanga
Joshua Chelanga
Joshua Chelanga is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who won the 2007 edition of the Rotterdam Marathon on April 15, clocking 2:08:21....
.
His first marathon of 2008 came at the Twente Marathon, where he was out of the medals with a fifth place finish. He returned to Seoul for another attempt at the JoongAng Marathon race and the competition developed into a duel between Chelimo and Solomon Molla
Solomon Molla
Solomon Molla is an Ethiopian athlete who specialises in long distance running, including the marathon.Born in Tigray Province, he had his first experience of international competition at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships...
. He set a best time of 2:08:51 but it was his Ethiopian rival who took the honours, five second ahead. He began his 2009 season at the Daegu Marathon
Daegu Marathon
The Daegu International Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in April in Daegu, South Korea. The day's events also feature a 5K event and a 10K event, as well as the full course marathon ....
, where he ran 2:10:13 for sixth place. He took part in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
that September and recorded a time of 1:02:25 for fourth place in the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
event. The typically fast Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
saw Chelimo pitted against top competition. His run of 2:07:46 was another improvement over the distance, but he finished fifth as fellow Kenyans Gilbert Yegon
Gilbert Yegon
Gilbert Yegon is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon races.He began taking part in road races in 2008, and he ran a time of 1:02:43 at the Nairobi Half Marathon for third place. He entered the Berlin Half Marathon the following year and improved his time to 1:01:26, finishing in...
and Elijah Keitany took the top two spots on their event debuts. His third marathon performance of the year came in December at the Honolulu Marathon
Honolulu Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...
and he was second behind defending champion Patrick Ivuti
Patrick Ivuti
Patrick Ivuti is a Kenyan long distance athlete who currently resides in Nairobi, Kenya. He won the Chicago Marathon held on October 7, 2007 with a time of 2:11:11. The race was a photo finish culmination of a shoulder to shoulder final 300 meter stretch run with Jaouad Gharib down Columbus Drive...
.
At the Nagano Marathon he controlled the race, gradually pulling away from the rest of the field to record his first victory over the distance. He came within a whisker of a second win of 2010 at 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...
: a sprint finish between Chelimo, Charles Kamathi
Charles Kamathi
Charles Waweru Kamathi is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is best known for winning the 10,000 metres distance at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.-Early life and career:...
and Paul Biwott
Paul Biwott
Paul Biwott is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running, particularly the marathon.Among his earliest victories was the 2001 Route du Vin Half Marathon, which he won in a time of 1:03:05. He was the winner of the Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale in 2003...
left him as runner-up to Kamathi. The winning margin was so narrow that Chelimo's new personal best time of 2:07:38 was the same as that recorded by the winner.