Gilbert Kirwa

Kirwa celebrating victory at the 2009 Hamburg Half Marathon
Kirwa after winning the 2009 Vienna Marathon

Gilbert Kipruto Kirwa (born 20 December 1985) is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in long-distance running and the marathon. His personal best for the marathon is 2:06:14 hours and has won races in Vienna and Frankfurt.

Career

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A Nandi from Nandi Hills, Kenya, Kirwa had no background in running when a friend, the Ugandan professional runner Nicholas Kiprono, asked him to begin training with him in 2005. Based on what he had seen in training, Jason Mbote asked if Kirwa would be a pacemaker for him at the 2008 Seoul International Marathon in South Korea. This was the first time Kirwa had left Kenya, and his first ever international competition, but he set a strong pace up to the 33 kilometre mark and athletics agent Gerard van de Veen signed him on the strength of the run.[1]

He made his competitive debut in 2009, to much success: he won the Vienna Marathon with a time of 2:08:21, in what was he first ever attempt at the distance.[2] He won the Hamburg Half Marathon in June with a best of 1:01:52,[3] won the 10 km race in Wierden the following month,[4] and took third at the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen 10 km race.[5] Running in the Frankfurt Marathon in October, his second race at the distance, he beat the defending champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and also broke the course record. His time of 2:06:14 ranked among the top-twenty fastest marathons on record. The win at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race earned the runner €95,000 in prize money and bonuses.[6] Following this result, Kirwa stated his career ambition to challenge Haile Gebrselassie's world record.[1]

He signed up for the 2010 Seoul International Marathon but was beaten to the finish line by surprise winner Sylvester Teimet. Kirwa's time of 2:06:59 for a silver medal was the second fastest ever marathon recorded in South Korea after Teimet's winning time.[7] He ran the BIG 25K in Berlin in May and ran significantly faster than the world record pace, but still his mark of 1:11:58 was not enough to beat the race winner Samuel Kosgei.[8] In 2011 he ran at the Amsterdam Marathon, but slowed significantly in the second half, finishing in a time of 2:14:29 hours. His first race of 2012 was the Vienna Marathon and he came fourth in a time of 2:08:09 hours.[9] He tried for another win in Frankfurt that October but ended the race in third, as world record holder Patrick Makau took the victory.[10]

He ran two marathons in 2013: first he was sixth at the Tokyo Marathon, then he returned to Frankfurt, but failed to finish the race on that occasion.[11] He was third at the Seoul International Marathon in March 2014, running his second fastest ever time with 2:06:44 hours.[12]

Achievements

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  • All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Kenya
2009 Vienna Marathon Vienna, Austria 1st 2:08:21
Frankfurt Marathon Frankfurt, Germany 1st 2:06:14
2010 Seoul Marathon Seoul, South Korea 2nd 2:06:59

Personal bests

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Surface Event Time (h:m:s) Venue Date
Road Half marathon 1:01:52 Hamburg 28 June 2009
25 kilometres 1:11:58 Berlin 9 May 2010
Marathon 2:06:14 Frankfurt 25 October 2009

References

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  1. ^ a b Butcher, Pat (27 October 2009). "Getting faster and faster, Kirwa aims at 2:04". IAAF. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  2. ^ Wenig, Jörg (19 April 2009). "Kenyan and home victories as Vienna's unique debutants' race initiative proves a success". IAAF. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Hall of Fame - Männer – Halbmarathon Laufen – 1995-2008". Hamburg Half Marathon. 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Atletiek - Lornah Kiplagat komt naar Wiezoloop in Wierden" (in Dutch). Regiosport aktueel. 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  5. ^ Juck, Alfons (July 2009). "Kenyan Federation Kicks Sammy Kitwara and Gideon Ngatuny off Berlin 10k squad, by Alfons Juck, Note by Larry Eder". Run Blog Run. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  6. ^ Butcher, Pat (25 October 2009). "Kirwa breaks course record with 2:06:14 in Frankfurt". IAAF. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  7. ^ Jalava, Mirko (21 March 2010). "Surprise in Seoul – Teimet clocks 2:06:49 – Seoul International Marathon". IAAF. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  8. ^ Wenig, Jorg (9 May 2010). "Kosgei, Keitany shatter 25Km World records in Berlin - Updated". IAAF. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  9. ^ Wenig, Jorg (15 April 2012). "Sugut runs 2:06:58 while Tola defends; Haile beats Paula in chase in Vienna". IAAF. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  10. ^ Butcher, Pat (28 October 2012). "Patience pays for Makau in Frankfurt, debut win for Melkamu". IAAF. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Gilbert Kirwa". Tilastopaja. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  12. ^ Minshull, Phil (16 March 2014). "Jarso smashes personal best with 2:06:17 to win in Seoul". IAAF. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
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