Geoffrey Mutai
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Kiprono Mutai is a Kenya
n long distance runner who specialises in road running
competitions. On 18 April 2011 at the Boston Marathon
, Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 2 seconds (4:42 per mile pace), though this time will not be recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
as a world record since the Boston course does not meet the criteria to be eligible for the mark. His other significant victories include the Monaco Marathon
. He is also a strong half marathon
runner, with wins at the Valencia Half Marathon and RAK Half Marathon, and a best of 59 minutes 30 seconds (4:33 per mile pace), to his name. He also won the 2011 New York City Marathon
with a time of 2 hours 5 minutes and 5 seconds (4:46 per mile pace), breaking the course record set by Tesfaye Jifar
of Ethiopia
in 2001.
. He graduated from primary school in 1998, but financial constraints prevented him from joining a secondary school. Instead, he worked in a farm, but continued his running career. He was selected to represent Kenya at the 2002 World Junior Championships
, but could not make the trip as he had no birth certificate
. Soon later, he was injured and almost quit running. He later joined Kapng’entuny Athletics Club in Eldoret
. In 2007 he made his marathon debut, finishing second in the inaugural Kass Marathon in Eldoret. At this race he met his current manager Gerard Van de Veen of Volare Sports, who provided him with the opportunity of competing abroad.
He won the 2008 Monaco Marathon
, clocking a time of 2:12:40 to beat second-placed Jacob Kitur. He won the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen 10 km race in a course record time of 28:05 that July. He made significant improvements at the Eindhoven Marathon
, setting a new personal best of 2:07:50, which was a course record and over a minute and a half ahead of the opposition.
Mutai opened 2009 with a win at the South Rift Valley 12 km championships. He signed up for the Seoul International Marathon
, but was unable to finish the race. He ran at the Daegu Marathon
a month later and finished eighth overall with a time of 2:10:45. He returned to the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen race a few months later and improved upon his previous course record, running under 28 minutes for the first time to set a new best of 27:39. He had a second consecutive victory at the Eindhoven Marathon, further improving the course mark and his personal best to 2:07:01. He won the Valencia Half Marathon in late 2009, seeing off the challenge from pre-race favourite Boniface Kirui and setting a new best of 59:30 over the distance.
The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
was Mutai's first major race of 2010, and he beat Tadese Tola to the finish line. Although his time of 59:43 was quick, it seemed a relatively modest achievement given the tactical running and the race's historically fast times. He took on the World's Best 10K in Puerto Rico
a few weeks later, but Moses Masai and Sammy Kitwara
pushed him into third place. Mutai ran one of the fastest marathons ever at the Rotterdam Marathon
in April, improving on his previous best by a large margin with a run of 2:04:55. However, Patrick Makau ran even faster and Mutai had to settle for second place. He took to the track in the summer and set a 10,000 m personal best of 27:27:59 for second place at the Kenyan Championships behind Wilson Kiprop
. This earned him selection for the 2010 African Athletics Championships and he won the continental bronze medal
, while Kiprop took the gold. He was pitted against his Rotterdam rival Makau at the Berlin Marathon
and the two maintained the same positions, with Mutai clocking 2:05:10 for second place. He came close to a personal best at the Delhi Half Marathon and won the race by out-kicking Lelisa Desisa
.
He earned a place on the World Cross team with a victory at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, conclusively winning by 44.4 seconds. At the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
he was among the lead pack with 500 m to go but was outstripped by the fast pace and finished fifth.
in the fastest time ever recorded for a marathon, which was 2:03.02: this was 57 seconds faster than the world record of 2:03:59, and broke the existing course record of 2:05:52 by almost three minutes. However, due to the point-to-point nature of the (overall, downhill) course, it cannot be ratified as a world record. Running in sunshine and temperatures near 50 °F (10 °C), Mutai was helped by a tailwind blowing 15-to-20 miles per hour, but he credited (4th place finisher) American Ryan Hall
for setting an early fast pace. In the late stages, Mutai was pushed by 25-year old countryman Moses Mosop
: the two ran stride-for-stride over the last miles until a final sprint by Mutai gave him the victory by four seconds. His win of the New York marathon makes him the first person to win both the Boston and New York marathons in a single year.
He also competed at the first B.A.A. 10K
, which was held in Boston in June, and he won the race in a state record time of 27:19 minutes. At the Giro di Castelbuono
, the oldest European road race, he won as it took on a 10K format for the first time.
(*) Downhill and point-to-point course
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...
competitions. On 18 April 2011 at the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
, Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever in a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 2 seconds (4:42 per mile pace), though this time will not be recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
as a world record since the Boston course does not meet the criteria to be eligible for the mark. His other significant victories include the Monaco Marathon
Monaco Marathon
The Monaco Marathon or the Monaco and the Riviera Marathon is a marathon run every year starting and finishing in Monaco. It crosses the border to France and Italy and goes along the coast to a turning point in Ventimiglia, Italy and back again to Monaco...
. He is also a strong 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...
runner, with wins at the Valencia Half Marathon and RAK Half Marathon, and a best of 59 minutes 30 seconds (4:33 per mile pace), to his name. He also won the 2011 New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
with a time of 2 hours 5 minutes and 5 seconds (4:46 per mile pace), breaking the course record set by Tesfaye Jifar
Tesfaye Jifar
Tesfaye Jifar born April 23, 1976) is a male Ethiopian long-distance runner.Jifar won the New York City Marathon in 2001, his time 2:07:43 remains the course record. The same year he was second at the Tokyo Marathon and won the Saint Silvester Marathon held in Brazil...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in 2001.
Career
Mutai started running in 1994 while at Tuiyotich Primary School in NakuruNakuru
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...
. He graduated from primary school in 1998, but financial constraints prevented him from joining a secondary school. Instead, he worked in a farm, but continued his running career. He was selected to represent Kenya at the 2002 World Junior Championships
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, but could not make the trip as he had no birth certificate
Birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
. Soon later, he was injured and almost quit running. He later joined Kapng’entuny Athletics Club in Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...
. In 2007 he made his marathon debut, finishing second in the inaugural Kass Marathon in Eldoret. At this race he met his current manager Gerard Van de Veen of Volare Sports, who provided him with the opportunity of competing abroad.
He won the 2008 Monaco Marathon
Monaco Marathon
The Monaco Marathon or the Monaco and the Riviera Marathon is a marathon run every year starting and finishing in Monaco. It crosses the border to France and Italy and goes along the coast to a turning point in Ventimiglia, Italy and back again to Monaco...
, clocking a time of 2:12:40 to beat second-placed Jacob Kitur. He won the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen 10 km race in a course record time of 28:05 that July. He made significant improvements 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...
, setting a new personal best of 2:07:50, which was a course record and over a minute and a half ahead of the opposition.
Mutai opened 2009 with a win at the South Rift Valley 12 km championships. He signed up for the Seoul International Marathon
Seoul International Marathon
The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon, is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the city, alongside the JoongAng Seoul Marathon which is held in November. It...
, but was unable to finish the race. He ran 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 ....
a month later and finished eighth overall with a time of 2:10:45. He returned to the Loopfestijn Voorthuizen race a few months later and improved upon his previous course record, running under 28 minutes for the first time to set a new best of 27:39. He had a second consecutive victory at the Eindhoven Marathon, further improving the course mark and his personal best to 2:07:01. He won the Valencia Half Marathon in late 2009, seeing off the challenge from pre-race favourite Boniface Kirui and setting a new best of 59:30 over the distance.
The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon
Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.The first edition, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the world record, but Wanjiru himself set a new world record only a month later in another race...
was Mutai's first major race of 2010, and he beat Tadese Tola to the finish line. Although his time of 59:43 was quick, it seemed a relatively modest achievement given the tactical running and the race's historically fast times. He took on the World's Best 10K in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
a few weeks later, but Moses Masai and Sammy Kitwara
Sammy Kitwara
Sammy Kirop Kitwara is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running events. He is coached by Moses Kiptanui....
pushed him into third place. Mutai ran one of the fastest marathons ever at the Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
in April, improving on his previous best by a large margin with a run of 2:04:55. However, Patrick Makau ran even faster and Mutai had to settle for second place. He took to the track in the summer and set a 10,000 m personal best of 27:27:59 for second place at the Kenyan Championships behind Wilson Kiprop
Wilson Kiprop
Wilson Kiprop is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres and half marathon. He was the world champion at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2010 and was the 10,000 m gold medalist at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics.He started competing at the...
. This earned him selection for the 2010 African Athletics Championships and he won the continental bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
, while Kiprop took the gold. He was pitted against his Rotterdam rival Makau at the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
and the two maintained the same positions, with Mutai clocking 2:05:10 for second place. He came close to a personal best at the Delhi Half Marathon and won the race by out-kicking Lelisa Desisa
Lelisa Desisa
Lelisa Desisa Benti is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions. He gained his first international medal at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships, where he took the 10,000 metres gold medal.Desisa made his breakthrough on to the senior international...
.
He earned a place on the World Cross team with a victory at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, conclusively winning by 44.4 seconds. At the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009...
he was among the lead pack with 500 m to go but was outstripped by the fast pace and finished fifth.
World marathon best
On 18 April 2011, Mutai won the Boston MarathonBoston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in the fastest time ever recorded for a marathon, which was 2:03.02: this was 57 seconds faster than the world record of 2:03:59, and broke the existing course record of 2:05:52 by almost three minutes. However, due to the point-to-point nature of the (overall, downhill) course, it cannot be ratified as a world record. Running in sunshine and temperatures near 50 °F (10 °C), Mutai was helped by a tailwind blowing 15-to-20 miles per hour, but he credited (4th place finisher) American Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall (runner)
Ryan Hall is an American long distance runner. He won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials and placed tenth in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. He holds the U.S. record in the half marathon . With his half marathon record time, he became the first U.S...
for setting an early fast pace. In the late stages, Mutai was pushed by 25-year old countryman Moses Mosop
Moses Mosop
Moses Cheruiyot Mosop is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
: the two ran stride-for-stride over the last miles until a final sprint by Mutai gave him the victory by four seconds. His win of the New York marathon makes him the first person to win both the Boston and New York marathons in a single year.
He also competed at the first B.A.A. 10K
B.A.A. 10K
The B.A.A. 10K is an annual road running event for men and women over that takes place in June in Boston in the United States. A total of 3040 people finished the race at the inaugural edition....
, which was held in Boston in June, and he won the race in a state record time of 27:19 minutes. At the Giro di Castelbuono
Giro di Castelbuono
The Giro di Castelbuono is an annual road running competition over 10 kilometres which takes place in Castelbuono, on the island of Sicily, Italy...
, the oldest European road race, he won as it took on a 10K format for the first time.
Personal life
Born to Andrew Koech and Emmy Koech, Mutai is the eldest of 11 siblings. He is married to Beatrice. They have a daughter, born in 2009.Personal bests
| Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kilometres 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... |
27:19 | Boston, USA | 26 June 2011 |
| 20 kilometres 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... |
56:52 | Ras al-Khaimah Ras al-Khaimah Ras al-Khaimah is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates , in the east of the Persian Gulf. It is in the northern part of the UAE bordering Oman's exclave. The capital city and home of most residents is also called Ras al-Khaimah. The city has a population of 263,217 as of 2008. The city... , United Arab Emirates |
19 February 2010 |
| 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... |
59:30 | Valencia, Spain | 22 November 2009 |
| 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... * |
2:03:02 | Boston, USA | 18 April 2011 |
| 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... |
2:04:55 | Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands |
11 April 2010 |
(*) Downhill and point-to-point course
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
International competition
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | African Championships 2010 African Championships in Athletics The 2010 African Championships in Athletics was held in Nairobi, Kenya from 28 July to 1 August 2010.-Background:The African Championships in Athletics were held in Kenya for the first time... |
Nairobi, Kenya | 3rd | 10,000 metres | 27:33.83 |
| 2011 | World Cross Country Championships 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Punta Umbría, Spain on 20 March 2011.-Preparation:The United States had expressed an interest in hosting the competition, but Punta Umbria was chosen as the host at the IAAF Council Meeting in November 2009... |
Punta Umbria Punta Umbría Punta Umbría is a town and municipality in the province of Huelva, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia.The Punta in its name comes from the long point going out to the sea from the beach.... , Spain |
5th | Senior race | Individual |
| 1st | Senior race | Team | |||
Road races
- All results regarding marathon and half marathon
2008 Monaco Marathon Monaco MarathonThe Monaco Marathon or the Monaco and the Riviera Marathon is a marathon run every year starting and finishing in Monaco. It crosses the border to France and Italy and goes along the coast to a turning point in Ventimiglia, Italy and back again to Monaco...Monte Carlo, Monaco 1st Marathon 2:12:40 Eindhoven Marathon Eindhoven MarathonThe 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 1st Marathon 2:07:50 2009 Daegu Marathon Daegu MarathonThe 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 ....Daegu, South Korea 8th Marathon 2:10:45 Eindhoven Marathon Eindhoven MarathonThe 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 1st Marathon 2:07:01 Valencia Half Marathon Valencia, Spain 1st Half Marathon 59:30 2010 New Delhi Half Marathon New Delhi, India 1st Half Marathon 59:38 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah Half MarathonRas Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.The first edition, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the world record, but Wanjiru himself set a new world record only a month later in another race...Ras Al Khaimah, UAE 1st Half Marathon 59:43 Rotterdam Marathon Rotterdam MarathonThe Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...Rotterdam, Netherlands 2nd Marathon 2:04:55 Berlin Marathon 2010 Berlin MarathonThe 37th Berlin Marathon took place on Sunday 26 September 2010 on the streets of Berlin, Germany. The competition was sponsored by German retailer real,- and it was the third World Marathon Major of the year, as well as being an IAAF Gold Label Road Race...Berlin, Germany 2nd Marathon 2:05:10 2011 Boston Marathon 2011 Boston MarathonThe 2011 Boston Marathon took place on Monday, April 18, 2011. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the men's race in a time of 2:03:02. In recognizing Mutai's mark as the "fastest Marathon ever run", the International Association of Athletics Federations noted that the performance was not eligible for...Boston, United States 1st Marathon 2:03:02 Bogotá Half Marathon Bogota Half MarathonThe Bogotá International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance which takes place in Bogotá, Colombia in late July or early August. Established in 2000, it holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, making it the first and thus far only South American...Bogotá BogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia1st Half Marathon 1:02:20 ING New York City Marathon New York City, United States 1st Marathon 2:05:05