Helena Kirop
Encyclopedia
Helena Loshanyang Kirop (born 9 September 1976) is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who specialises in marathon
running. Her personal best for the distance is 2:23:37 hours (set in 2011) and she has won the Prague International Marathon
and Venice Marathon
.
Kirop was the runner-up at the 2006 Amsterdam Marathon
and the 2007 Rotterdam Marathon
and has had top three finishes at the Berlin Marathon
and Dubai Marathon
. She represented Kenya in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009.
She is the head of the Helena Kirop Foundation, a charitable organisation aiming to provide education to girls in poor families in the Turkana
and Pokot communities.
, West Pokot District
, she did not compete at a high level of the sport when she was young. In 2004, she and her husband, Peter Lomuria, agreed that they would move to Eldoret
so that Kirop could begin training. The couple had two children and were both out of work and she noticed the wealth that marathon running could bring to Kenyan athletes. She began to compete in European road running
competitions from 2005 onwards. Managed by Gianni Demadonna, Kirop made her debut over the marathon in 2006 and quickly established herself with a debut win at the Casablanca Marathon. She took third place at the Ottawa Marathon then set a significant personal best of 2:28:51 hours to finish as runner-up behind Rose Cheruiyot
at the 2006 Amsterdam Marathon
.
In her second year of marathon running she was second at the Rotterdam Marathon
and improved her best further at the Berlin Marathon
, where she came third in a time of 2:26:27 hours. Kirop returned to the Berlin race in 2008 and although she was third for a second year running, she again bettered her time with a run of 2:25:01 hours. At the 2009 Dubai Marathon
she ran the second fastest time of her career (2:25:35) in spite of rainy conditions and finished in third place behind Ethiopians Bezunesh Bekele
and Atsede Habtamu
. She made her debut at the Boston Marathon
that April, but this outing was less successful than her one in Dubai as she finished in fifth place.
Kirop was selected for the women's marathon
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
– she remained among the leading pack at the 25K mark, but slowed thereafter and eventually dropped out of the race altogether. She decided upon a late entry into the Portugal Half Marathon
in October and she was rewarded with a win over local opposition in Ana Dulce Félix
and Marisa Barros
. Her year ended with a win at the Shoe4Africa 5K in Iten, which she had only entered as a training exercise to improve her speed.
A month later she ran a personal best of 2:24:54 hours for the marathon, coming third again at the Dubai race. After a third place finish at the Stramilano Half Marathon, she ran a course record of 2:25:29 to win at the 2010 Prague International Marathon
– a minute faster than the previous mark and two minutes ahead of the runner-up Alevtina Ivanova
.
Kirop managed only ninth place at the 2011 Dubai Marathon and was sixth in spite of her time of 1:09:50 at the highly competitive Lisbon Half Marathon
in March. She was second to Mary Keitany at the 2011 Portugal Half Marathon and ran a time of 1:08:57 hours (a new personal best). A best in the marathon followed in October at the Venice Marathon
, where her time of 2:23:37 hours on the hilly course improved the race record by over three minutes.
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 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...
running. Her personal best for the distance is 2:23:37 hours (set in 2011) and she has won the Prague International Marathon
Prague International Marathon
The Prague Marathon is held in the city of Prague Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to became a significant marathon event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status...
and Venice Marathon
Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon is a marathon road race that has been held each year in Venice since 1986, usually in October. The race is currently sponsored by Casino di Venezia , and thus it is known as the Casino di Venezia Venice Marathon. Ponte della Libertà and Parco San Giuliano are among the landmarks...
.
Kirop was the runner-up at the 2006 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:...
and the 2007 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...
and has had top three finishes 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 Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
. She represented Kenya in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 2009.
She is the head of the Helena Kirop Foundation, a charitable organisation aiming to provide education to girls in poor families in the Turkana
Turkana people
The Turkana are a Nilotic people native to the Turkana District in northwest Kenya, a dry and hot region bordering Lake Turkana in the east, Pokot, Rendille and Samburuto the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan and Ethiopia to the north...
and Pokot communities.
Career
Born in KapenguriaKapenguria
Kapenguria is a town lying north east of Kitale on the A1 road in Kenya. Kapenguria is capital of the West Pokot District. Kapenguria forms a municipality with an urban population of 13,000 and a total population of 56,000 ....
, West Pokot District
West Pokot District
West Pokot District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kapenguria. The district has a population of 308,086 and an area of 9,064 km² . Pokot people inhabit the area....
, she did not compete at a high level of the sport when she was young. In 2004, she and her husband, Peter Lomuria, agreed that they would move to 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...
so that Kirop could begin training. The couple had two children and were both out of work and she noticed the wealth that marathon running could bring to Kenyan athletes. She began to compete in European 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 from 2005 onwards. Managed by Gianni Demadonna, Kirop made her debut over the marathon in 2006 and quickly established herself with a debut win at the Casablanca Marathon. She took third place at the Ottawa Marathon then set a significant personal best of 2:28:51 hours to finish as runner-up behind Rose Cheruiyot
Rose Cheruiyot
Rose Jelagat Cheruiyot is a runner from Kenya.She is married to Ismael Kirui. The couple completed an unusual double when they both won their senior races at the Belfast International Cross Country in 1995....
at the 2006 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:...
.
In her second year of marathon running she was second 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...
and improved her best further 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...
, where she came third in a time of 2:26:27 hours. Kirop returned to the Berlin race in 2008 and although she was third for a second year running, she again bettered her time with a run of 2:25:01 hours. At the 2009 Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
she ran the second fastest time of her career (2:25:35) in spite of rainy conditions and finished in third place behind Ethiopians Bezunesh Bekele
Bezunesh Bekele
Bezunesh Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specializes in cross-country running and marathons.She was born in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa...
and Atsede Habtamu
Atsede Habtamu
Atsede Habtamu Besuye is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in road running and the marathon distance.She came to prominence at the IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2007 where, at the age of nineteen, she ran a time of 1:08:29 for the half marathon – a record for a teenage...
. She made her debut 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...
that April, but this outing was less successful than her one in Dubai as she finished in fifth place.
Kirop was selected for the women's marathon
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's Marathon
The Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:...
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
– she remained among the leading pack at the 25K mark, but slowed thereafter and eventually dropped out of the race altogether. She decided upon a late entry into the Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon is an annual half marathon contested every September in Lisbon, Portugal.A new, faster course was established for the race in 2010 and 25 km record holder Mary Keitany duly responded by setting a women's course record of 1:08:46...
in October and she was rewarded with a win over local opposition in Ana Dulce Félix
Ana Dulce Félix
Ana Dulce Félix is a long distance runner who competes in track, cross country, and road running events.Born in Azurém, Guimarães Municipality, Portugal, Félix began her career as a junior at the 2000 and 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, although she did not break the top 60 runners on...
and Marisa Barros
Marisa Barros
Elisa Marisa Branco Barros Rodrigues is a female long-distance runner from Portugal who specialises in marathon running. She ran for her country at the 2008 Summer Olympics and was sixth at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics...
. Her year ended with a win at the Shoe4Africa 5K in Iten, which she had only entered as a training exercise to improve her speed.
A month later she ran a personal best of 2:24:54 hours for the marathon, coming third again at the Dubai race. After a third place finish at the Stramilano Half Marathon, she ran a course record of 2:25:29 to win at the 2010 Prague International Marathon
Prague International Marathon
The Prague Marathon is held in the city of Prague Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to became a significant marathon event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status...
– a minute faster than the previous mark and two minutes ahead of the runner-up Alevtina Ivanova
Alevtina Ivanova
Alevtina Ivanova is a Russian long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She has won at the Prague International Marathon and the Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon...
.
Kirop managed only ninth place at the 2011 Dubai Marathon and was sixth in spite of her time of 1:09:50 at the highly competitive Lisbon Half Marathon
Lisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
in March. She was second to Mary Keitany at the 2011 Portugal Half Marathon and ran a time of 1:08:57 hours (a new personal best). A best in the marathon followed in October at the Venice Marathon
Venice Marathon
The Venice Marathon is a marathon road race that has been held each year in Venice since 1986, usually in October. The race is currently sponsored by Casino di Venezia , and thus it is known as the Casino di Venezia Venice Marathon. Ponte della Libertà and Parco San Giuliano are among the landmarks...
, where her time of 2:23:37 hours on the hilly course improved the race record by over three minutes.