Irene Jerotich Kosgei
Encyclopedia
Irene Jerotich Kosgei (born 1982) is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who specialises in the marathon
. Her first victory over the distance came at the Nairobi Marathon
in 2006 and she won the race again in 2010 with a course record and personal best time of 2:28:47. She became the first Kenyan woman to win the Commonwealth marathon title at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi
.
Among her other achievements on the road, she won the 2005 Baringo 15K, the Tiberias Marathon
in 2010 and has also finished top three at the Ottawa Marathon and Reims Marathon
.
in Würzburg
the following week. She then took third at the Singelloop Breda in October, and went on to compete in one of her first marathon competitions, the Reims Marathon
, where she was third in a time of 2:40:25. She ran at the Baringo 15K in Kenya at the start of 2005 and won the race in 52:49. She was fourth at the Berlin Half Marathon
in April, missing out on the podium spot to her compatriot Beatrice Omwanza
. Jerotich entered the Nairobi Marathon
for the first time in 2005 and she finished as runner-up with a new best of 2:37:52 behind Caroline Cheptanui Kilel.
Her two major races of 2006 were the Portugal Half Marathon
in Lisbon
in September, where she took third place, and a return trip to the Nairobi Marathon in October. In Nairobi she won her first marathon race, beating Chinese runner Zhang Xin and recording a lifetime best of 2:32:39. The next year she took part in her first top, elite level competition – the Paris Marathon
. She improved her personal best further to 2:31:12 in the race, which was enough for fifth place as the top Kenyan female finisher that year. She took on the Reims Marathon again but was off her peak form and finished with a comparatively slow time of 2:37:15 for sixth place.
She attempted to regain her Nairobi title in 2008, but both she and 2007 champion Cheshire Jepkosgei we soundly beaten by Emma Muthoni. Jerotich was initially given third place behind Jepkosgei Sawe, but Sawe's disqualification for taking a shortcut meant she was promoted to second place. The 2009 season saw Jerotich reach the podium at all her marathons: she ran first at the Tiberias Marathon
, which she won in 2:39:07, and then at the Ottawa Marathon in May where she was the third woman to finish. She entered the Nairobi Marathon yet again and delivered her best performance of the event with a course record and personal best time of 2:28:47. This made her the first athlete to win the race on two occasions and she won the race almost two minutes ahead of runner-up Alice Chelangat
.
Jerotich continued her career high into 2010, beginning with a half marathon best of 1:11:17 at the City-Pier-City Loop
, which brought her second place behind Pauline Wangui. She was selected to represent Kenya in the marathon at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi
. She fell mid-race into a drinks station after clashing with another runner and had to continue the race with a bloodied knee. Her perseverance paid off as she pulled away from the race leader Irene Mogake in the final stages of the race to become the first ever Kenyan woman to take the Commonwealth marathon title. After her Commonwealth win, she ran at the Baringo 15K, but managed only fifth on this occasion. She returned to the top of the podium with a win at the Singapore Marathon
in December.
She was picked for the Kenyan marathon squad at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
and came thirteenth in a time of 2:31:29 hours. She competed over ten miles in October at the Great South Run
and placed third on the podium.
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 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...
. Her first victory over the distance came at the Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon is an annual road running competition over the marathon distance which held in October in Nairobi, Kenya. First held in 2003, the competition expanded and now includes a half marathon race along with the main race....
in 2006 and she won the race again in 2010 with a course record and personal best time of 2:28:47. She became the first Kenyan woman to win the Commonwealth marathon title at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.
Among her other achievements on the road, she won the 2005 Baringo 15K, the Tiberias Marathon
Tiberias Marathon
The Tiberias Marathon is an annual marathon road race held along the Sea of Galilee in Israel with a field in recent years of approximately 1000 competitors. The competition was first held in 1977 and also hosts the annual Israeli marathon national championship...
in 2010 and has also finished top three at the Ottawa Marathon and Reims Marathon
Reims Marathon
Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller...
.
Career
She was third at the Grand 25 Berlin in May 2004 (running a time of 1:29:23) and won the half marathonHalf 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...
in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
the following week. She then took third at the Singelloop Breda in October, and went on to compete in one of her first marathon competitions, the Reims Marathon
Reims Marathon
Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller...
, where she was third in a time of 2:40:25. She ran at the Baringo 15K in Kenya at the start of 2005 and won the race in 52:49. She was fourth at the Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in early Spring in Berlin, Germany. The race was first held in 1984. A total of 23,799 runners took part in the half marathon in 2010...
in April, missing out on the podium spot to her compatriot Beatrice Omwanza
Beatrice Omwanza
Beatrice Omwanza is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon and half marathon races. She represented Kenya in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003 and 2005. Her personal best for the event is 2:27:19 hours.The biggest achievement of her career is a win at the...
. Jerotich entered the Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon is an annual road running competition over the marathon distance which held in October in Nairobi, Kenya. First held in 2003, the competition expanded and now includes a half marathon race along with the main race....
for the first time in 2005 and she finished as runner-up with a new best of 2:37:52 behind Caroline Cheptanui Kilel.
Her two major races of 2006 were 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 Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in September, where she took third place, and a return trip to the Nairobi Marathon in October. In Nairobi she won her first marathon race, beating Chinese runner Zhang Xin and recording a lifetime best of 2:32:39. The next year she took part in her first top, elite level competition – the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
. She improved her personal best further to 2:31:12 in the race, which was enough for fifth place as the top Kenyan female finisher that year. She took on the Reims Marathon again but was off her peak form and finished with a comparatively slow time of 2:37:15 for sixth place.
She attempted to regain her Nairobi title in 2008, but both she and 2007 champion Cheshire Jepkosgei we soundly beaten by Emma Muthoni. Jerotich was initially given third place behind Jepkosgei Sawe, but Sawe's disqualification for taking a shortcut meant she was promoted to second place. The 2009 season saw Jerotich reach the podium at all her marathons: she ran first at the Tiberias Marathon
Tiberias Marathon
The Tiberias Marathon is an annual marathon road race held along the Sea of Galilee in Israel with a field in recent years of approximately 1000 competitors. The competition was first held in 1977 and also hosts the annual Israeli marathon national championship...
, which she won in 2:39:07, and then at the Ottawa Marathon in May where she was the third woman to finish. She entered the Nairobi Marathon yet again and delivered her best performance of the event with a course record and personal best time of 2:28:47. This made her the first athlete to win the race on two occasions and she won the race almost two minutes ahead of runner-up Alice Chelangat
Alice Chelangat
Alice Kimetto Chelangat is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon race. She represented her country in the event at the 2004 Olympic Games...
.
Jerotich continued her career high into 2010, beginning with a half marathon best of 1:11:17 at the City-Pier-City Loop
City-Pier-City Loop
The CPC Loop Den Haag is an annual half marathon competition held in the Hague, Netherlands, every mid-March....
, which brought her second place behind Pauline Wangui. She was selected to represent Kenya in the marathon at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on a street course running through the city on 14...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. She fell mid-race into a drinks station after clashing with another runner and had to continue the race with a bloodied knee. Her perseverance paid off as she pulled away from the race leader Irene Mogake in the final stages of the race to become the first ever Kenyan woman to take the Commonwealth marathon title. After her Commonwealth win, she ran at the Baringo 15K, but managed only fifth on this occasion. She returned to the top of the podium with a win at the Singapore Marathon
Singapore Marathon
The Singapore Marathon is an annual international marathon race which is held on the first Sunday of December in the city of Singapore. It is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race...
in December.
She was picked for the Kenyan marathon squad at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
and came thirteenth in a time of 2:31:29 hours. She competed over ten miles in October at the Great South Run
Great South Run
The Bupa Great South Run is an annual 10 miles road running race which takes place in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Launched in 1990, it is part of the Great Run series created by former British athlete Brendan Foster...
and placed third on the podium.