Irene Mogaka
Encyclopedia
Irene Mogaka Kemunto (born 10 January 1985) is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who competes in the marathon
.
She began running at national level around 2005 and took second at the Kisii
cross country
meet that year. She made her marathon debut at the Nairobi International Marathon and finished in tenth place with a time of 2:48:27. She improved her time to 2:41:12 with a fifth place finish at the 2007 edition of the Mumbai Marathon
. She was crowned the 5000 metres
provincial champion for the Nyanza Province
in June that year. She ran at the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon at the end of the year and was runner-up behind Sylvia Skvortsova, taking her best time to 2:36:15.
Her 2008 season was highlighted by a run of 2:38:22 for fifth place at the Toronto Marathon
. She focused solely on the marathon in 2009 and started with a third place finish at the Mumbai Marathon in January. She knocked six minutes of her marathon best at the Los Angeles Marathon
to record 2:30:10 for fifth place. Her third marathon of the year was the Singapore Marathon
but her race was slow and she finished in ninth place.
She ran at the Berlin Half Marathon
at the start of 2010 and set a half marathon
best of 1:11:38 and finished sixth overall. She ran the second fastest race of her career at the Vienna City Marathon in April, clocking 2:31:28 to finish as runner-up behind Hellen Kimutai. She ran for Kenya at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
and was leading the race in the final stages. However, her compatriot Irene Jerotich Kosgei
overtook her in the last three kilometres and Mogaka finished eleven seconds behind her to record a time of 2:34:43 and win the silver medal
. She competed again in India at the Mumbai Marathon
in January the following year, but managed only eighth place in the race.
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 competes 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...
.
She began running at national level around 2005 and took second at the Kisii
Kisii, Kenya
Kisii town, located south-western Kenya, is the main urban and commercial centre in Gusii Highlands. A vibrant town, the Kisii municipality has a population of about 83,000, according to 2008 estimates. However, it has a large dependent metropolitan population of over 100,000 residents, as per the...
cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
meet that year. She made her marathon debut at the Nairobi International Marathon and finished in tenth place with a time of 2:48:27. She improved her time to 2:41:12 with a fifth place finish at the 2007 edition of the Mumbai Marathon
Mumbai Marathon
The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...
. She was crowned the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
provincial champion for the Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province
Nyanza Province of Kenya, is one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces. It is located in the southwest part of Kenya around Lake Victoria. Nyanza includes part of the eastern edge of Lake Victoria and is inhabited predominantly by the Luo. There are also Bantu-speaking tribes such as the...
in June that year. She ran at the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon at the end of the year and was runner-up behind Sylvia Skvortsova, taking her best time to 2:36:15.
Her 2008 season was highlighted by a run of 2:38:22 for fifth place at the Toronto Marathon
Toronto Marathon
The Toronto Marathon, held annually in May, is a race from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto, to Queen's Park. The race was initially called the Canadian International Marathon, and was first held in 1995 under its current organizer. The origins of the event trace back to 1977. In...
. She focused solely on the marathon in 2009 and started with a third place finish at the Mumbai Marathon in January. She knocked six minutes of her marathon best at the Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
to record 2:30:10 for fifth place. Her third marathon of the year was 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...
but her race was slow and she finished in ninth place.
She ran 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...
at the start of 2010 and set a 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...
best of 1:11:38 and finished sixth overall. She ran the second fastest race of her career at the Vienna City Marathon in April, clocking 2:31:28 to finish as runner-up behind Hellen Kimutai. She ran for Kenya 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...
and was leading the race in the final stages. However, her compatriot Irene Jerotich Kosgei
Irene Jerotich Kosgei
Irene Jerotich Kosgei is a Kenyan 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...
overtook her in the last three kilometres and Mogaka finished eleven seconds behind her to record a time of 2:34:43 and win the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. She competed again in India at the Mumbai Marathon
Mumbai Marathon
The Mumbai Marathon is an annual international road running competition over the marathon distance that is held in Mumbai, India, each January. The course records set in 2011 were also the fastest times ever run for the marathon on Indian soil – 2:09:54 by Girma Assefa and 2:26:56 by the women's...
in January the following year, but managed only eighth place in the race.