Jacob Kiplimo
Ugandan male long-distance runner

Jacob Kiplimo

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Ugandan male long-distance runner
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Male
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Birth:
14 November 2000(Kween District, Uganda)
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Biography

Introduction

Jacob Kiplimo (born 14 November 2000) is a Ugandan long-distance runner who competes in track running events. He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

He is the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Junior champion. In 2019 he became the World Cross Country Silver medallist at the age of 18.

Career

A member of the Sebei ethnic group, he grew up in Bukwo on Mount Elgon, living at high altitude. At the age of fifteen he won the 10,000 metres bronze medal at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships behind fellow East Africans Rodgers Kwemoi and Aron Kifle. Of as much importance as that placing was his time of 13:24:40 minutes for the 5000 metres in Rome that May. That was enough to reach the Olympic standard and gain selection for Uganda at the 2016 Summer Olympics. As a result, he became the youngest ever Olympian for Uganda.

Prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics, he improved his 5000 m best further to 13:19.54 minutes. The youngest entrant to the competition he ran in the Olympic heats only, recording a time of 13:30.40 minutes for eleventh in his race. He is the youngest ever competitor for Uganda at the Olympic Games, with the age of 15.

At age 16, Jacob Kiplimo produced a performance of a lifetime to win gold in the men's U20 race at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, the country's first ever gold medal at a World Cross, covering the 8 km course in 22:40 minutes.

Kiplimo won the San Silvestre 10k in a time of 26:41 on 31 Dec 2019. As the course has an elevation drop, it won't count for record purposes. His win set a new course record, formerly set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2006 with 26:54.

At the Ugandan Cross Country Championships on 16 Feb 2019 in Tororo, Kiplomo defeated Joshua Cheptegei by both placing first and second respectively. In the mens senior race over 10 km, Kiplomo won by a 11-second lead over the 10000 m world championship runner up.

At the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, Kiplimo finished second in the senior men's race 4 seconds after Joshua Cheptegei's winning time of 31:40. He won the gold medal in the teams ranking with Cheptegei from Uganda.

Kiplimo did not run in the 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, because of an injury.

Personal bests

  • 1500 metres: 3:50.24 min (2016)
  • 3000 metres: 7:43.73 min (2017)
  • 5000 metres: 13:13.64 min (2017)
  • 10,000 metres: 27:26.68 min (2016)
  • 10K run: 28:17 min (2018)
  • 10K run: 26:41 min (31 December 2018) (fastest ever run (at the time), but it was not officially ratified as a world record due to the downhill nature of the course).

All information from IAAF Profile.

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2016 World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 3rd 10,000 m 27:26.68
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 26th (h) 5000 m 13:30.40
2017 World Cross Country Championships Kampala, Uganda 1st Junior men's race 22:40
World Championships London, United Kingdom 22nd (h) 5000 m 13:30.92
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 4th 10,000 m 27:30.25
World U20 Championships Tampere, Finland 2nd 10,000 m 27:40.36
2019 World Cross Country Championships Aarhus, Denmark 2nd Senior race 31:44