Geoffrey KAMWOROR

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Compiled 9 August 2016

Geoffrey Kipsang KAMWOROR (5000m/10,000m/Road Races)

Born 22 November 1992

Camp: Global Sports

Manager: Jos Hermens

Coach: Patrick Sang

Trains in Kaptagat

With four world titles under his belt, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor is a championship athlete per excellence.

Still only 23, he won the 2011 World Junior Cross Country 8K title, clinched the senior 12K World Cross crown four years later and is a two time World Half Marathon champion as well as 10,000 metres silver medallist at last year’s World Athletics Championships.

Kamworor has also earned a reputation for his versatility due to his ability to seamlessly switch from the road to the track road and cross country and deliver on each of them earning the moniker Man for all Surfaces.

“It depends on preparations and the advice I get from coach and manager, I maintain the programme that I am given by the coach; that is how I manage. “For cross country I need endurance and speed, the track needs more of speed, while the road running needs more of endurance.”

He reckons cross country cuts between track and road racing.

“Cross country assists me much in preparing for track. The speed you acquire from cross country will help you when you switch to track. Also after running the track, the speed will be there for the road.”
“All surfaces are my favourite. I enjoy cross country so much, but all in all I aspire to make good results and do good regardless of where am competing.”

In an era where athletes have become more engaging with the public especially on social media, Kamworor is something of a throwback. Quiet, unassuming and driven, he prefers to keep a low profile doing his talking when he steps into competition.

A gifted athlete, Kamworor started running when he was only 16 at the insistence of his teacher.

“There was a games teacher who used to encourage me. He told me he thought I had the talent and urged me on even though I was not very outgoing. Then when I joined Global, I got advice from Eliud Kipchoge who inspires me.”

He first tried his hand at international competitions in 2010, competing in Scandinavia at distances including 1500m, 3000m and 5000 metres. In December that year he joined the Global Sports Camp.

Joining the camp did his training a world of good, as in 2011; he won his first World title at the World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria.

Kamworor could only finish fourth at the Kenyan Trials and then had issues with his travel documents, arriving the Spanish resort only a day before competition. He however brushed that aside with a commanding performance leading from gun to tape to claim his first major title.

Two weeks later, Kamworor was in Germany for the Berlin Half Marathon, which he won in 60:38. He then turned his attention to the track, clocking 27:06.35 in the 10,000m in Eugene before moving on to New York a week later, where he timed 13:12.23 in 5,000m.

He won his second half marathon in Lille in September (60:02) before returning to Berlin, where he was a pacemaker for Haile Gebrselassie in a marathon race that saw Patrick Makau set a new World record time of 2:03:38. Kamworor squeezed in a second place finish in Delhi (59:31) at the end of November.

Kamworor started his 2012 season in cross country, with a win in Sevilla and a second lace in Elgoibar, before a seventh place finish at the National Cross Country Championships in February In March he improved his half marathon time to 59:26 in The Hague.

He then changed surface again to the track, winning the 5000 metres at the National Championships, timing but failed to make the team for the London Olympic Games after coming fifth in heat two of the Olympic trials on 21 June.

He overcame the disappointment by completing his first marathon in Berlin in September, where he finished third in a personal best time of 2:06:12.

Kamworor beat a strong field that included Stanley Biwott, Geoffrey Mutai and Feyisa Lelisa to win Ras Al Khaimah in February 2013 in 58:54. In April, he competed in Rotterdam marathon timing 2:09:12 for fourth place.

He ran just one 10,000m race that year, at the Police Championships in May, where he stopped the clock at 28:17.0.

In September he returned to Berlin, clocking 2:06:26 in third place at the marathon won by Wilson Kipsang in a then World record time of 2:03:23.

Tokyo Marathon started the year for Kamworor in 2014, with a sixth place finish (2:07:37). Slightly over a month later, he claimed his second global title when he swept all before him to win gold at the World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen on 29 March in 59:08.

A return to Berlin Marathon in September saw him time 2:06:39 for fourth place as the World record tumbled yet again, with Dennis Kimetto setting a new mark of 2:02:57.

He still had enough energy to set a seasonal best in the half marathon in December, timing 59.07 in Delhi.

A huge fan of cross country, Kipsang started 2015 by finishing second in February at the Kenya Championships to select a team for the world Cross event in Guiyang.

Once in the Chinese city, Kamworor and compatriot Bedan Karoki worked in tandem for most of the race, dropping their main challengers, until 400 metres before the finish when Kamworor powered away to claim gold.

With another World title under his belt, Kamworor declared his intention of making the Beijing team for the World Championships. He won the 5000m at the Kenyan Championships in July, clocking 13:14.7h before winning the 10,000m race at the Kenya Trials in 27:11.89 three weeks later. Once again, Karoki came second.

At the World Championships, Kamworor and Karoki worked at pushing the pace, but in the end, the World Cross Champion could not live with Mo Farah’s finishing kick, settling for silver in 27:01.76.

Done with track for the season, Kamworor shifted attention to his first New York Marathon In a race run in hot conditions, Kamworor made a move late in the race, but failed to sustain it and was pipped at the end by Stanley Biwott, settling once again for silver in 2:10:48.

Eager to retain his World Half Marathon title, Kamworor lined up against Karoki and Farah in Cardiff on 26 Marchthis year.

He fell at the start, suffering bruised knees, but was up in a flash and seven seconds later rejoined the leading pack. From there, he and Karoki set a punishing pace and it was no surprise that by the 15km mark, they had dropped everybody else.

Again, Kamworor’s finishing power told, as he streaked away from his compatriot to win in 59:10.

“It’s really great. It’s really important for me. Actually I’m really happy to defend my title especially since I fell down at the start, but no problem, I stayed strong. It’s unfortunate that I fell down at the start. People were coming from behind and pushing me down,” he declared.

With one eye on the Olympic Trials, Kamworor went under 13 minutes for the first time in May, clocking 12:59.98 over 5000m as he finished second at the Prefontaine Classic Meet in Oregon.

A month later, he was at the Kenyan Trials held in Eldoret. Favourite to win the race, Kamworor dropped out with eight laps to go due to stomach cramps, joining Karoki who had dropped out a few laps earlier.

Despite failure to finish, Kamworor was included in the Olympic team, where he is expected to renew acquaintances with Farah.

“I have learnt a lot from Mo Farah, he is good at finish. He’s someone who can sprint at the end, leaving everyone wondering how. So I have worked on that and I believe I will deliver.” Kamworor said.

“We normally agree to do things together and when we plan, it happens. We have helped one another in many ways and I don’t fear, because we listen to one another despite other things. We shall work hard to ensure that we bring the gold, silver and bronze to Kenya at the Olympic Games,” Kamworor opined.

Personal Bests

5000m: 12:59.98 (2016)
10,000m: 26:52.65 (2015)
Half Marathon: 58:54 (2013)
Marathon: 2:06:12 (2012)

Yearly Progression

5000m: 2010-13:42.01; 2011-13:12.23; 2012-13:28.8A; 2013- -; 2014- -; 2015-13:13.28; 2016-12:59.98
10,000m: 2011-27:06.35; 2012- -; 2013-28:17.0h; 2014- -; 2015-26:52.65; 2016-
Half Marathon: 2011-59:31; 2012-59:26; 2013-58:54; 2014-59:07; 2015- -; 2016-59:10
Marathon: 2012-2:06:12; 2013-2:06:26; 2014-2:06:39; 2015-2:10:48; 2016-

Career Highlights

2011 1st World Cross Country Championships, Punta Umbria (Juniors)
2014 1st World Half Marathon Championships, Copenhagen
2015 1st World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang (Seniors)
2015 2nd World Championships, Beijing (10,000m)
2016 1st World Half Marathon Championships, Cardiff

Prepared by James Wokabi and Mutwiri Mutuota for the IAAF ‘Focus on Athletes’ project. Copyright IAAF 2016