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Compiled 29 July 2016

Stanley Kipleting BIWOTT (marathon)

Born 21 April 1986, Cheptirit Village, Kapsabet in Nandi County

Manager: Federico Rosa

Family: sixth born in family of eight; five boys, three girls

Schools: Mongogedi Primary School, Sirikwa and Ngechek Secondary Schools

Being named in the Kenya team for the Rio Olympics brought the career of Stanley Kipleting Biwott to full circle.

It was in Brazil that the lanky athlete clinched his first ever victory when he won the São Paolo Marathon back in 2010 and he will hope to crown his return by winning the biggest medal in the sport.

The 30 year-old made the squad after a stellar calendar year in which he finished fourth in London 2015 (2:06:41), won New York in November (2:10:34) and in April 2016, ran his 2:03:51 lifetime best to finish second in London.

“I’m happy to be named in the team and that they have seen my performance and hard work of the last two years. I’m very happy to represent my country in the Olympics. The Marathon has been has been long process for me, but I make sure have done my best every year.”

“I see myself now among the top marathon runners. I’m happy about it.”

Biwott has had to work his way up taking almost a decade to get to the very top.

Born in Cheptirit village in Kapsabet, he was born into a family of athletes. His father was an athlete getting employment at the Kenya Ports Authority due to his talent while his elder brother Norris Kipkemboi Biwott is a 2:11:29 marathoner.

Like most school kids in the Rift valley, Biwott dabbled in all sorts of races while in primary school, “I would compete in any race from 800 metres to 10,000 metres but never progressed far in competition.”

In secondary school, he switched to the steeplechase and 5,000 metres but again did not make a major impact.

After high school in 2005, Biwott was training on his own before he met his first coach, “Hapter Keter had a group of athletes he used to train and he encouraged me to join his training camp and I finally had a team to train with.”

Biwott entered the 10,000 metres race at the 2006 national championships that were used to select a team to compete at the Commonwealth games in Melbourne.

“Because I used to train alone, I would run long distances and when I competed at the nationals, I finished sixth and did not make the team. But it was after the trials that I got an agent after teaming up with Dr Rosa.”

In 2007; he ran his first race outside the country finishing third in a half marathon in Ostia Italy in 61:20.

But just when things were starting to look up, Biwott suffered a huge injury setback as a hamstring tear had him out for most of 2008.

“I had a bad hamstring injury in 2008 and the only thing I did of note was to be a pacemaker in Beijing Marathon later in the year.”

He was back on his feet in 2009, running several road races in Brazil including a second place over 10K in Santos in May and seventh in the Corrida de São Silvestre 15k on December 31 in São Paulo.

In 2010, he claimed his first marathon victory winning in São Paolo in 2:11:19 in May. Later in the year he improved his time to 2:09:41 while finishing second in Reims Marathon.

A 60:23 half marathon win in Spain was the highlight of his spring in 2011, before winning Chunchon Marathon in Korea in September and slicing over 2:30 off his PB for 2:07:03.

It was also in 2011 that he tied the knot and he is blessed with three children; two boys and a girl.

Biwott’s graph was on the up as he registered three half marathon victories in 2012 including a seasonal best in Paris in 59:44 in March. Six weeks later, he returned to the French capital and chalked up his biggest win yet winning Paris Marathon in 2:05:12.

He was one of the favourites to fight out for victory in 2012 New York Marathon but the race was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Disappointed, Biwott ended the season with a third place finish in Shanghai in December (2:09:05).

He also ran his personal best in 10K the same year, timing 28:00 to win the TD Beach to Beacon 10K race in the US in August.

Biwott started 2013 in style by clocking a lifetime best of 58:56 in the 21K distance as he finished second at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in March.

In April he made his debut in the World Marathon Majors series, timing 2:08:39 to finish eighth in London Marathon.

In November he finally made his debut in New York, where he made a very good start but faded towards the end, finishing fifth in 2:10:41.

Biwott joined up with Claudio Berrardelli in 2014 with the pair working together until August 2015, when relations between Rosa and Berrardelli soured with the coach leaving after a fallout.

The lanky athlete was back in London in 2014, finishing second behind Wilson Kipsang in 2:04:55. He struggled with a calf injury after that, but in November he completed Delhi Half Marathon with a fifth place finish in 59:18, just 12 seconds from the winner.

Biwott started 2015 with a third place finish in City Pier City Half Marathon (59:20) in March.

He then made a third appearance in London, finishing outside the podium in fourth place in 2:06:41.

In November, Biwott enjoyed his biggest triumph in road running when he won New York marathon in 2:10:34, producing a fast finish to claim his first major victory. He had previously struggled with the final part of his race but this time Biwott timed his move to perfection seeing off Geoffrey Kamworor’s challenge for victory.

“In my previous London and New York races, I was not able to run fast enough at the end,” said, Biwott. “This time I trained to have the strength for 42 kilometers, and the speed you need at the end.”

With 2016 an Olympic year, Biwott was focused on making the team for Rio as he returned to Ras Al Khaimah in February finishing second in the half marathon in 60:40.

Then came the big showdown in London, where he was the only one who kept up with Eliud Kipchoge’s blistering pace until the 35k mark and went on to finish second in a new lifetime best of 2:03:51.

“I was not prepared to run that fast, but I was in good shape because I had trained very well for London and I was actually in better shape than last year. Winning New York showed that I can do better if I prepare well and I think I can still lower my PB,” Biwott maintained.

“I had not realised that we were running that fast until we got to 30K. I realised we almost broke the World record when I crossed the finish line and saw that I had clocked 2:03.53. The record was the last thing in my mind,” Biwott, who is in line for his Team Kenya, debut recounted.

His performances saw him selected alongside his conqueror in the British capital and 2012 Boston Marathon champion, Wesley Korir in the Kenyan team for Rio.

In June, he warmed up for the Olympics by winning the Olomouc Half Marathon in the Czech Republic in a time of 60:46.

Kenya has only one gold medal from the Olympic marathon and Biwott says the trio will work hard to help bring the top medal home.

“We are going there as a team and we will work as a team. We will assist each other to bring the medals back to Kenya. Winning a medal would mean a lot to me, a big achievement for me and my family and those I train with, I will be very happy. It will be my journey to win gold in the Olympics,” he asserted.

Biwott has been watching previous Olympics, especially the 2:06:32 Olympic record performance by former teammate, the late Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, whom the class of 2016 will be hoping to emulate in Rio.

“I watched Wanjiru’s race very well and he was in our Nike camp and I would like to bring the gold back to Kenya for him.”

He hopes running many races in Brazil will give him the edge when it comes to competing at the same nation for the ultimate glory.

“I have been running in Brazil and I understand the weather there. I’m not new there and when they talk about the weather, I’m used to it.”

Personal Bests

Half Marathon: 58:56 (2013)

Marathon: 2:03:51 (2016)

Yearly Progression

Half Marathon: 2007- 61:20; 2008- -; 2009- 65.28; 2010- -; 2011-60:23; 2012-59:44; 2013-58:56; 2014-59:18; 2015-59:20; 2016-60:40

Marathon: 2010- 2:09:41; 2011- 2:07:03; 2012-2:05:12; 2013- 2:08:39; 2014-2:04:55; 2015-2:06:41; 2016-2:03:51

Career Highlights

2010 1st São Paolo Marathon

2011 1st Chunchon Marathon

2012 1st Paris Marathon

2013 8th London Marathon

2013 5th New York Marathon

2014 2nd London Marathon

2015 4th London Marathon

2015 1st New York Marathon

2016 2nd London Marathon

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

Stanley Kipleting BIWOTT

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