Hellen Obiri

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Hellen Obiri
Obiri after her win at the Golden Gala meet in Rome in 2017
Personal information
Full nameHellen Onsando Obiri
Born (1989-12-13) 13 December 1989 (age 34)
Kisii, Kenya
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Weight50 kg (110 lb)
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
Event(s)Middle-, Long-distance running
TeamOn Athletics Club
Coached byDathan Ritzenhein (2022–)
Ricky Simms (–2022)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Kenya
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 5000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 London 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2022 Eugene 10,000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Moscow 1500 m
World Relays
Gold medal – first place 2014 Nassau 4×1500 m relay
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Istanbul 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 2014 Sopot 3000 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 5000 m
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakech 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Asaba 5000 m
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Aarhus Senior race
Silver medal – second place 2019 Aarhus Senior team
World Marathon Majors
Gold medal – first place 2023 Boston Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2023 New York Marathon
Gold medal – first place 2024 Boston Marathon

Hellen Onsando Obiri (born 13 December 1989)[1] is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country. Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 metres. She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5,000 m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. Obiri also took world bronze for the 1,500 metres in 2013 and silver in the 10,000 m in 2022. She won the 3,000 metres race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. She is the 2019 World Cross Country champion. Obiri triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon race. She places fifth in the half marathon on the world all-time list.[2]

Obiri is the former Kenyan national record holder for the mile and the 5000 metres. Both those records were only recently broken by Faith Kipyegon on her way to setting the current mile World Record of 4:07.64 set in Monaco on 21 July 2023. Kipyegon is also the national 5000 metre record holder, by reason of being the immediate former 5000 metre World Record holder with a time of 14:05.20 set in Paris France on 9 June 2023.

Obiri was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2017.[3]

Early life and background[edit]

Hailing from Kisii in south-western Kenya, Obiri was the fourth child in a family of six children. At age 14, she was recruited as a 200 and 400 metres sprinter to attend Riruta Central Secondary School in Nairobi. However, she lost interest in the sport and stopped running altogether in 2006 and 2007 to focus on her studies. She only re-engaged with athletics to join the military. In 2009, Obiri graduated from Kenya Defence Forces Recruit Training School in Eldoret. Her first major race was at the 2010 Kenya Armed Forces Cross Country Championships, where she finished 32nd. She placed fifth after some training the following year. She is a member of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF).[4]

She is married to Tom Nyaundi, a former runner, and they have a daughter, Tania 'Blessing' Macheche, born in May 2015 through caesarean section. Obiri resumed racing within seven months.[5]

Career[edit]

Hellen Obiri gained her first international experience at the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she won the bronze medal for the 800 metres and placed fourth in the 1500 metres. She debuted in the World Championships in Athletics held in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea the following month, competing at the latter distance. Obiri set a personal best time of 4:07.59 in the heats but fell in the final, bringing pre-event favourite Morgan Uceny down with her, and finished 10th.[1] She later said, "After Daegu I went back to Kenya and started training seriously."[4]

In 2012, the 22-year-old took her first global title at the Istanbul World Indoor Championships, clocking 8:37.16 over the 3000 metres. This became the turning point of her career. That same year, she debuted in the Olympics at the London Games, finishing initially 12th and last in the 1500 m final, upgraded to eighth after subsequent doping disqualifications.[citation needed]

On 1 June 2013, Obiri won her first Diamond League race with 1500 m victory in USA's Eugene, setting a new personal best and meet record of 3:58.58.[1] She earned bronze in the event at the World Championships in Athletics held in August in Moscow. Obiri then earned the silver medal in the 3000 m at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, behind multiple world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba. On 9 May that year at the Doha Diamond League, she set an African record in the outdoor event with a time of 8:20.68, improving her personal best by more than 13 seconds.[4] In August, she added 1500 m title at the African Championships.[1]

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Obiri competed in the 5000 metres and earned the silver medal in a time of 14:29.77, behind compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot in an Olympic record of 14:26.17 and ahead of Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana who ran 14:33.59.[6]

Obiri dominated the 5000 m at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London.

Obiri represented Kenya at the 2017 World Championships in London in the same event and won the gold medal with a time of 14:34.86, ahead of Ayana and Sifan Hassan.[7]

2018 saw her take two more gold medals in the 5000 m events, at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and at the African Championships.[1]

In March 2019, Obiri won the senior women's race at the World Cross Country Championship held in Aarhus, Denmark, beating on a 10.2 km course second-placed Dera Dida by two seconds with a time of 36:14.[8][9] After she posted best female times of the year in the 5000 metres in 2017 and 2018, Obiri successfully defended her title at the Doha World Championships in October, setting a championship record of 14:26.72 in the process. Her compatriot Margaret Kipkemboi (14:27.49) and Konstanze Klosterhalfen (14:28.43) finished second and third, respectively.[10]

Obiri represented Kenya at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in both the women's 5000 m and 10,000 m events.[11] She won the silver medal at the former in a time of 14:38.36, finishing behind only Hassan who ran 14:36.79; Gudaf Tsegay took bronze in 14:38.87.[12] Obiri placed fourth in the 10,000 m final in a personal best behind, 1–3, Hassan, Kalkidan Gezahegne and Letesenbet Gidey.[13]

At the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Obiri came second in the 10,000 m. She was beaten to gold by Gidey in a close finish (the top 3 were only separated by 0.13 s).[14]

She capped her fine 2022 season (64:22 PB at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February; wins at Istanbul Half Marathon, Great Manchester Run and Great North Run) in November debuting in the marathon at the New York City Marathon, where she placed sixth.[15][16]

Obiri got her 2023 campaign off to strong start. In February, she won the RAK Half and then the New York City Half Marathon in March. On 17 April, the 33-year-old ran her second marathon, competing in the Boston Marathon against the deepest elite women’s field ever assembled. She won with a personal best time of 2:21:38, 12 seconds clear of second-place finisher Amane Beriso who had by far the fastest personal best heading into the race (2:14:58).[17][18] Obiri went on to win the 2023 New York City Marathon in a time of 2:25:49.[19]

Achievements[edit]

Obiri claimed her first global title with win in the 3000 m at the 2012 World Indoor Championships held in Istanbul.
Vivian Cheruiyot (R) and Hellen Obiri (L), 1–2 in the 5000 m, celebrate their success at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Obiri (R) en route to the 5000 m victory at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

International competitions[edit]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
Representing  Kenya
2011 Military World Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3rd 800 m 2:01.86
4th 1500 m 4:19.32
World Championships Daegu, South Korea 10th 1500 m 4:20.23
2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 1st 3000 m i 8:37.16
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 8th 1500 m 4:16.57
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 3rd 1500 m 4:03.86
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 2nd 3000 m i 8:57.72
IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4 × 1500 m relay 16:33.58
Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 6th 1500 m 4:10.84
African Championships Marrakech, Morocco 1st 1500 m 4:09.53
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 5000 m 14:29.77
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 1st 5000 m 14:34.86
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 4th 3000 m i 8:49.66
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 1st 5000 m 15:13.11
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 1st 5000 m 15:47.18
2019 World Cross Country Championships Aarhus, Denmark 1st Senior race 36:14
2nd Senior team 25 pts
World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 5000 m 14:26.72 CR
5th 10,000 m 30:35.82
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 2nd 5000 m 14:38.36
4th 10,000 m 30:24.27 PB
2022 World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 2nd 10,000 m 30:10.02 PB
Road races
2018 San Silvestre Vallecana Madrid, Spain 2nd 10 km 29:59
2019 Great Manchester Run Manchester, United Kingdom 1st 10 km 31:23
2020 Cursa dels Nassos Barcelona, Spain 1st 10 km 30:53
2021 Istanbul Half Marathon Istanbul, Turkey 3rd Half marathon 1:04:51
Weltklasse Zürich Zürich, Switzerland 2nd 5 km 14:30
Great North Run Newcastle, United Kingdom 1st Half marathon 1:07:42
2022 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates 2nd Half marathon 1:04:22 PB[20]
Istanbul Half Marathon Istanbul, Turkey 1st Half marathon 1:04:48
World 10K Bengaluru Bangalore, India 2nd 10 km 30:44
Great Manchester Run Manchester, United Kingdom 1st 10 km 30:15 CR
Great North Run Newcastle, United Kingdom 1st Half marathon 1:07:05
2023 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates 1st Half marathon 1:05:05
New York City Half Marathon New York, NY, United States 1st Half marathon 1:07:21 CR
Great Manchester Run Manchester, United Kingdom 1st 10 km 31:14
World Marathon Majors
2022 New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States 6th Marathon 2:25:49
2023 Boston Marathon Boston, MA, United States 1st Marathon 2:21:38 PB
New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States 1st Marathon 2:27:23
2024 Boston Marathon Boston, MA, United States 1st Marathon 2:22:27
Cross country races
2022 Northern Ireland International Cross Country Dundonald, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1st XC 8.0 km 26:44

Circuit wins and titles[edit]

National titles[edit]

Personal bests[edit]

Type Event Time Place Date Notes
Track 800 metres 2:00.54 London, United Kingdom 5 August 2011
1500 metres 3:57.05 Eugene, OR, United States 31 May 2014
One mile 4:16.15 London, United Kingdom 22 July 2018 NR
3000 metres 8:20.68 Doha, Qatar 9 May 2014 NR
3000 metres indoor 8:29.41 Birmingham, United Kingdom 18 February 2017 NR
Two miles 9:14.55 Eugene, OR, United States 20 August 2021
5000 metres 14:18.37 Rome, Italy 8 June 2017 NR
10,000 metres 30:10.02 Eugene, OR, United States 16 July 2022
4 × 1500 m relay 16:33.58 Nassau, Bahamas 24 May 2014 African record
Road 5 km 14:30 Zürich, Switzerland 8 September 2021
10 km 30:15 Manchester, United Kingdom 22 May 2022 (also 29:59 not legal)
Half marathon 1:04:22 Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai 19 February 2022 Mx 5th all-time[23]
Marathon 2:21:38 Boston, MA, United States 17 April 2023

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Hellen OBIRI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ Whittington, Jess (27 March 2022). "Obiri and Kwemoi claim half marathon crowns in Istanbul". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  3. ^ fadamana (7 December 2017). "100 Most Influential Africans: Ten Kenyans Including CJ David Maraga Listed". Answers Africa. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Hellen in eleven". Spikes. World Athletics. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  5. ^ Makori, Elias (14 April 2018). "Hellen Obiri: How I shed 23kg after childbirth to run again". Daily Nation. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  6. ^ "The XXXI Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro 2016 – 5000 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ^ "WCH 17 | London 2017 – 5000 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 13 August 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Senior women's race" (PDF). 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  9. ^ Dennehy, Cathal (30 March 2019). "Bring on the Mud and Hills! World Cross Country Championships Batter Runners With Challenging New Course". Runner's World. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  10. ^ "WCH 19 | Doha 2019 – 5000 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 5 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  11. ^ Olobulu, Timothy (19 June 2021). "Conseslus, Timothy Cheruiyot out as Kenya names team for Tokyo Olympics". Capital Sports. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  12. ^ "The XXXII Olympic Games | Tokyo 2020 – 5000 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  13. ^ "The XXXII Olympic Games | Tokyo 2020 – 10,000 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Letesenbet Gidey Gets Her Gold, Outkicks Hellen Obiri, Sifan Hassan to Win 10,000m at 2022 World Championships". LetsRun.com. 16 July 2022. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  15. ^ Ramsay, George (16 August 2022). "Distance runner Hellen Obiri is moving thousands of miles from her home in Kenya to pursue her marathon ambitions". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Lokedi and Chebet come from behind to take New York Marathon victories". World Athletics. 6 November 2022. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  17. ^ "Chebet retains Boston title while Obiri claims first major marathon victory". World Athletics. 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  18. ^ Cacciola, Scott (17 April 2023). "Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri Conquer the Boston Marathon's Taxing Course". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Kenyan Runners Dominate The Women's 2023 TCS New York City Marathon". 5 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  20. ^ Kelsall, Christopher (1 March 2022). "Hodgkinson to double at Worlds, Obiri to race half-marathon March 27". Athletics Illustrated. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Diamond League Champions 2017 – Brussels (BEL) 31 Aug-1 Sept 2017" (PDF). Diamond League. 1 September 2017. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Diamond League Champions 2018 – Brussels (BEL) 30th-31st August 2018" (PDF). Diamond League. 31 August 2018. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  23. ^ "Top list – Half Marathon | Women | World". World Athletics. 27 March 2022. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.

External links[edit]


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