Kipchoge Keino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kip Keino

Kipchoge Keino in January 2014
Personal information
Full name	Kipchoge Hezekieh Keino
Born	(1940-01-17) 17 January 1940 (age 85) Kipsamo, Nandi, Rift Valley, Kenya
Height	173 cm
Weight	66 kg
Spouse(s)	Phyllis Keino
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	1964 Tokyo 5000 m, 5th 1500 m, 10th 1968 Mexico City 10,000 m, DNF 5000 m, 2 Silver 1500 m, 1 Gold 1972 Munich 3000 m steeple, 1 Gold 1500 m, 2 Silver
Personal best(s)	800 m: 1:46.41 (Munich 1972) 1500 m: 3:34.91 (Mexico City 1968) Mile: 3:53.1 (Kisumu 1967) 3000 m: 7:39.6 (Helsingborg 1965) 5000 m: 13:24.2 (Auckland 1965) 10,000 m: 28:06.4 (Leningrad 1968) 3000 m steeple: 8:23.64 (Munich 1972)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Kenya Olympic Games Gold 1972 Munich 3000 m steeple Gold 1968 Mexico City 1500 m Silver 1972 Munich 1500 m Silver 1968 Mexico City 5000 m Commonwealth Games Gold 1970 Edinburgh 1500 m Gold 1966 Kingston Mile Gold 1966 Kingston 3 mile Bronze 1970 Edinburgh 5000 m All-Africa Games Gold 1965 Brazzaville 5000 m Gold 1965 Brazzaville 1500 m Silver 1973 Lagos 1500 m
Updated on 10 June 2015.

Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born January 17, 1940) is a famous retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was once the head of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC). Kip Keino won two Olympic gold medals. He was one of the first great middle and long-distance runners from Kenya. He has inspired many other Kenyan athletes to become strong in athletics today.

In 2000, he became an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This is a special group that organizes the Olympic Games. In 2012, he was one of the first 24 athletes to join the IAAF Hall of Fame, which honors the best in track and field.

Early Life and Beginnings

Kipchoge Keino was born in Kipsamo, Nandi District, Kenya. His first name, Kipchoge, means "born near the grain storage shed" in the Nandi language. His parents passed away when he was young, and his aunt raised him.

After finishing school, he joined the Kenya Police. Before he became a runner, he played rugby.

Amazing Athletic Career

Kipchoge Keino (1972)

Kip Keino started his international running career at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Australia. He finished eleventh in the three-mile race. At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came fifth in the 5000 meters. He just missed getting into the final for the 1500 meters.

On August 27, 1965, Keino broke the world record for the 3000 meters. He ran it in 7 minutes and 39.6 seconds, which was over 6 seconds faster than the old record! He won two gold medals (1500 and 5000 meters) at the very first All-Africa Games. Later that year, he also broke the 5000-meter world record.

At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, he won both the mile run and the three-mile run. In the next Commonwealth Games, Keino won the 1500 meters and got third place in the 5000 meters.

Olympic Glory

At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Kip Keino won a gold medal in the 1500 meters. He beat the American favorite and world record holder, Jim Ryun, by a huge 20 meters! This was the biggest winning difference ever in that event. He also won a silver medal in the 5000 meters.

Four years later, at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he won another gold medal. This time it was in the 3000 meters steeplechase, which is a race with hurdles and water jumps. He also won a silver medal in the 1500 meters.

Kip Keino was the flag bearer for Kenya at the opening ceremonies of both the 1964 and 1972 Summer Olympics. This means he carried his country's flag. He stopped competing in 1973. He was even on the cover of Track and Field News magazine!

Life After Running

After his amazing running career, Kip Keino focused on helping others.

• He and his wife, Phyllis Keino, have done a lot of good work in Eldoret, Kenya.
• They started the Lewa Children's Home for orphans.
• They also built the KipKeino Primary School in 1999 and the Kip Keino Secondary School in 2009. These schools help many children get an education.

For his work with orphans, he received the "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year" award from Sports Illustrated magazine in 1987. In 1996, the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret was named after him.

In 2007, he was given an honorary Doctor of Law degree by the University of Bristol in England. He also received an honorary degree from Egerton University in Kenya. In 2012, he was given the freedom of the city of Bristol. He was the first person to get this honor since Sir Winston Churchill.

On August 5, 2016, at the Olympic opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Kip Keino received the first-ever Olympic Laurel award. This award is for people who have done great things for the Olympic movement.

In 2021, a small planet (called a Jovian asteroid) was named 39285 Kipkeino in his honor. It was discovered by astronomers in 1997.

Personal Life

Kip Keino lives on a farm in Eldoret, Kenya. There, he manages a charitable organization that helps orphans. He is married to Phyllis Keino.

See also

• In Spanish: Kipchoge Keino para niños