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 is a famous retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until September 29, 2017. 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 athletes in his country to become strong in athletics. In 2000, he became an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 2012, he was one of the first 24 athletes to join the IAAF Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Beginnings

Kipchoge Keino was born on January 17, 1940, in Kipsamo, Nandi District, Kenya. His name, Kipchoge, means "born near the grain storage shed" in the Nandi language. Sadly, 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

Kip Keino started his international running journey at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. He finished eleventh in the three-mile race there. At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he placed fifth in the 5000 meters. He just missed out on reaching the final for the 1500 meters.

Kipchoge Keino (1972)

Breaking Records and Winning Medals

On August 27, 1965, Keino set a new world record in the 3000 meters. He ran it in 7 minutes and 39.6 seconds, beating the old record by more than 6 seconds. He won two gold medals (1500 and 5000 meters) at the first-ever All-Africa Games that same year. Later in 1965, he broke the 5000-meter world record held by Ron Clarke, finishing in 13 minutes and 24.2 seconds.

At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, he won both the mile run and the three-mile run. In the next Commonwealth Games in 1970, Keino won the 1500 meters and took third place in the 5000 meters.

Olympic Glory

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

Four years later, at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he won another gold medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase. He also took home a silver medal in the 1500 meters. Keino was chosen to carry the flag for Kenya in the opening ceremonies of both the 1964 and 1972 Olympic Games. He stopped competing in 1973.

Life After Running

After his amazing running career, Kip Keino dedicated his life to helping others.

Helping Children and Communities

• With his wife, Phyllis Keino, he has done a lot of humanitarian work in Eldoret, Kenya.
• They started the Lewa Children's Home for orphans.
• They also founded the KipKeino Primary School in 1999 and the Kip Keino Secondary School in 2009.
• For his work with orphans, he shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year" award in 1987. He was honored as one of "Athletes Who Care."

Awards and Recognition

• In 1996, the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret was named after him.
• In 2007, the University of Bristol gave him an honorary Doctor of Law degree. Egerton University in Nakuru also gave him an honorary degree earlier.
• In July 2012, the City of Bristol honored him again. This was because the Kenyan Olympic Committee, led by Keino, chose Bristol as the training base for its athletes before the London 2012 Olympics.
• In 2012, Kipchoge Keino was inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame. The Bristol City Council also gave him the freedom of the city, making him the first person to receive this honor from Bristol since Sir Winston Churchill.
• On August 5, 2016, at the Olympic opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Keino received the first-ever Olympic Laurel award. This award is given for outstanding service to the Olympic movement.
• On May 14, 2021, a small planet (Jovian asteroid 39285 Kipkeino) was named 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