Bethwell Birgen

Bethwell Birgen (born 6 August 1988) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. His personal best of 3:30.77 minutes for the 1500 metres ranks him among the top fifty ever for the event, while his indoor best of 3:34.65 minutes is among the top twenty. He represented Kenya in the 1500 m at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, but did not make the final on either occasion.

He made his first appearances on the European track and field circuit in 2009. He debuted with a personal best of 3:37.39 minutes for the 1500 metres to take fourth at the Bislett Games, reducing this by a further second and a half at the Leichtathletik-Gala in Wattenscheid, then placed fourth at the British Grand Prix in Gateshead. He was part of a mixed nations team in a 4×1500 metres relay at the Memorial Van Damme and helped set the fourth fastest time ever for the infrequently contested event. He set two personal bests in 2010: he ran 3:35.60 minutes for the 1500 m and 7:39.65 for the 3000 metres. He ran 3:34.59 to come seventh at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting in 2011, but failed to make the final at the Kenyan World Championships trials.

Birgen improved his times on the circuit significantly in 2012. He won the Weltklasse in Karlsruhe indoor meet and his time of 3:34.65 was the second fastest indoors that year. This, alongside runner-up placings at the XL Galan and Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix earned him selection for the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, but on the global stage he was eliminated in the first round, the fastest runner not to progress. He knocked over three seconds off his 1500 m best at the Doha Diamond League meet, coming third behind Silas Kiplagat and Asbel Kiprop. A fourth-place finish in the mile run at the Prefontaine Classic saw him set another personal best of 3:50.43 minutes. He did not make the Kenyan Olympic team, coming fifth at the trials, but continued to compete on the 2012 IAAF Diamond League circuit. A run of 3:31.00 minutes ranked him seventh in the world that year, but only fifth in the quick race at Herculis. He was runner-up at the ISTAF Berlin and third at the Van Damme Memorial final.

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