Mutai at the 2013 London Marathon
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Personal information | |
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Born |
Cheptigit in Kaptagat |
12 October 1984
Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) |
Weight | 52 kg (115 lb) |
Sport | |
Country | Kenya |
Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Marathon |
Medal record
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Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai (born 12 October 1984) is a long distance runner from Kenya, who specialises in marathons. He is now the joint 4th fastest man ever over the 42.195 km distance.
Initially running in half marathons, he made his debut over the full distance in 2007 and won his first race later that year at the Amsterdam Marathon. He was fourth at both the 2008 and 2009 London Marathons, but managed to reach the podium at the 2009 World Championships, claiming the silver medal. His 2010 racing saw him finish as runner-up twice at the London and New York City Marathons. At the 2011 London Marathon he won on his fourth attempt with a course record and personal best time of 2:04:40.
En route to his second-place finish at the 2014 Berlin Marathon (2:03:13), Mutai set a world record at the 30K distance (1:27:37).
Mutai grew up in Cheptigit, a village near Kaptagat, Uasin Gishu County in the Rift Valley Province, and his extended family includes Richard Limo, the 2001 World Champion over 5000 metres. Mutai began to make an impact domestically at the age of eighteen, taking third place over 10,000 metres at the Rift North Province Championships in 28:09.2 minutes.
It was on the roads of Europe that he began to make a name for himself, beginning with a win at the Nice Half Marathon in April 2006 and then a 10K best of 27:51 minutes for second place at the 10 km du Conseil Général 13 behind Edwin Soi (one of the fastest runs that year). He fared poorly on the track at the FBK Games the following month, but improved his half marathon best to 1:00:49 hours at the highly competitive Rotterdam Half Marathon, where he came sixth.