Mark Kiptoo
 Kiptoo at the 2014 Paris Marathon |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Kenya
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| Military World Games | ||
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2007 Hyderabad | 5000 m |
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2011 Rio de Janeiro | 5000 m |
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2007 Hyderabad | 10,000 m |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
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2010 New Delhi | 5000 m |
| African Championships | ||
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2012 Porto Novo | 5000 m |
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2012 Porto Novo | 10,000 m |
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2010 Nairobi | 5000 m |
Mark Kosgey Kiptoo (born 21 June 1976) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres. He is a two-time gold medalist in the event at the Military World Games and won bronze medals over the distance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 African Championships in Athletics. He has also represented Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the All-Africa Games.
His personal best times are 7:32.97 minutes in the 3000 metres, achieved in May 2009 in Doha; 12:53.46 minutes in the 5000 metres, achieved in August 2010; and 27:14.67 minutes in the 10,000 metres, achieved in June 2008 in Eugene.
Born in Lumino Village in Kenya's Lugari District, Kiptoo attended Lumino Primary School then Mukumu Boys High School. Following his graduation in 1996, he joined the Kenyan Armed Forces. He trained at an air-force technical college for four years and was later posted at Laikipia Air Base in 2002. It was during his time at the base that he was encouraged to take part in athletics, representing his technical squad. During 2005 and 2006 he was sent as part of the Kenyan peace-keeping contingent of the United Nations Operation in Burundi in the final period of the Burundi Civil War.
Kiptoo returned to Kenya in May 2006 and at the age of thirty he set about preparing himself for the Kenyan 2006/2007 cross country running season. He reached the top ten in two of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series meets in November then earned a place at the Kenya National Cross Country Championships after coming tenth at the Armed Forces Championships. He managed third place at the national championships, but failed to make the team for the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships after placing 12th at the trial event. He tried his hand at track running instead and ran a personal best of 13:12.60 minutes for the 5000 metres in Belgrade. He won the Army title over that distance and was then runner-up at the National Championships behind Thomas Longosiwa. This earned him his first international call-up for Kenya, although he managed only ninth place at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers. Success followed later that year at the 2007 Military World Games, where he won the 5000 m and took second place behind compatriot John Cheruiyot Korir over 10,000 metres.
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