Richard Limo

Richard Limo

Richard Limo (left) during the Amsterdam Marathon 2007
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Kenya
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2001 Edmonton 5,000 m

Richard Kipkemei Limo (born 18 November 1980) is a Kenyan athlete. He specializes in long distance track events. He won the 5000 m gold medal at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics.

Limo was born in 1980 in Cheptigit village, Uasin Gishu District. After primary school he went to polytechnic and received a grade in electrical wiring in 1996. He did not start running, until 1997 when he joined a training camp located near his home. The next year he won the silver medal at the junior race of World Cross Country Championships. The same year he broke the world junior record at 3000 m, by running in 7:36.76 minutes, but missed the World Junior Championships. He won the Cross Zornotza in 1999 and the Trofeo Alasport cross country meeting in 2002. In 2001 he became world champion and was world's best performer of the year at 5000 metres with his time 12:56.72, which remains his personal record.[citation needed]

Since 2004 Limo has not been much in the limelight, but has since switched to marathon racing. He won the Giro Media Blenio 10K in 2004. He was the runner-up in the 2007 Amsterdam Marathon, his debut where he consequently set a new personal best (2:06:45).[1]

He won his first marathon race in 2010, running a time of 2:09:56 for victory at the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon. He slowed to a halt just before the finish line in celebration of his first win over the distance.[2] He finished the 2011 Reims Marathon in third place, finishing behind debutant Demessew Tsega.[3]

Richard Limo is married to Rose Tarus with two children, born in 2000 and 2002. He is 1.67 m tall and has a mass of 52 kg. He is not related to Benjamin Limo or Felix Limo, both also Kenyan runners.[4]

  1. ^ "Mutai wins as Limo debuts in marathon". The Standard. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2007.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Cruz, Dan (7 June 2010). "Limo, Gromova take San Diego wins". IAAF. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  3. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (17 October 2011). "In debut, Tsega triumphs in Reims". IAAF. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Not even the elements can stop Jones". IAAF. 25 August 2000. Retrieved 7 May 2016.