Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Kenya
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Bronze medal – third place2012 KavarnaHalf marathon
Silver medal – second place2012 KavarnaTeam
Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech of Kenya at the 2012 World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria

Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech (also known as Pasalia Jepkorir; born 22 December 1988) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes mainly in half marathon races. Her personal best of 67:17 minutes ranks her within the top twenty all-time for the distance. She was the bronze medallist at the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.

She won a 3000 metres silver medal at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics at the age of fourteen. She moved up to the half marathon distance in 2008 and has won races including the Berlin Half Marathon, Nairobi Half Marathon, Udine Half Marathon and the Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre. She also features in the top ten all-time for the 10K run, with a best of 30:57 minutes.

Career

Early career

Raised in Molo, Kenya, she is from the Kipsigis tribe originating from the west of Kenya.[1] She came to prominence in 2003 when, after a fifth place performance in the 5000 metres in a senior meeting in Eldoret,[2] she was chosen to represent Kenya at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics.[3]

The fourteen-year-old went on to take the silver medal in the 3000 metres behind Morocco's Siham Hilali (two years her senior).[4][5] Chepkorir was the youngest competitor at the tournament.[6] She attempted to qualify for the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics, but finished eighth at the national youth championships.[7]

First senior races

A small runner, only reaching 1.42 m (4 ft 8 in),[8] Chepkorir started to compete at meetings abroad in 2007, running in Spain. She made her debut in the half marathon the following year, beginning with the Lisbon Half Marathon where she ran 71:15 minutes for eighth place. She was victorious at the Media Maraton de Ribarroja and also the half-section of the Nairobi Marathon that year.[9] Her national performances also improved, as she was runner-up to Peninah Jepchumba in the 5000 m at the Kenyan Athletics Championships and was in the top two at multiple meets on the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series.[10][11][12]

A sixth place finish at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships put her in the frame for the national team at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, but the selectors opted for Pauline Korikwiang instead, who was in good form that season but performed poorly at the event.[13] Chepkorir ran extensively on the roads that year, with highlights including a 10K win in Brescia,[14] a defence of her Ribarroja title, a personal best time of 69:56 minutes for third at the Prague Half Marathon,[15] a win at the Udine Half Marathon, and a third place at the Porto Half Marathon.[16] She was also the 5000 m runner-up at the Kenyan nationals that year.[9] She closed the year with a win at the Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre 15K.[8]

Elite half marathons

Chepkorir established herself among the top half marathon runners in the world with a win at the Berlin Half Marathon in March 2010, running a personal best of 69:43 minutes to beat Eunice Kales.[17] She returned to the German city for the BIG 25 Berlin race, and placed third.[18] She was selected to compete for Kenya at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships but injury curtailed her season before she could make her international senior debut there.[9][19]

She missed the 2011 season but re-emerged in 2012 to set some personal bests in Brazil, running 30:57 minutes for the 10K and 67:17 minutes at the Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon. Both marks moved her up into the top twenty all-time runners for each event and ranked her in the top five globally that season.[9][20][21] She entered the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships as one of Kenyan's quickest runners and she ran at the front of the race, eventually reducing the leaders down to herself Meseret Hailu and Feyse Tadese. She fell back in the latter stages of the race and finished with the bronze medal, ten seconds behind the winner.[22] She also led the Kenyan team to the silver medals in the team competition.[23] This competition marked her only defeat of the year when her final race at the Nairobi Half Marathon resulted in her sixth win of the year.[9][24]

Her winning streak was abruptly ended in 2013 – a year in which she won no major races.[9] Her best race came in February at the RAK Half Marathon, although her time of 68:08 minutes was only enough for eighth in the top quality contest.[25] The remaining highlights of that year for Chepkorir were third placings at the Carlsbad 5000 and the Lisbon Half Marathon,[26][27] as well as a close runner-up finish to Sylvia Kibet at the Carrera de la Mujer.[28] She missed the 2014 season.[9]

Personal bests

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2003 World Youth Championships Sherbrooke, Canada 2nd 3000 metres
2012 World Half Marathon Championships Kavarna, Bulgaria 3rd Half marathon
2nd Team

References

  1. ↑ Njenga, Peter (20 June 2003). Kenyan Youths Biographies. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Njenga, Peter (11 May 2003). Youngsters spring surprises in Eldoret. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Kenya announces team for World Youths. IAAF (18 June 2003). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  4. ↑ World Youth Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  5. ↑ 3rd IAAF World Youth Championships opens with gold for Morocco. IAAF (9 July 2003). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Age matters in Sherbrooke. IAAF (10 July 2003). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Okoth, Omulo (16 June 2005). World junior cross country silver medallist races into the Kenyan team for Marrakech . IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 Biscayart, Eduardo (1 January 2010). Kwambai and Kipkoech take Sao Paulo New Year's Eve wins. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Paskalia Chepkorir. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Njenga, Peter (28 June 2008). 800m marvel Jelimo comes second at 400 – Kenyan Champs, Day 3. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Korikwiang and Kamakya steal limelight in Machakos – AK XC Series, Meet 1. IAAF (8 November 2008). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Soi and Chepkorir prevail; Cherono unchallenged in junior race – AK XC, Meet 2. IAAF (15 November 2008). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Veterans Mosop and Kiplagat prevail in Nairobi – Kenyan World XC Champs Trials. IAAF (21 February 2009). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  14. ↑ Sampaolo, Diego (15 March 2009). Cheboi's 2:10 tops out results in Brescia . IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Course records fall in Prague – Prague Half Marathon report. IAAF (28 March 2009). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  16. ↑ Fernandes, António Manuel (18 October 2009). Gebrselassie just outside 60 minutes at Porto Half – UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Wenig, Jörg (28 March 2010). Wondimu ends Kenyan streak, Kipkoech takes women's race in Berlin – UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Wenig, Jörg (9 May 2010). Kosgei, Keitany shatter 25Km World records in Berlin – Updated. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Ramsak, Bob (13 September 2010). Kiplagat and Kiprop lead Kenyan squad for Nanning – IAAF / Sinopec World Half-Marathon Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  20. ↑ 10 Kilometres – women – senior – outdoor. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Half Marathon – women – senior – outdoor. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Ramsak, Bob (6 October 2012). Hailu surprises in Kavarna – World Half Marathon Championships. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  23. ↑ IAAF World Half Marathon Championships – Kavarna (BUL) – 6 October 2012 – Team Standings – Half Marathon Women. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  24. ↑ Mutuota, Mutwiri (28 October 2012). Kibet breaks Nairobi Marathon record. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  25. ↑ Kabuu and Kamworor triumph in high-quality races at Ras al-Khaimah Half. IAAF (15 February 2013). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  26. ↑ Fernandes, António Manuel (24 March 2013). A lonely Koech and a smart Kiplagat take victory in Lisbon. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  27. ↑ Third win in a row for Gebremeskel, Burka makes Ethiopian double in Carlsbad. IAAF (8 April 2013). Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
  28. ↑ Biscayart, Eduardo (29 September 2013). Kibet's sprint finish helps her triumph at Bogota's Carrera de la Mujer". IAAF. Retrieved on 20 October 2014.
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