- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (born
September 26 ,1978 inKapsabet ,Kenya ) is a Kenyanmarathon runner and is the current record holder and four-time winner of theBoston Marathon .Early career
Cheruiyot trained running while at school, but was unable to pay school fees and became a high school drop out. He ended up working at a barber shop in
Mosoriot , but could hardly buy a meal with his low salary. Later he managed to accessMoses Tanui 's training camp inKaptagat . Soon thereafter he made a breakthrough by winning a local 10K race in 2001 and headed for international competitions [ [http://www.time-to-run.com/interviews/rcheruiyot.htm Robert 'Mwafrika' Cheruiyot - Life less ordinary] ] . Robert won the 2002Milan Marathon inMilan [ [http://marathoninfo.free.fr/athletes/cheruiyot_robert.htm Marathoninfo] ] ,Italy , and theSaint Silvester Marathon at the end of 2002.Major marathons
He won the
Boston Marathon in 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008. His 2006 Boston finishing time of 2:07:14 broke a Boston marathon course record set byCosmas Ndeti that had lasted 12 years.He finished 4th in the 2005
New York Marathon . He sought to win another title in Boston in 2005 as well but only finished 5th that year.During his win at Chicago in 2006, Cheruiyot did not actually break the tape at the finish line. He slipped at the end and crossed the finish line as he slipped forward making him the winner. It was ruled that he did cross the finish line in doing so. He injured his head against the ground in the fall and had to be helped from the course in a wheelchair. He suffered a brain contusion and was released from the hospital after two days of observation. His time of 2:07:35 was five seconds faster than 2nd place finisher
Daniel Njenga . The win in Chicago leaves him at the top of the 2006 World marathon standings and poised to win its grand prize. [http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/43667] [ 2006 Chicago Marathon [http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=36599.html Robert Cheruiyot winning the Chicago Marathon] - IAAF] [ 2006 Chicago Marathon YouTube video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWheGgqmq0A Robert Cheruiyot was injured at finish] ] [ 2006 Chicago Marathon YouTube video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GasPseLYwt8 Chicago Marathon Highlights] ] [ 2006 Chicago marathon [http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=27042@wbbm.dayport.com - Video of Robert hitting his head at the Chicago Marathon 2006] ]In 2007 Cheruiyot defended his title and won his third Boston Marathon with an official time of 2:14:13. Fellow Kenyans were second and third. It was the 15th time in the last 17 years that a Kenyan has won the Boston marathon but it was also the slowest Boston Marathon since 1977 as runners faced cold headwinds gusting up to 50 miles per hour. Cheruiyot also won US$ 100,000 for the victory. With four victories in the
World Marathon Majors series, his lead in that series is significant.[ 2007 Boston marathon [http://www.eurosport.com/athletics/boston-marathon/2007/sport_sto1151527.shtml Cheruiyot wins Boston Marathon] - www.eurosport.com] [ 2007 Boston marathon [http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=38343.html Cheruiyot repeats, Grigoryeva surprises in windy Boston Marathon] - IAAF] [ 2007 Boston Marathon [http://www.flocasts.com/flotrack/search.php?q=robert+cheruiyot Flotrack.com Video Interview Before the 2007 Boston Marathon] ]
His personal best is currently his 2006 Boston Marathon performance.On April 21 2008, he won his fourth Boston Marathon title with a time of 2:07:43, making him the first four-time winner in the men's open division since
Bill Rodgers (fellow KenyanCatherine Ndereba recorded her fourth win in 2005).He is not to be confused with "Robert Kiprotich Cheruiyot", another active marathon runner [ [http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=C/country=KEN/athcode=139435/index.html IAAF Profile - Robert Kiprotich Cheruiyot] ]
See also
*
List of winners of the Boston Marathon References
*iaaf name|id=188096
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