Richard Limo

Richard Limo

200px Richard Limo (left) during the Amsterdam Marathon 2007
Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Representing Kenya
World Championships
	2001 Edmonton	5,000 m

Richard Kipkemei Limo (born November 18, 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.

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).

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. He finished the 2011 Reims Marathon in third place, finishing behind debutant Demessew Tsega.

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.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
1998	World Cross Country Championships	Marrakech, Morocco	2nd	Junior
	Commonwealth Games	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	3rd	5000 m
	African Championships	Dakar, Senegal	2nd	3000 m st
1999	World Cross Country Championships	Belfast, Northern Ireland	2nd	Junior
	All-Africa Games	Johannesburg, South Africa	6th	5000 m
2000	Summer Olympics	Sydney, Australia	10th	5000 m
2001	World Cross Country Championships	Oostende, Belgium	32nd	Long
	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	1st	5000 m
	IAAF Grand Prix Final	Melbourne, Australia	5th	5000 m
2002	World Cross Country Championships	Dublin, Ireland	4th	Long
	IAAF Grand Prix Final	Paris, France	7th	5000 m
2003	World Cross Country Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	4th	Long
	IAAF World Athletics Final	Monaco	2nd	5000 m
2004	World Cross Country Championships	Brussels, Belgium	32nd	Long

Marathons

File:Richard Limo.jpg

Limo at the 2008 Rotterdam Marathon

• 2007 Amsterdam Marathon - 2nd (PB 2:06:45)
• 2008 Rotterdam Marathon - 4th
• 2008 Chicago Marathon - 10th
• 2009 Rotterdam Marathon - 9th

Personal bests

• 1500 metres - 3:37.59 min (1999)
• 3000 metres - 7:32.23 min (2001)
• 5000 metres - 12:56.72 min (2001)
• 10,000 metres - 26:50.20 min (2002)
• 3000 metres steeplechase - 8:20.67 min (1998)
• Marathon - 2:06:45 (2007)

External links

• Richard Limo profile at IAAF
• Richard Limo: Young Kenyan on Top of the World
• Focus on Africans
• Marathoninfo profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Brahim Lahlafi	Men's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 2001	Succeeded by Salah Hissou