Born in Kipsano, Kenya, Kip Keino was among the first in a long line of successful Middle and long distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his fellow countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today.
He began this career at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia where he came eleventh in the three miles. At the 1964 Summer Olympics he finished fifth in 5000 m and barely missed the 1500 m final.
On August 27, 1965, Keino lowered the 3000 m world record by over 6 seconds to 7:39.6 at his first attempt at the distance. Later in that year he broke the 5000 m world record held by Ron Clarke clocking 13:24.2. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica he won both the mile and three miles run. In the next Commonwealth Games, Keino won the 1500 m and was third in 5000 m.
Although still very inexperienced, Keino qualified for the Kenyan team to the 1972 Munich Olympic Games in the steeplechase, as well as in the 1500m, the event in which he was the defending Olympic champion.
Keino had only run in four serious steeplechases before he came to Munich, and had won only one of them, and twenty-three of the entrants at Munich had faster personal bests than his 8min 30.4sec.
Keino was more favoured to win the 1500m final held six days later, especially in the absence of his old foe and World Record holder, Jim Ryun (USA) who had fallen in his heat and been eliminated.
Kipchoge "Kip"Keino (born January 17, 1940) was a Kenyan runner.
Born in Kipsano, Kenya, KipKeino was among the first in a long line of successful middle and long distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his fellow countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today.
Currently, Keino lives on a farm in Western Kenya where he heads a charitable foundation for orphans and is president of the Kenyan Olympic Committee.
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