| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Kipngetich Komen |
| Born | (1976-05-17)17 May 1976 (age 49)[1] Mwen, Kenya |
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Middle-,Long-distance running |
Medal record | |
Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976)[2] is a Kenyanmiddle- andlong-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry withHaile Gebrselassie, his most notable achievements came in a two-year period between 1996 and 1998, during which he broke a string of world records.[2]
Komen held theworld record in the3000 metres for nearly 28 years, with a time of 7:20.67 set in 1996. Komen also held the world best in thetwo mile run for nearly 26 years. With his time of 7:58.61 set in 1997, he, along withJakob Ingebrigtsen, are the only two men in history to average twomiles at a sub-four-minute mile pace. Komen's splits were 3:59.4 on both the first and second half of the race.[2] He is also theKenyan record holder for the5000 metres both outdoors and indoors.
Komen was the second man, afterSaïd Aouita, to break the 31⁄2-minute mark for the1500 m, the 71⁄2-minute mark for 3000 m, and the 13-minute mark for the 5000 m.[citation needed]
Komen was born in Elgeyo Marakwet District. He is from theKeiyo sub-tribe ofKalenjin people and grew up in a rural area of Kenya'sRift Valley Province.[2] One of fourteen children,[3] Komen began running at the age of seven as a means of getting to and from school.[2] His running abilities were discovered and at the age of 14 he travelled to Australia. Komen had an exceptional junior career: at age 17, he placed second at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, and in 1994, he became the World Junior Champion in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.
Komen first appeared in the senior ranks in 1994 when he won a place on Kenya's 10,000 m team for the1994 Commonwealth Games, placing ninth. The next year, at the Golden Gala meet in Rome, Komen set the world junior record in the 5,000m with a time of 12:56.15, helping paceMoses Kiptanui to a world record in the process.[4]
In 1996, Komen began to dominate the 5,000 m.[4] On 1 September 1996 inRieti, Italy, Komen ran a spectacularworld record time of 7:20.67 in the3000 metres, breakingNoureddine Morceli's former record by 4.44 seconds. Komen's record stood untouched for nearly 28 years, withHicham El Guerrouj's 1999 time of 7:23.09 being over two seconds behind Komen.Jakob Ingebrigtsen would break the record on 25 August 2024, clocking 7:17.55 to become the first man under 7:20.
A year later, on 19 July 1997, Komen made history again. InHechtel, Belgium, he became the first man to runtwo miles in under eight minutes, clocking a world best of 7:58.61.[5] His first mile was faster thanRoger Bannister's first-ever sub-four, while his second equalled it.[5] Just seven months later, at anAustralian athletics meet inSydney, Komen ran 7:58.91, missing his world best by 0.30 seconds. This performance makes Komen the only man in history to break 8 minutes in the two mile more than once. His 7:58.61 world best in the two mile stood for nearly 26 years, until 9 June 2023 when Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran 7:54.10.[6]
In August 1997 he broke the 5000 m world record and took two seconds off of Haile Gebrselassie's best to bring it to 12:39.74.
Only twelve days after the previous world record of 7:26.15 was set by Haile Gebrselassie, Komen broke the indoor 3,000-metre record with a time of 7:24.90, set inBudapest on 6 February 1998. This mark was referred to as "Mount Everest"[7] inathletics circles and had been bettered only twice outdoors, one of them being Komen's own world record.Kenenisa Bekele believed that breaking Komen's record was only "possible on a special day if the pace is good and if everything else also is perfect."[8] This mark, having stood for more than 25 years, was bettered on February 15, 2023 by Ethiopia'sLamecha Girma with a time of 7:23.81 in the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Lievin. Spain'sMohamed Katir also went under Komen's previous record with a time of 7:24.68.
Other accolades include being the1997 World Championships in Athletics and1998 Commonwealth Games 5,000-meter champion. He won the 5000 metres race at the1998 IAAF World Cup.[9]
Out of the limelight since the late 1990s, Komen now serves as chairman of the Keiyo North Rift Athletics Association and as co-director of a private school with his wife, Joyce.[2]
Daniel Komen's personal bests, and their place on the world ranking of all times, unless otherwise noted. All times and placings are taken fromKomen's World Athletics bio (as of September 2024[update]).
| Distance | Time | All-Time Rank | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 metres | 3:29.46 | 31st | 16 August 1997 | Monaco |
| Mile | 3:46.38 | 8th | 26 August 1997 | Berlin |
| 2000 metres | 4:51.30 | 17th | 5 June 1998 | Milan |
| 3000 metres | 7:20.67 | 2nd,AR,NR | 1 September 1996 | Rieti |
| 3000 metres indoor | 7:24.90 | 3rd | 6 February 1998 | Budapest |
| Two miles | 7:58.61 | 2nd | 19 July 1997[10] | Hechtel |
| 5000 metres | 12:39.74 | 6th,NR | 22 August 1997 | Brussels |
| 5000 metres indoor | 12:51.48 | 3rd,NR | 19 February 1998 | Stockholm |
| 10,000 metres | 27:38.32 | 479th* | 30 August 2002 | Brussels |
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | World Cross Country Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | U20 race | 24:17 |
| 1st | U20 team | 18 pts | |||
| African Junior Championships | Algiers, Algeria | 1st | 5000 m | 13:31.10 | |
| World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 1st | 5000 m | 13:45.37 | |
| 1st | 10,000 m | 28:29.74 | |||
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 1st | 5000 m | 13:07.38 |
| 1998 | World Cross Country Championships | Marrakesh, Morocco | 2nd | Short race | 10:46 |
| 1st | Short race team | 10 pts | |||
| African Championships | Dakar, Senegal | 1st | 5000 m | 13:35.70 | |
| World Cup | Johannesburg, South Africa | 1st | 5000 m | 13:46.57 | |
| Commonwealth Games | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1st | 5000 m | 13:22.57 |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 3000 m World Record Holder 1 September 1996 – 25 August 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's 5000 m World Record Holder 22 August 1997 – 13 June 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Men's 3000 m Best Year Performance 1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's 5000 m Best Year Performance 1996 – 1997 | Succeeded by |
|
Commonwealth Games champions in men's5000 metres | |
|---|---|
| 3 miles (1930–1966) | |
| 5000 metres (1970–present) |
|
African Champions in men's5000 metres | |
|---|---|
|
World U20 Champions in men's5000 metres | |
|---|---|
|
World U20 Champions in men's10,000 metres | |
|---|---|
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