 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Born | (1987-06-13)13 June 1987 (age 38) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | 1500 metres 3000 metres |
Medal record | |
Bethwell Birgen (born 6 August 1988) is a Kenyanmiddle-distance runner. His personal best of 3:30.77 minutes for the1500 metres ranks him among the top fifty ever for the event, while his indoor best of 3:34.65 minutes is among the top twenty.[1][2] He represented Kenya in the 1500 m at the2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the2013 World Championships in Athletics, but did not make the final on either occasion.
He made his first appearances on the Europeantrack and field circuit in 2009. He debuted with a personal best of 3:37.39 minutes for the1500 metres to take fourth at theBislett Games, reducing this by a further second and a half at the Leichtathletik-Gala inWattenscheid, then placed fourth at theBritish Grand Prix inGateshead.[3] He was part of a mixed nations team in a4×1500 metres relay at theMemorial Van Damme and helped set the fourth fastest time ever for the infrequently contested event.[4] He set two personal bests in 2010: he ran 3:35.60 minutes for the 1500 m and 7:39.65 for the3000 metres. He ran 3:34.59 to come seventh at theShanghai Diamond League meeting in 2011, but failed to make the final at the Kenyan World Championships trials.[5]
Birgen improved his times on the circuit significantly in 2012. He won theWeltklasse in Karlsruhe indoor meet and his time of 3:34.65 was the second fastest indoors that year.[6] This, alongside runner-up placings at theXL Galan andBirmingham Indoor Grand Prix earned him selection for the2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, but on the global stage he was eliminated in the first round, the fastest runner not to progress.[7] He knocked over three seconds off his 1500 m best at theDoha Diamond League meet, coming third behindSilas Kiplagat andAsbel Kiprop.[8] A fourth-place finish in themile run at thePrefontaine Classic saw him set another personal best of 3:50.43 minutes.[9] He did not make theKenyan Olympic team, coming fifth at the trials, but continued to compete on the2012 IAAF Diamond League circuit. A run of 3:31.00 minutes ranked him seventh in the world that year, but only fifth in the quick race atHerculis.[10] He was runner-up at theISTAF Berlin and third at the Van Damme Memorial final.[3]
At the start of 2013 he won theRussian Winter Meeting inMoscow, narrowly holding ofAman Wote to finish in 3:35.25 minutes (the seconds fastest indoors that season).[11] In the2013 IAAF Diamond League meetings he finished outside of the top three at all but theDoha meet, where he was runner-up. He had a repeat experience at the Monaco Herculis meeting, running a best of 3:30.77 minutes to rank fifth in the world, but fourth in the race.[12] Despite disappointment on the track circuit, he was chosen to represent Kenya at the2013 World Championships in Athletics. His brotherBernard Kiprop Koech was also running (in themarathon), making them one of several siblings to attend the event.[13] In theWorld Championship 1500 metres he reached the semi-final but was tenth in that race and did not make the final.[5]
Birgen made another strong start to the indoor circuit, winning thePSD Bank Meeting and was a close second to Silas Kiplagat the Russian Winter Meeting.[14][15] He was chosen for the2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships as a result.[16]
