Francis Kibiwott Larabal (born 15 September 1978 inKasiela,Baringo District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes professionally inhalf marathon andmarathon races.
Kibiwott was unusual for a Kenyan runner in that he did not compete extensively in his youth. He began training in seriousness in his twenties, moving toNyahururu. His first European races came at the20 van Alphen: he was 13th in 2002 and improved to third place the following year.[1]
He won the 2003Dam tot Damloop held betweenAmsterdam andZaandam, finished in second position in 2004, then won his second title in 2005. His time (45:27) during his second win was the world's fastest time in a 10-mile race that year, out-sprinting the world half marathon championFabiano Joseph Naasi.[2] The race was his first after a long period of injuries and he only started training in July 2006 again.[2] In 2006 he also managed to win theDelhi Half Marathon in a new course record.[3] He won theObudu Ranch International Mountain Race, winning US$50,000 and breaking the course record by five minutes in the process.[4] He also won theRoute du Vin Half Marathon that year.
In 2007 he was fourth at theRAK Half Marathon, then was runner-up at theBerlin Half Marathon. He competed at the2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships inUdine, Italy, finishing 45th.[1] He made a move up to the marathon distance after that season and made his debut at the 2009Paris Marathon, where he recorded a time of 2:09:13 hours for 12th place in the high calibre race.[5] He improved his best to two hours and nine minutes at theJoongAng Seoul Marathon later that year, a time which brought him his first win over the distance.[6] He was ninth at the Paris race in 2010 and came fifth at theMadrid Marathon in 2011. His first outing of 2012 was at theTiberias Marathon and he was just two seconds behind the winnerPatrick Tambwé, ending the course as the runner-up with a personal record of 2:07:32 hours.[7] He followed this with a course record win in 2:09:05 hours at theNagano Marathon.[8]
