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Isaac Kimeli
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Isaac Kimeli (born 9 March 1994[4] in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya) is a Kenyan born Belgian middle- and long-distance runner.
Key Information
Kimeli is a 5000m silver medal winner at the World Athletics Championships.[5]
Kimeli won two Diamond League meetings, securing victory in the 5000 m at the 2019 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels (promotional event) with a then personal best of 13:13.02 [4] and six years later at the very rainy 2025 Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland also in the 5000m.[6]
Training and personal life
[edit]When Kimeli was four years old, his mother migrated from their home county of Uasin Gishu in Kenya to Belgium to work as a nurse. Kimeli was left in the care of his grand-parents for ten years. At age 15 he was finally reunited with his mother in Belgium. It was there that his PE teachers encouraged him to join a track club.[7]
Career
[edit]In 2011, Kimeli competed in his first international competition at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon, Turkey.[7]
Two years later, Kimeli won his first international medal by winning a silver at the junior 2013 European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.[8] This was soon followed by a gold medal at the Under-23 2016 European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy,[9] and 2 silver medals (one individual, one team) and a bronze at the senior level 2018,[10] 2019[11] and 2022 European Cross Country Championships[12] resp. He picked up another silver medal with the Belgium men's team at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey.[13]
On the track, Kimeli earned a silver in the 5000 metres at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships and in the 3000 metres at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[14]
Kimeli represented Belgium at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan resp. Paris, France, his best result a 8th place in the final of the men's 5000 metres in Paris.[15]
In September 2025 at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Kimeli became the first Belgian athlete since Gaston Reiff won the gold medal in the men's 5000 metres at the 1948 Summer Olympics to win a medal in a 5000m or 10000m event at a senior world athletics championship or Olympic Games.[5]
Achievements
[edit]Competition record
[edit]National titles
[edit]- Belgian Athletics Championships
- 1500 metres: 2014
- Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships
- 3000 metres: 2022
- Belgian Cross Country Championships
- 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2023, 2024
Personal bests
[edit]- 1500 metres – 3:36.51 (Marseille 2018)
- 3000 metres – 7:47.48 (Rome 2020)
- 3000 metres indoor – 7:44.17 (Ghent 2021)
- 5000 metres – 12:56.53 (Stockholm 2024)
- 10,000 metres – 27:07.97 (San Juan Capistrano 2024)
- Road
- 10 kilometres – 27:10 (Valencia 2025)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Isaac Kimeli Palmares". Vlaamse Atletiek Liga (in Dutch). Vlaamse Atletiek Liga. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Isaac Kimeli liep naar 4e plaats op EK zonder coach: "Hij heeft me zelfs geen berichtje meer gestuurd"" [Isaac Kimeli finished 4th at the European Championships without a coach: "He didn't even send me a message anymore"]. Sporza (in Dutch). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Stiekeme veldritfan Isaac Kimeli prikt doelen met nieuwe coach: "Hij bezit de heilige drievuldigheid"" [Secret cyclocross fan Isaac Kimeli sets goals with new coach: "He possesses the holy trinity"]. Sporza (in Dutch). 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Isaac KIMELI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Kimeli and Gressier win 5000m silver and bronze as Ingebrigtsen fades". European Athletics. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "A rainy but epic 50th edition". Diamond League. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ a b "From not speaking the language to competing for the national team at Tokyo 2020, Belgian runner Isaac Kimeli is aiming for gold". CNN. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Third time lucky for Duarte at European Cross as Bezabeh regains title". World Athletics. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Kimeli strikes gold as Italy claim team title". European Athletics Association. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "ISAAC KIMELI RUNS HIS WAY TO A EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL". www.focusonbelgium.be. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Can retains title while Fsiha breaks through at European Cross in Lisbon". World Athletics. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Norwegian double as Ingebrigtsen and Grovdal retain European cross titles". World Athletics. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Ingebrigtsen wins third senior title in dominant style in Antalya 2024". European Athletics. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Kimeli doet er nog een Belgische medaille bij op EK indoor: zilver op 3.000 meter" (in Dutch). Sporza. 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Isaac Kimeli imponeert met 8e plaats op de 5.000 meter: "Ik had het zelf niet verwacht"" (in Dutch). Sporza. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Isaac Kimeli at World Athletics
- Isaac Kimeli at Diamond League
- Isaac Kimeli at Olympics.com
- Isaac Kimeli at Team Belgium (in Dutch)
- Isaac Kimeli at Olympedia
- Isaac Kimeli at InterSportStats
