Sammy Kitwara

Sammy Kirop Kitwara (born 26 November 1986 in Sagat, Marakwet District ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in road running events. He is coached by Moses Kiptanui. In 2008 he took to the European road running circuit and won at the 20 Kilomètres de Paris, Dam tot Damloop and Singelloop Utrecht races.

Kitwara, a policeman by occupation, won the 2009 Rotterdam Half Marathon in a time of 58:58 – a course record which made him only the sixth runner to complete a sub-59-minute run. and recording 59:47 minutes for second at the Lisbon Half Marathon behind a world record-beating Zersenay Tadese.

Kitwara is a three-time champion of the Bay to Breakers and the course record holder in that event. In 2009, race organizers reported that his 33:31 was the fastest 12 km ever run.#tag:ref|Although Bay to Breakers race organizers reported that this was the fastest 12 km ever run, the International Association of Athletics Federations does not recognise world records or world bests in either an indoor or outdoor 12 km. Although the Association of Road Racing Statisticians does recognise a world record in the outdoor 12 km, their record keeping rules state: "A record quality course is defined as having not more than 1 m/km net drop between the start and finish and not more than 30% of the race distance separation between that start and finish, e.g. not more than a 3 km separation for a 10 km race [or 3.6 km for a 12 km race]. Records will only be accepted for record quality courses." The Bay to Breakers course does not qualify at a "record quality course" per ARRS standards as the start and finish of the event are approximately 10.5 linear kilometres apart. According to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, Joseph Kimani of Kenya also ran a 33:31 at the Arts Fest River Run in Evansville, Indiana in 1997; however, Simon Kigen of Kenya holds the 12 km world record with a 33:46 performance in Portland, Oregon in 1985. He ran a personal best for the 10K at the Utrecht Singelloop in September 2010, finishing as runner-up with a time of 27:11 minutes. This elevated him into the top eight of all time, although race winner Leonard Komon overshadowed this achievement by breaking the world record by a large margin.

Kitwara took his second win at the World's Best 10K in February 2011, becoming one of three men (including Hendrick Ramaala and John Korir) to have won twice in Puerto Rico. He was out-stripped at the City-Pier-City race in March, however, as he came fifth while Lelisa Desisa (whom he had beaten in Puerto Rico) won the race. He won his second title at the Peachtree Road Race in July that year. Later that year he ran a 58:48-minute personal best for second place at the Philadelphia Half Marathon, making him the fourth fastest runner ever for the distance. He did not reach the same form in November, when he came fourth at the Delhi Half Marathon.

He opened 2012 with another win at the World's Best 10K, completing the course in 28:02 minutes. He attempted a marathon debut at the Rotterdam Marathon (where he has acted as pacemaker before), but did not finish as he dropped out after 30 km. In October, he was placed fourth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:05:54 hours. He won his third straight World's Best 10K title at the beginning of 2013. A return to the Rotterdam Marathon saw him complete the distance, although his time of 2:07:22 hours was slower than his last.

At the 2015 London Marathon he came 6th in 2.07.43.

Kitwara won the 2016 Lisbon half marathon in 59.47 some way off his personal best.

Performances 2008 Nike Hilversum City Run – 1st 2008 Humarathon (half marathon) – 1st 2008 Rabat Half Marathon – 1st 2008 Paris 20K – 1st 2008 Dam tot Damloop (10 Miles) -1st 2009 City-Pier-City Loop (half marathon) – 1st 2009 Peachtree Road Race (10K) – 1st 2009 Bay to Breakers (12K) – 1st 2009 Rotterdam Half Marathon – 1st 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships – 10th 2010 Abu Dhabi Half Marathon – 2nd 2010 Bay to Breakers (12K) – 1st 2011 World's Best 10k – 1st 2012 World's Best 10k – 1st 2012 Bay to Breakers (Men's 12K) – 1st 2012 Chicago Marathon (marathon) – 4th 2013 World's Best 10k – 1st 2016 Lisbon Half Marathon – 1st 2017 Marathon Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP - 1st 2024 Marrakech Marathon - 1st