Wesley Kiptoo

Wesley Kiptoo (born 7 July 1999) is a Kenyan-born long-distance and cross country runner. After gaining American citizenship in 2025, he competed for the United States at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships. He won the 2026 USA Half Marathon Championships.

Biography From Marakwet District, Kenya, Kiptoo attended Transcend Academy, a school founded by former Boston Marathon champion, Wesley Korir. From 2018, he was educated in the United States, initially attending Colby Community College in Kansas.

Competing for Iowa State University, Kiptoo won the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships over 5000 metres. He finished his collegiate career holding Iowa State records in the indoor 3000 and 5000 metres as well as the outdoor 10,000 metres and the steeplechase. Kiptoo made his marathon debut at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, running 2:10:28.

Kiptoo became an American citizen in September 2025. In October 2025, Kiptoo qualified to compete for the United States. On 12 October 2025, he ran 2:09:02 at the Chicago Marathon, finishing as the second placed American in the race behind American record holder Conner Mantz. In December, he had a third place finish at the 2025 USA Cross Country Championships behind Parker Wolfe and Rocky Hansen to automatically gain selection for his American national team debut at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, where he was the second American finisher behind Wolfe, with fourteenth overall.

On 1 March 2026, he ran 1:01:15 to win the USA Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, Georgia ahead of Hillary Bor and Ahmed Muhumed. He was subsequently included as part of the United States team for the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Personal life He is married to Maribel, and they have children Natalia and Santos.