Joan Chelimo

Joan Chelimo Melly (born 10 November 1990) is a Kenyan and Romanian[1] female long-distance runner who competes in road running competitions. She is the 2018 Prague Half Marathon Champion and the winner of other prestigious road races such as Berlin Half Marathon, Boston 10K and Boston Half Marathon.

Career

Chelimo ran 1500 metres while at school, going up to the National Championship level. She began to compete in small road races in 2011, mainly running in Spain and Morocco for the next 3 years. During that period, she won several races, including the Valencia 10K in a course record of 32:17[2] and the OCP 10K Int’l de Khouribga where she set a then 31:41 personal best over the 10K distance.[3]

She ended her 2014 season with 3 consecutive victories, winning Wachau Half Marathon in 1:11:52, Swansea 10K and Cardiff Half Marathon.[4]

Due to pregnancy, she skipped the 2015 season and returned to competition in September 2016 by placing sixth at the Kericho 10K.[5]

Chelimo made a strong comeback on the international scene by winning the 2017 Berlin Half Marathon in 1:08:45.[6] In May, she finished second at Le Puy-en-Velay 15K[7] before winning Boston 10K in a new best of 31:24[8] In September, she ended up second at the Copenhagen Half Marathon after leading most of the race, clocking a new personal best of 1:06:25, the seventh fastest time of the year.[9] She came back to Boston in October and won her second Boston Athletic Association event of the year by taking a commanding victory at the Boston Half Marathon in 1:10:31.[10]

2018 started very well for Chelimo with a strong victory at the Elgeyo-Marakwet County Cross Country Championship.[11] Three weeks later she became the ninth woman to ever run a half marathon under sixty-six minutes, finishing fourth at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon with a new personal best of 1:05:37 in a race widely regarded as the greatest women’s half marathon ever held.[12] Following her excellent performances and after going out under world-record pace for about seventeen kilometers, Chelimo won the 2018 Prague Half Marathon in 1:05:04, becoming the 4th fastest women of all-time over the distance.[13] In september, she ended-up third at the Copenhagen Half Marathon after taking out the race at world-record pace for fifteen kilometer and getting overtake by dutch athlete Sifan Hassan in the last two kilometers of the race.[14] She then went on to win the 2018 Boston Half Marathon, defending her title and winning the race for the second consecutive time in 1:09:34.[15] She won her last race of the season with ease at the Montferland Run.[16]

Personal life

She is married and has a daughter named Ariana.[8] She trains and lives in Iten.

Road race wins
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2011 Torrevieja Half Marathon Torrevieja, Spain 1st Half marathon 1:18:16
Alicante Half Marathon Alicante, Spain 1st Half marathon 1:17:50
Bilbao 15K Bilbao, Spain 1st 15K 53:43
Crevillentina 10K Crevillentina, Spain 1st 10K 33:56
2012 Khouribga 10K Khouribga, Morocco 1st 10K 31:41 CR
Bilbao 15K Bilbao, Spain 1st 15K 53:52
Valencia 10K Valencia, Spain 1st 10K 32:17 CR
2014 Mohammédia 10K Mohammédia, Morocco 1st 10K 31:58
Wachau Half Marathon Krems an der Donau, Austria 1st Half marathon 1:11:52
Swansea 10K Swansea, United Kingdom 1st 10K 33:04
Cardiff Half Marathon Cardiff, United Kingdom 1st Half marathon 1:12:26
2017 Berlin Half Marathon Berlin, Germany 1st Half marathon 1:08:45
Boston 10K Boston, USA 1st 10K 31:24
Boston Half Marathon Boston, USA 1st Half marathon 1:10:31
2018 Prague Half Marathon Prague, Czech Republic 1st Half marathon 1:05:04
Kisii Half Marathon Kisii, KEN 1st Half Marathon 1:10:25
Boston Half Marathon Boston, USA 1st Half Marathon 1:09:34
Montferland Run 's-Heerenberg, NED 1st 15K 48:44

Personal bests

References
  1. "Kenyencele Joan Chelimo, Stella Ruto și Delvine Meringor au primit cetățenia română. Două dintre ele au baremul pentru JO Tokyo la maraton". Click mobile.
  2. "El Maratón Divina Pastora Valencia vuelve a asombrar al mundo" .
  3. "Winners of AIMS events in 2013" .
  4. "Kongin and Chelimo win Cardiff Half" .
  5. "Safaricom Kericho Road Race: Cardiff Half Marathon winner Chelimo bounces back" .
  6. "Late-entrant Joan Melly takes surprise victory while fellow-Kenyan Gilbert Masai wins".
  7. "Exploit et record pour Mathew Kimeli".
  8. "Chebii and Chelimo Secure Kenyan Sweep at B.A.A. 10K".
  9. "Cheroben sizzles 58:40 world lead at Copenhagen Half Marathon - IAAF" .
  10. "Kenyans Sweep 2017 B.A.A. Half Marathon".
  11. "Chelimo, Kimeli win in Elgeyo Marakwet".
  12. "Chemutai threatens world record at RAK Half Marathon".
  13. "MELLY SIZZLES TO 1:05:04 VICTORY AT PRAGUE HALF MARATHON".
  14. "HASSAN SMASHES EUROPEAN RECORD AT COPENHAGEN HALF MARATHON".
  15. "Joan Chelimo repeats as women’s champion".
  16. "Geen parcoursrecord bij Montferland Run".
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