Philemon Limo

Philemon Kimeli Limo (born 2 August 1985) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in cross country running and road running competitions. He has a half marathon best of 59:30 minutes and a marathon best of 2:09:25 hours. He typically competes on the Italian road circuit and has won the Roma-Ostia and Prague Half Marathons.

Philemon Kimeli Limo at the 2012 World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria

Hailing from Marakwet District, Kenya, he began to make his mark domestically in 2009 as he was the runner-up at the high level Rift Valley Province Cross Country Championships.[1] In his European debut in March 2010, he came third at the Stramilano Half Marathon, completing the distance in a time of 1:01:34 hours to finish behind Moses Mosop and Silas Kipruto.[2] He was the pacemaker for the 2010 European Cup 10000m and went on to record a 5000 metres personal best of 13:18.97 minutes at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo later that June.[3] He won a 10 km race in Rennes,[4] recording a time which ranked him in the top ten for the distance that year.[5] He defeated all comers in the Marseille-Cassis Classique in October that year.[6]

Representing Kenya Police, he gained his first national selection in 2011 with a fourth-place finish at the Kenyan National Cross Country Championships.[7] On his international debut at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March, he took seventh place in the men's senior race – the fifth Kenyan to cross the line.[8] He proved himself on the roads a month later at the Prague Half Marathon as he won the race with a sub-one hour timing, setting the fastest time ever on Czech soil with his finishing time of 59:30 minutes.[9] A runner-up finish at the Giro Media Blenio came four weeks later.[10] He won the men's title at the World 10K Bangalore in June, where he finished in 28:01 minutes,[11] and set a course record and personal best of 27:34 min to win the Prague Metro 10K.[12] He returned to the Marseille-Cassis race to defend his title, but was beaten into third place.[13] He came fifth behind Sammy Kitwara at the Delhi Half Marathon in November and started his cross country season with a win at the Venta de Baños Cross a month after.[14][15]

He was within two seconds of his best at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon and won by a twenty-second margin.[16] returned to defend his title at the Prague Half Marathon in 2012, but finished third in a time of 60:03 minutes.[17] Limo made his marathon debut at the Prague International Marathon in May and recorded a time of 2:09:25 hours for third, although he slowed significantly in the final stages.[18] In 2013 he managed only tenth at the Prague Half Marathon,[19] but won the Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon.[20]

References
  1. Omulo, Okoth (2009-02-15). New faces emerge in Rift Valley as soldiers make good in Nairobi - Kenyan Provincial Championships round-up. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  2. Sampaolo, Diego (2010-03-22). Mosop clocks 59:20 in Milan Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  3. Resultati Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine. Memorial Primo Nebiolo. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  4. Ramsak, Bob (2011-06-06). Farah and Monteiro take European Cup 10,000m victories. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  5. 10 Kilometres 2010. IAAF (2011-02-21). Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  6. Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2010-10-01). Kenyan double in appalling weather conditions in the Marseille-Cassis classic. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  7. Mutuota, Mutwiri (2011-02-19). Mutai and Masai take hard fought wins in Nairobi; reigning World champs Ebuya and Chebet won’t defend. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  8. 2011 World XC Championships - Official Team Results Senior Race - M Archived 2011-03-23 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF (2011-03-20). Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  9. Butcher, Pat (2011-04-02). Limo and Cheromei shatter course records at Prague Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  10. Sampaolo, Diego (2011-04-26). Merga defends title in Dongio 10Km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-27.
  11. Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-06-05). Limo and Tune prevail in Bangalore 10Km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
  12. Limo clocks 27:34 course record in Prague. IAAF (2011-09-11). Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
  13. 2011 Marseille-Cassis Results Archived 2012-05-02 at the Wayback Machine (in French). Marseille-Cassis. Retrieved on 2011-10-30.
  14. Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2011-11-27). In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-27.
  15. Valiente, Emeterio (2011-12-18). Limo and Jepleting secure a Kenyan double in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-12-23.
  16. Sampaolo, Diego (2012-02-26). Kiplagat sizzles sub-1:07 at Roma-Ostia Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-15.
  17. Butcher, Pat (2012-03-31). Tsegay’s 58:47 shatters course record in ‘very windy’ Prague Archived 2012-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-04-01.
  18. Edwards, Andy (2012-05-13). Kiprop dashes Cheromei’s hopes while Chimsa lives up to expectations in Prague. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-05-15.
  19. Cherono breaks course record in Prague as Tadese out-sprints team-mate. IAAF (2013-04-06). Retrieved on 2013-09-21.
  20. Limo and Chepkoech win at the Udsti nad Labem Half Marathon. IAAF (2013-09-15). Retrieved on 2013-09-21.
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