Charles Wawerū Kamathi (born 18 May 1978, near Nyeri, Kenya) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is best known for winning the 10,000 metres distance at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.
Career
Early life and career Kamathi started running in 1995. He graduated from Njogu-Ini Secondary School in 1996. In 1997 he went to run for Toyota club in Japan but had to leave back home only after days later due to tendinitis and Toyota replaced him with Simon Maina. Kamathi joined Kenya Police in 1998. On 3 September 1999 he made his international breakthrough by winning a 10000-meter race at the Memorial Van Damme meeting in Brussels by running 26:51.49, then the fifth best time ever and the world's fastest time in 1999.IAAF: Focus on Africa - Charles Waweru Kamathi (KEN)
Following this, he took to the European cross-country running circuit and beat multiple world champion Paul Tergat three times, taking victories at the Almond Blossom Cross Country, Cross Internacional de Itálica and Cinque Mulini race.Civai, Franco (2009-03-09). Amendoeiras em Flor (Almond Blossom) 10 km and 6 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-03-10.Cinque Mulini Men's winners . Cinque Mulini. Retrieved on 2010-02-05.Civai, Franco & Gasparovic, Juraj (2010-01-18). Cross Italica. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-01-30. Despite a poor finish at the Kenya World trials event, he was selected for the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He did not live up to his circuit form and was in seventh place in the long race, behind four of his compatriots.Official Results - CROSS LONG RACE Men . IAAF (2000-03-19). Retrieved on 2010-10-12. His 2000 season was hampered by a hamstring injury and he did not managed to make the Kenyan team for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
World champion Fully recovered, he returned to the European cross-country meets and won again at the Cinque Mulini and Itálica races. He qualified for the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and won his first major medal in the men's long race. Kamathi won the bronze medal (behind Mohammed Mourhit and Serhiy Lebid) and led a Kenyan team, which included Paul Kosgei and Patrick Ivuti to the team gold medal.Wallace-Jones, Sean (2001-03-25). Mourhit gives best possible reward to Belgium . IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-12. An even greater achievement awaited him at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He took on defending world champion Haile Gebrselassie in the 10,000 m and managed to beat both him and Olympic medalist Assefa Mezgebu to the line in the final lap, taking the world gold medal in the event. The victory, in which Kamathi sprinted from fourth to first in the final 200 metres, broke Haile's undefeated streak of 37 races.2001 World Championships - 10,000 metres final . IAAF (2010-08-09). Retrieved on 2010-10-12.
In September he competed at the 10-mile Dam tot Damloop in the Netherlands and managed to win the race in a time of 46:05 minutes.Dam tot Dam 10 mile. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2009-09-19). Retrieved on 2010-10-12.
Marathon running He made his marathon debut at the 2007 Milan Marathon and finished fourth by running 2:11:25.IAAF, 2 December 2007: Cheruiyot wins in debut, Chepchumba cruises to personal best in Milan He finished third at his second marathon, the 2008 Rotterdam Marathon and bettered his personal record to 2:07:33.IAAF, 13 April 2008: Kipsang sets 2:05:49 course record in Rotterdam He ran at the Milan Marathon in April 2010 but suffered cramps at the 30 km point and finished in second place.Sampaolo, Diego (2010-04-12). Surprise victories for Kipchumba and Mengistu in Milan. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-12. He entered the Eindhoven Marathon in October and had a close battle with Nicholas Chelimo and Paul Biwott at the finish. Kamathi just pipped Chelimo at the line to win the race, recording a time of 2:07:38 – the same as the runner-up.van Hemert, Wim (2010-10-10). In a thriller, Kamathi takes 2:07:38 victory in Eindhoven. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-10-12.
Personal life He is from the Kikuyu tribe. His manager is Federico Rosa, and his coach is Gabriele Rosa.
International competitions
2000World Cross Country ChampionshipsVilamoura, Portugal 7thLong race2001World ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada 1st10,000 mWorld Cross Country ChampionshipsOstend, Belgium 3rdLong race2002IAAF World Half Marathon ChampionshipsBrussels, Belgium 9thHalf marathonWorld Cross Country ChampionshipsDublin, Ireland 5thLong race2003World ChampionshipsParis, France 7th10,000 mWorld Athletics FinalMonte Carlo, Monaco 8th5000 m2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece 13th10,000 mWorld Cross Country ChampionshipsBrussels, Belgium 5thLong raceWorld Athletics FinalMonte Carlo, Monaco 7th5000 mAfrican ChampionshipsBrazzaville, Congo 1st10,000 m2005World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 12th10,000 mWorld Cross Country ChampionshipsSaint-Étienne-Saint-Galmier, France 10thLong race
Personal bests
3000 metres - 7:41.89 (2003) 5000 metres - 13:02.51 (2002) 10,000 metres - 26:51.49 (1999) Half marathon - 1:00:22 (2002) Marathon - 2:07:33 (2008)
References
External links
Rosa & Associati profile