Jonah Koech Kipruto (born 12 December 1996) is a Kenyan-born middle-distance runner who represents the United States in international competitions. He specializes in the 800 meters and 1500 meters.
In the 800 meters, he qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Championships and 2022 NACAC Championships after finishing second at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.Three World Class Athlete Program Track & Field Athletes Qualify for U.S. World Team United States Army In the 1500 meters, he won both the 2025 Rabat Diamond League and the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In 2026, Koech was banned for three years after admitting to blood doping and his performances occurring after June 30, 2025 were disqualified. His ban is in place until July 17th, 2029.
He competes for the Under Armour Mission Run team, based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Early life and collegiate career In the 2010s, Koech attended St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya, where he trained under Colm O'Connell, and alongside 800 meter world record holder David Rudisha.
Koech is a 10-Time USTFCCCA All-American.Jonah Koech results TFRRS In 2015, as an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Texas at El Paso, Koech finished 11th at the 2015 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. In 2016, Koech finished 6th in the indoor mile and 6th in the outdoor 800m at the NCAA Division I Championships. He later transferred to Texas Tech in 2018, and became a U.S. citizen in 2019 after graduating and enlisting in the U.S. Army.
Professional career In 2022, Koech ran a personal best of 1:44.74 to finish second in the 800 meter final at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he advanced to the semifinals but was disqualified.
On May 25, 2025, Koech won the 1500 meters at the Rabat Diamond League, in a meet record and personal best of 3:31.43. He became the third American man after Leo Manzano and Yared Nuguse to win a Diamond League 1500 meter or mile race. On May 31, 2025, at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Koech improved his 800 meter personal best to 1:43.32.
On August 2, 2025, Koech won a national title over the 1500 meters at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing in a personal best time of 3:30.17, thus qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Before the race, Koech stated that he was 75-percent healthy and was dealing with a hamstring issue.
On August 10, 2026 the United States Anti-Doping Agency announced that Koech had been suspended for 3 years when his biological passport showed atypical values consistent with blood doping. Koech admitted the violation. All his results after July 30, 2025 were disqualified, and his suspension was dated from July 17, 2026 through July 2029.
Achievements and titles
NCAA performances Representing Texas Tech University2019NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships University of Texas at Austin7th800m1:47.28Big 12 Conference Outdoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma2nd800m1:46.423rd1500m3:53.78NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex13th800m1:51.31Big 12 Conference Indoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma1st1000m2:23.753rd4000m DMR9:58.59 Representing University of Texas at El Paso2018NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon7th800m1:47.28Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Rice University1st800m1:48.791st1500m3:49.73NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas9thMile4:02.26Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex1stMile4:10.032nd800m1:52.102017NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon24th4x400m3:18.6525th1500m3:49.66Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships UTEP Miners5th800m1:55.361st1500m3:44.64NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas11th4000m DMR9:56.0311thMile4:01.02Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex3rdMile4:04.931st4000m DMR10:03.0420162016 NCAA Division I cross country championshipsLaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course122nd10km31:03.2Conference USA Cross Country ChampionshipsUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte Frank Liske Park Concord, North Carolina2nd8km24:05NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon9th800m1:46.53Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Middle Tennessee State University2nd800m1:50.001st1500m3:43.39NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex6thMile4:07.52Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex1stMile4:07.342nd4000m DMR10:10.13Final800m1:51 - DQ20152015 NCAA Division I cross country championshipsE. P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park cross country courseLouisville, Kentucky11th10km30:04.4Conference USA Cross Country ChampionshipsBowling Green, Kentucky2nd8km24:44 References
External links
Jonah Koech at United States Army