Moses Cheruiyot Mosop (born 7 July 1985) is a Kenyan middle and long distance athlete. He competed for Kenya at the 2004 Olympic Games and went on to take 10,000 metres bronze at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. He has also been successful in cross country running, having won the silver at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships as well as team gold with Kenya in 2007 and 2009.

Until 30 September 2014, Mosop was managed by Jos Hermens and coached by Renato Canova. At the 2011 Boston Marathon, Mosop and countryman Geoffrey Mutai ran what at the time were the fastest times ever recorded for a marathon – 2:03:06 and 2:03:02, respectively – bettering the Boston course record by nearly three minutes.(18 April 2011). "Boston Marathon Men's Results 2011: Kenya's Mutai Wins World's Fastest-Time". Boston Examiner. Retrieved 18 April 2011.

Career

Early running Born in Kamasia, Marakwet District, Mosop started running while at primary school and later went to Marakwet High School. He qualified for the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Belfast, where he finished tenth in the junior race. It was in this occasion that he joined the management of the Italian Gianni Demadonna, and started to be coached by Renato Canova, that developed his talent from the youth category up to the current international level.

At the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne he fared slightly better, finishing 7th in the junior race. At the 2003 All-Africa Games, he was fifth in men's 10,000 metres. He made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens Olympics and was seventh overall in the 10,000 metres final. Mosop also won the Giro Podistico di Pettinengo 9.6 km race in 2004.(18 October 2004). Mosop beats World Half Marathon medallists in Pettinengo. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

He was the winner of the Almond Blossom Cross Country in March 2005 and placed 18th at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships soon after. Competing in the 10,000 metres in the 2005 World Championships, he won the bronze medal, setting a personal best of 27:08.96 minutes. He occasionally runs the 3000 and 5000 metres and holds personal bests of 7:36 min and 12:54 min in those events.

He headed further up the podium at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He finished second in the senior race and took the team gold with Kenya. He took back-to-back wins at the Giro al Sas 10K race in 2007 and 2008.Malcolm Heyworth et al (12 October 2010). Giro al Sas 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 16 April 2011. In March 2009 he won the Cross di Alà dei Sardi in Sardinia.Civai, Franco (16 March 2010). Cross di Alà dei Sardi. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 16 April 2011. He returned to world competition two years later, but he could not repeat his medal form at the 2009 World Cross Country Championships (finishing in eleventh place), although he still won team gold with Kenya.

Mosop won the men's race at the 2010 Stramilano Half Marathon, clocking 59:20 for the win over Silas Kipruto. His coach stated that Mosop was progressing as a road runner and might make a move to the marathon distance.Sampaolo, Diego (22 March 2010). Mosop clocks 59:20 in Milan Half Marathon. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. Attempting to defend his title at the Giro Media Blenio 10K (which he won in 2009), he finished second in a sprint finish just behind Imane Merga.Sampaolo, Diego (6 April 2010). Merga cruises to Dongio 10Km win. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. He was chosen for the Kenyan team at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and he finished in tenth place.Results Half Marathon – Men. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. At the Zevenheuvelenloop 15K race, he was off the pace and finished sixth – almost two minutes behind Leonard Patrick Komon who set a world record.van Hemert, Wim (21 November 2010). Komon breaks World 15Km record in Nijmegen – UPDATED. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

2011: Marathon debut and world records His first race of 2011 was the Paris Half Marathon, where he finished second behind Stephen Kibet.Monti, David (6 March 2011). Course Record for Arusei in Paris Half Marathon. All-Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. On 2011-04-18, he ran his marathon debut at the Boston Marathon, coming second in a time of 2:03:06. He and fellow countryman Geoffrey Mutai ran what at the time were the fastest times ever recorded for a marathon, shattering the time of the then existing world record (2:03:59 by Haile Gebrselassie) by nearly one minute, and the Boston course record by nearly three minutes. Helped by ideal cool temperatures and a strong tailwind on the point-to-point course, the lead pack reached the halfway mark on record pace of 1:01:54. The two Kenyans broke away from the pack at 30 kilometres and ran stride-for-stride over the last 12 kilometres until a sprint in the final straight-away by Mutai gave him the victory by four seconds, 2:03:02 to 2:03:06.

Because Boston is a point-to-point course, with an overall downhill slope, the times were not officially recognised. The IAAF rules essentially require marathon records to be established on a loop course (thereby neutralising the impact of wind and course elevation changes). The previous record at Boston was 2:05:52, set in 2010 by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot who was the first to break 2:06 at Boston, while the current world record (yet to be ratified) is 2:02:57, run by Dennis Kimetto at Berlin in 2014.

As part of the 2011 Prefontaine Classic, Mosop was selected in an attempt to break the world record for the infrequently contested 30,000 m on the track. He shattered Toshihiko Seko's thirty-year-old world record by over two and a half minutes, running a time of 1:26:47.4 hours. He also smashed Seko's 25,000 m record by a minute and a half, passing the 25K intermediate mark at 1:12:25.4 hours.Martin, Dave (4 June 2011). Mosop rips apart World records for 25,000 and 30,000m in Eugene – Samsung Diamond League. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. He stepped down in distance to run at the B.A.A. 10K in June and took third place on the podium.(26 June 2011). Mutai sizzles 27:19 in Boston 10Km. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

9 October 2011, Mosop won the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:05:37, beating Sammy Wanjiru's course record by four seconds. At the start of 2012, he was sixth at the Paris Half Marathon in preparation for the Rotterdam Marathon the following month.Semi-Marathon 2012 Results. Paris HM. Retrieved on 22 April 2012. He was the pre-race favourite and attempted to break the marathon world record, but fell behind Yemane Tsegay and Getu Feleke, eventually finishing with a time of 2:05:03 hours.van Hemert, Wim (15 April 2012). Spectacular double Ethiopian success brings home 2:04 and 2:18 victories in Rotterdam. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. Nevertheless, he was selected for the Kenyan Olympic marathon team, but a tendon injury forced him to withdraw and he was replaced by Emmanuel Mutai.Mutwiri, Mutuota (12 June 2012). Mutai added to Kenyan Olympic Marathon squad, Rudisha to Relay. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026.

Personal life In 2005 Mosop was reported to be married with Rose Cheruiyot (not the runner of the same name) with one daughter.Moses Mosop (KEN) World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. By 2010 he was married to fellow runner Florence Kiplagat, with whom he has daughter Aisha.(25 March 2009). A runner by default, Kiplagat now targets the ultimate prize – Amman 2009. World Athletics. Retrieved 29 May 2026. His brothers Elias Mosop and Philemon Mosop are also runners.

Personal bests EventTime (h:m:s)VenueDate5000 m12:54.46Saint-Denis, France8 July 200610,000 m26:49.55Hengelo, Netherlands26 May 2007Half marathon59:20Milan, Italy21 March 201025,000 m1:12:25.4 WREugene, USA3 June 201130,000 m1:26:47.4 WREugene, USA3 June 2011Marathon*2:03:06Boston, USA18 April 2011Marathon2:05:03Rotterdam, Netherlands15 April 2012

(*) Downhill and point-to-point course All information taken from IAAF profile.

International competitions 2002World Cross Country Championships Dublin, Ireland10thJunior race2003World Cross Country Championships Lausanne, Switzerland7thJunior raceAll-Africa Games Abuja, Nigeria5th10,000 m2004Olympic Games Athens, Greece7th10,000 m2005World Cross Country Championships St Etienne, France18thLong raceWorld Championships Helsinki, Finland3rd10,000 m2007World Cross Country Championships Mombasa, Kenya2ndLong race1stTeam2009World Cross Country ChampionshipsAmman, Jordan11thLong race1stTeam

Marathons 2011Boston MarathonBoston, United States2nd2:03.06 second fastest time ever (unratified)2011Chicago MarathonChicago, United States1st2:05.37 course record2012Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam, Netherlands3rd 2:05.032013Chicago MarathonChicago, United States8th2:11.192015Xiamen International MarathonXiamen, People's Republic of China1st2:06.192016Yellow River Estuary International MarathonDongying, People's Republic of China3rd 2:09.33

References

External links

IAAF, 14 March 2005: Focus on Africa – Moses Mosop (KEN)