Meet Gideon

Gideon Kipketer is among an exciting crop of athletes who could represent the next generation of marathon stars.

Gideon made his international debut by placing eight in the U20 race at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, before the following year grabbing fourth in the U20 race at the African Cross Country Championships in Cape Town. 

In 2012 he switched his attention to road running and made an eye-catching marathon debut – clocking 2:08:14 for eighth in Amsterdam. 

After a series of solid marathons in 2013 and 2014 in Tokyo, Paris, Amsterdam and Hamburg the Kenyan notched his first podium with second (2:09:01) in Seoul in late 2015. 

Since that performance, Gideon has continued to make rapid improvements and even though he was slated to be the pacemaker at the 2016 Mumbai Marathon he accelerated clear of the field at 30km to take the race win in 2:08:35.

Swelled with a new level of confidence he made his World Marathon Majors debut in Chicago, where he impressed to claim third spot in 2:12:20 behind race winner and two-time former world marathon champion Abel Kirui. 

His rising status in global marathoning was further cemented earlier this year as Gideon dismantled his previous PB by more than two minutes to record 2:05:51 for second in the Tokyo Marathon behind former world record holder Wilson Kipsang. 

Did You Know?

Gideon’s sister is the 2013 Amsterdam Marathon champion Valentine Kipketer.