Daniel Komen

Life and work

Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, his most notable achievements came in a two-year period between 1996 and 1998, during which he broke a string of world records.

Komen held the world record in the 3000 metres for nearly 28 years, with a time of 7:20.67 set in 1996. Komen also held the world best in the two mile run for nearly 26 years. With his time of 7:58.61 set in 1997, he, along with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, are the only two men in history to average two miles at a sub-four-minute mile pace. Komen's splits were 3:59.4 on both the first and second half of the race. He is also the Kenyan record holder for the 5000 metres both outdoors and indoors.

Komen was the second man, after Saïd Aouita, to break the 31⁄2-minute mark for the 1500 m, the 71⁄2-minute mark for 3000 m, and the 13-minute mark for the 5000 m.

Komen was born in Elgeyo Marakwet District. He is from the Keiyo sub-tribe of Kalenjin people and grew up in a rural area of Kenya's Rift Valley Province. One of fourteen children, Komen began running at the age of seven as a means of getting to and from school. His running abilities were discovered and at the age of 14 he travelled to Australia. Komen had an exceptional junior career: at age 17, he placed second at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, and in 1994, he became the World Junior Champion in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.

Komen first appeared in the senior ranks in 1994 when he won a place on Kenya's 10,000 m team for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, placing ninth. The next year, at the Golden Gala meet in Rome, Komen set the world junior record in the 5,000m with a time of 12:56.15, helping pace Moses Kiptanui to a world record in the process.

In 1996, Komen began to dominate the 5,000 m. On 1 September 1996 in Rieti, Italy, Komen ran a spectacular world record time of 7:20.67 in the 3000 metres, breaking Noureddine Morceli's former record by 4.44 seconds. Komen's record stood untouched for nearly 28 years, with Hicham El Guerrouj's 1999 time of 7:23.09 being over two seconds behind Komen. Jakob Ingebrigtsen would break the record on 25 August 2024, clocking 7:17.55 to become the first man under 7:20.

A year later, on 19 July 1997, Komen made history again. In Hechtel, Belgium, he became the first man to run two miles in under eight minutes, clocking a world best of 7:58.61. His first mile was faster than Roger Bannister's first-ever sub-four, while his second equalled it. Just seven months later, at an Australian athletics meet in Sydney, Komen ran 7:58.91, missing his world best by 0.30 seconds. This performance makes Komen the only man in history to break 8 minutes in the two mile more than once. His 7:58.61 world best in the two mile stood for nearly 26 years, until 9 June 2023 when Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran 7:54.10.

In August 1997 he broke the 5000 m world record and took two seconds off of Haile Gebrselassie's best to bring it to 12:39.74.

Other accolades include being the 1997 World Championships in Athletics and 1998 Commonwealth Games 5,000-meter champion. He won the 5000 metres race at the 1998 IAAF World Cup.

Out of the limelight since the late 1990s, Komen now serves as chairman of the Keiyo North Rift Athletics Association and as co-director of a private school with his wife, Joyce.

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