After finishing runner-up in six career marathons, Sammy Kitwara emerged as the new course-record holder of the Taipei Marathon this past December. In 2016, he also finished sixth in Boston and second in Amsterdam. Kitwara says he is most proud of winning the World’s Best 10K in Puerto Rico five times. He has represented Kenya on two IAAF World Half Marathon Championship teams, finishing 10th in 2001 and third in 2010. He has run two sub-59:00 half marathons and six sub-one-hour half marathons. He says he is most proud of this second place 2:04:28 finish at the 2014 Chicago Marathon. “That performance was 17 seconds behind my friend, Eliud Kipchoge, who is generally seen as the best marathon athlete in the world,” says Kitwara.

Kitwara trains in Eldoret and Kaptagat for his long runs and at a track in Chepkoilel near the University of Eldoret for his speed sessions. He is a policeman and runs for the Kenyan Police team. Kitwara is married to wife Sylvia, and the couple has a son named Christian and a daughter named Gynell. His hobbies are playing pool and dancing. With his prize earnings, he has invested in building rental houses. He says this helps employ many people from the Eldoret area. He was born in the Sagat village in Marakwet and helps support the schools he attended and the local church.

“Although my race in Boston last year was not satisfying to me, I have good memories from Boston. Especially a few days before the race when we went by bus for a visit to a primary school. We received a warm welcome there and the children were really interested in what we athletes were doing every day to perform well. Boston is the place where I feel at home.”