Moses Ndiema Masai (born 1 June 1986 in Kapsogom, Mount Elgon District) is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres.
 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Kenya
| ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
2009 Berlin | 10000 m |
Masai is from Bugaa village, four kilometres from Kapsokwony town.[1] Born to John Barasa Masai and Leonida Cherop, he is the first born out of ten children.[2] He started running while at Kapsogom Primary School. Later he joined Bishop Okiring Secondary School. At the 2005 Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year awards he won the most promising sportsman category.[3] He won a bronze medal at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final in the 5000 m.
He ran in the 2008 Summer Olympics and managed to finish in fourth position in the 10,000 metres final, narrowly missing out on a medal.
His younger sister, Linet Masai, won the women's 10,000 metres gold at the 2009 World Championships, while he won bronze over the same distance. Other siblings Dennis,[4] Ndiema [1] and Magdaline are also runners.[2] Their father John Barasa Masai is also a former runner,[2] while Ben Jipcho, a legendary athlete, is their distant uncle.[1]
Moses Masai won the 2009 New Year's Eve San Silvestre Vallecana race.[5] He took the World's Best 10K title at the 2010 race in Puerto Rico, scoring a new course record of 27:19 and picking up a bonus for his fast time.[6] He signed up for the Dam tot Damloop in September 2010 and was a close runner-up to John Mwangangi, finishing a second behind his compatriot.[7] He made only three appearances in 2011, running at the FBK Games, Prefontaine Classic and the World's Best 10K, but finished outside the top five on each occasion.[8]
In spite of his low-profile in prior seasons, he gained a place on the Kenyan Olympic team by coming second at the 10,000 m trials at 2012 Prefontaine Classic.[9] Unfortunately, at the Olympics themselves, he could only manage a twelfth-placed finish.[10]
Masai trains with PACE Sports Management.[11] He is married to Doris Changeywo and the couple has a daughter.
He is not to be confused with another Kenyan runner named Moses Masai, known for running marathons and road races in Central Europe.[12]
Achievements
editKey: Course record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Kenya
| |||||
| 2004 | World Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 10th | 10,000 m | 29:32.48 |
| 2005 | African Junior Championships | Radès, Tunisia | 1st | 5,000 m | 13:45.15 |
| 1st | 10,000 m | 28:30.27 | |||
| 2007 | World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 5,000 m | 13:39.96 |
| 2008 | World Cross Country Championships | Edinburgh, Scotland | 5th | Senior race (12 km) | 35:02 |
| 1st | Team competition | 39 pts | |||
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | 10,000 m | 26:57.39 |
| 2010 | 2010 World's Best 10K | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 1st | 10,000 m | 27:19.0 CR |
| 2013 | Okpekpe International Road Race | Okpekpe, Nigeria | 1st | 10 kilometres | 29:39 |
Personal bests
edit- 1,500 metres - 3:42.1 min (2005)
- 3,000 metres - 7:44.75 min (2009)
- 5,000 metres - 12:50.55 min (2008)
- 10,000 metres - 26:49.20 min (2007)
References
edit
- ^ a b c "Mt Elgon celebrates Masai's triumph". The Standard. 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ^ a b c "For track marvels, it runs in the family". Daily Nation. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ^ The Standard, 21 March 2008: Setting the pace for a successful sporting family. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ "Wonder girl Masai heads to Edinburgh". The Standard. 23 March 2008.
- ^ "Fulfilling favourite roles, Masai and Cheruiyot prevail in Madrid". IAAF. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ Kuehls, Dave (1 March 2010). "Masai and Cheruiyot take crowns in San Juan". IAAF. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ van Hemert, Wim (20 September 2010). "Fast ten mile runs for Kibet and Mwangangi in Zaandam". IAAF. Archived from the original on 23 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Moses Masai". Tilastopaja. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- ^ Gains, Paul (2 June 2012). "Dibaba 30:24.39 and Kiprop 27:01.98 on stunning but wet first night in Eugene – Samsung Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ "Moses Masai Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Moses Masai". PACE Sports Management. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ IAAF profile for Moses Masai (marathon runner) IAAF. Retrieved 29 June 2008.