DANIEL KOMEN

Country:

Kenya

Full name:

Daniel Kipngetich Komen

Place of Birth:

Marakwet

Place of Living:

Born:

May 17th, 1976

Tribe:

Keiyo

Height:

1,70 mm

Weight:

60 kg kg

ATHLETE PROFILEClick here to read more

Daniel Komen has been one of the greatest talents in long distance running ever seen in the history of athletics. In his great years from 1996 to 1998 he broke six world records. That was at an age of 20 and 21 years. The young Daniel Komen had become the major threat for Haile Gebrselassie who dominated long distance running for many years. But after Daniel Komen had enormous success as a young man he lost concentration for running for a number of years. Click here to read more.

Today Daniel Komen still holds three world records. And he works on a major comeback. Coached by Dieter Hogen the Kenyan hopes to be able to make another impact in long distance running. It is never easy to comeback so one has to be patient. But in terms of long distance running Daniel Komen is still a relatively young athlete. He was born in May 1976.

As a young boy Daniel Komen ran to school, which was three kilometres (close to two miles) away from his home near Eldoret in the famous Rift Valley. Since he had to come home for lunch he covered twelve kilometres a day. “At that time I did not know that this was already some sort of training for my future career as a runner”, Daniel Komen says.

Until he finished secondary school football used to be his sport. Daniel Komen had been a goalkeeper. He also tried high jumping before turning to running seriously. At the age of 17 Daniel Komen participated in the Kenyan Cross Country Championships. It was at this event when he was spotted by Kim McDonald. “He then finished second at the World Junior Cross Country Championships and after that I brought him to London for the first time”, the late Kim McDonald once explained. Daniel Komen joined Kim McDonald’s summer base in the south west of the capital and started training under the guidance of Moses Kiptanui.

“Moses Kiptanui had been a hero for me. I had read about him in the newspapers”, Daniel Komen explains. “The connection with Moses Kiptanui had been very important for the development of Daniel Komen”, Kim McDonald had once said. Already in the first year of training together with Moses Kiptanui there was success. Daniel Komen became World Junior Champion at 5,000 and 10,000 m in 1994. In the following year he ran world junior records at 1,500 m (3:34.63) as well as 5,000 m (12:56.15) and said: “My name has to appear in the record books.”

In 1996 he missed Olympic qualification at 5,000 metres but broke his first two senior world records. At two miles Daniel Komen clocked 8:03.54 minutes. Then he showed an extraordinary performance in Rieti. Disappointed by having missed the Olympics he smashed the 3,000 metres world record. He had broken Noureddine Morceli’s (Algeria) world record by 4.44 seconds. No other run since Kip Keino back in 1965 had broken this record by a bigger margin. “I used to dream I would be Kip Keino”, Daniel Komen once said while Kip Keino was quoted having said: “Daniel Komen seems to have no limits.”

A year later Daniel Komen ran another sensational world record. At two miles he clocked 7:58.61 minutes and thus became the first runner to have covered the distance in sub eight minutes. Back in 1954 Roger Bannister (Great Britain) had become the first runner to have covered the mile in sub four minutes. Now Daniel Komen had run two Bannister miles. Both of these world record – 3000 metres and two miles – still stand today. He broke another world record in 1997: In Brussels Daniel Komen ran 12:39.74 minutes in the 5,000 metres.

In 1998 he opened the year with two world indoor records. In Stockholm he clocked 12:51.48 for 5,000 m and in Budapest he ran a superb 7:24.90 for 3,000. The later mark still stands today. Haile Gebrselassie tried to break this world record but never succeeded.

Despite having such enormous perspectives Daniel Komen somehow lost concentration on running during the following years. Additionally he had been unlucky when he missed the Olympic trials in 2000 due to malaria. Now Daniel Komen has joined KIMbia because he wants to come back.


PERSONAL BESTSClick here to read more
Track
2002 10,000 m(27:38,32)
1998 2,000 m(4:51,30)
1997 1 mile(3:46,38)
1997 1,500 m(3:29,46)
1997 2 miles(7:58,61)
1997 5,000 m(12:39,74)
1994 3,000 m Steeplechase(8:54,5)
0000 3,000 m(7:20,67)
Road
2002 10 k(28:58)
Indoor
2001 2 miles(8:16,89)
1999 2,000 m(4:58,77)
1998 3,000 m(7:24,90)
1998 5,000 m(12:51,48)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTSClick here to read more
YearDistanceLocationPlaceVenue
1999 5,000 m 5thWorld Championships
1998 5,000 m 1stCommonwealth Games
1998 5,000 m 1stAfrican Championship
1998 5,000 m 1stWorld Cup
1998 4 k 1stWorld Cross Country Championships
1998 3,000 m World Indoor Record (7:24,90)
1998 5,000 m World Indoor Record (12:51,48)
1997 5,000 m 1stWorld Championships
1997 2 miles World Record (7:58,61)
1997 5,000 m World Record (12:39,74)
1996 1stOverall Grand Prix
1996 5,000 m 1stGrand Prix
1996 3,000 m World Record (7:20,67)
1996 2 miles World Record (8:03,54)
1995 1,500 m World Junior Record (3:34,63)
1995 5,000 m World Junior Record (12:56,15)
1994 5,000 m 1stWorld Junior Championship
1994 10,000 m 1stWorld Junior Championship
1994 2ndWorld Junior Cross Country Championships

DEVELOPMENTClick here to read more
3,000 mAge
2003 7:52,52 27
2002 7:44,36 26
2001 7:43,76 25
2000 7:28,92 24
1999 7:29,43 23
1998 7:26,5 hand timing during 2 Mile Race 22
1997 7:27,3 hand timing during 2 Mile Race 21
1996 7:20,67 20
1995 7:38,09 19
5,000 mAge
2003 13:28,56 27
2001 13:01,98 25
2000 13:01,78 24
1999 12:55,16 23
1998 12:51,48 indoor time superior to outdoor best in 1998 (12:54,82 / 22 years) 22
1997 12:39,74 21
1996 12:45,09 20
1995 12:56,15 19
1994 13:31,10 18
1993 13:58,30 17

Athlete Picture