Kipchoge Keino

Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino was born on 17 January 1940 in Kipsamo in Kenya's Nandi District and became one of the founding figures of Kenyan distance running. Orphaned young and raised by an aunt, he served in the Kenya Police and played rugby before taking up athletics. In 1965 he lowered the 3000 metres world record and then broke the 5000 metres record held by Ron Clarke, and he won mile and three-mile titles at the 1966 Commonwealth Games. At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City he won the 1500 metres by about 20 metres over Jim Ryun, the largest winning margin in the history of the event, and took silver in the 5000 metres; four years later in Munich he won the 3000 metres steeplechase and took silver in the 1500 metres. After retiring in 1973 he led the Kenyan Olympic Committee until 2017, became an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee in 2000, was among the first inductees of the IAAF Hall of Fame in 2012 and received the first Olympic Laurel in 2016. With his wife Phyllis he founded a children's home and schools in Eldoret.