Hellen Obiri

Hailing from Kisii in south-western Kenya, Obiri was the fourth child in a family of six children. At age 14, she was recruited as a 200 and 400 metres sprinter to attend Riruta Central Secondary School in Nairobi. However, she lost interest in the sport and stopped running altogether in 2006 and 2007 to focus on her studies. She only re-engaged with athletics to join the military. In 2009, Obiri graduated from Kenya Defence Forces Recruit Training School in Eldoret. Her first major race was at the 2010 Kenya Armed Forces Cross Country Championships, where she finished 32nd. She placed fifth after some training the following year. She is a member of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF).^[4]

She is married to Tom Nyaundi, a former runner, and they have a daughter, Tania 'Blessing' Macheche, born in May 2015 through caesarean section. Obiri resumed racing within seven months.^[5]

Hellen Obiri gained her first international experience at the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she won the bronze medal for the 800 metres and placed fourth in the 1500 metres. She debuted in the World Championships in Athletics held in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea the following month, competing at the latter distance. Obiri set a personal best time of 4:07.59 in the heats but fell in the final, bringing pre-event favourite Morgan Uceny down with her, and finished 10th.^[1] She later said, "After Daegu I went back to Kenya and started training seriously."^[4]

In 2012, the 22-year-old took her first global title at the Istanbul World Indoor Championships, clocking 8:37.16 over the 3000 metres. This became the turning point of her career. That same year, she debuted in the Olympics at the London Games, finishing initially 12th and last in the 1500 m final, upgraded to eighth after subsequent doping disqualifications.^{[citation needed]}

On 1 June 2013, Obiri won her first Diamond League race with 1500 m victory in Eugene, setting a new personal best and meet record of 3:58.58.^[1] She earned bronze in the event at the World Championships in Athletics held in August in Moscow. Obiri then earned the silver medal in the 3000 m at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, behind multiple world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba. On 9 May that year at the Doha Diamond League, she set an African record in the outdoor event with a time of 8:20.68, improving her personal best by more than 13 seconds.^[4] In August, she added 1500 m title at the African Championships.^[1]

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Obiri competed in the 5000 metres and earned the silver medal in a time of 14:29.77, behind compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot in an Olympic record of 14:26.17 and ahead of Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana who ran 14:33.59.^[6]

Obiri represented Kenya at the 2017 World Championships in London in the same event and won the gold medal with a time of 14:34.86, ahead of Ayana and Sifan Hassan.^[7]

2018 saw her take two more gold medals in the 5000 m events, at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and at the African Championships.^[1]

In March 2019, Obiri won the senior women's race at the World Cross Country Championship held in Aarhus, Denmark, beating on a 10.2 km course second-placed Dera Dida by two seconds with a time of 36:14.^[8][9] After she posted best female times of the year in the 5000 metres in 2017 and 2018, Obiri successfully defended her title at the Doha World Championships in October, setting a championship record of 14:26.72 in the process. Her compatriot Margaret Kipkemboi (14:27.49) and Konstanze Klosterhalfen (14:28.43) finished second and third, respectively.^[10]

Obiri represented Kenya at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in both the women's 5000 m and 10,000 m events.^[11] She won the silver medal at the former in a time of 14:38.36, finishing behind only Hassan who ran 14:36.79; Gudaf Tsegay took bronze in 14:38.87.^[12] Obiri placed fourth in the 10,000 m final in a personal best behind, 1–3, Hassan, Kalkidan Gezahegne and Letesenbet Gidey.^[13]

At the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Obiri came second in the 10,000 m. She was beaten to gold by Gidey in a close finish (the top 3 were only separated by 0.13 s).^[14]

She capped her fine 2022 season (64:22 PB at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February; wins at Istanbul Half Marathon, Great Manchester Run and Great North Run) in November debuting in the marathon at the New York City Marathon, where she placed sixth.^[15][16]

Obiri got her 2023 campaign off to strong start. In February, she won the RAK Half and then the New York City Half Marathon in March. On 17 April, the 33-year-old ran her second marathon, competing in the Boston Marathon against the deepest elite women’s field ever assembled. She won with a personal best time of 2:21:38, 12 seconds clear of second-place finisher Amane Beriso who had by far the fastest personal best heading into the race (2:14:58).^[17][18] Obiri went on to win the 2023 New York City Marathon in a time of 2:25:49.^[19]

• Diamond League champion (2) (5000 m):   2017,^[21]   2018^[22]
  • 2013 (1): Eugene Prefontaine Classic (1500m, PB MR)
  • 2014 (2): Doha Diamond League (3000m), Eugene (1500m, WL MR)
  • 2016 (2): Eugene (5000m, PB), Monaco Herculis (3000m)
  • 2017 (5): Shanghai Diamond League (5000m, WL PB), Rome Golden Gala (5000m, WL NR), London Grand Prix (Mile, MR NR), Monaco (3000m, WL), Brussels Memorial Van Damme (5000m)
  • 2018 (2): Rabat Meeting International (5000m), Weltklasse Zürich (5000m)
  • 2019 (2): Doha (3000m, WL), London (5000m, WL MR)
  • 2020 (2): Monaco (5000m, WL MR), Doha (3000m, WL)
  • 2021 (1): Oslo Bislett Games (5000m)

• Kenyan Athletics Championships
  • 1500 metres: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
  • 5000 metres: 2018
• Kenyan Cross Country Championships
  • Senior women's race: 2019

• Hellen Obiri at World Athletics 
• Hellen Obiri at Diamond League 
• Hellen Obiri at Olympics.com 
• Hellen Obiri at Olympedia 
• Hellen Obiri at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)