Samuel Kamau Wanjiru
- Born
- Nov 10, 1986 (39 years old)
- Birthplace
- Nyahururu, Kenya
- Events
- 10 000 m · Half Marathon
- Height
- 1.63 m
- Weight
- 51 kg
Samuel Kamau Wanjirū (10 November 1986 – 15 May 2011) was a Kenyan long-distance runner who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics Marathon in an Olympic record time of 2:06:32; becoming the first Kenyan to win the Olympic gold in the marathon. He became the youngest gold medallist in the marathon since 1932.
He set the current (as of 2020) 10,000m World Junior Record in 2005 and set the half marathon world record 3 times. In 2009, he won both the London Marathon and Chicago Marathon, running the fastest marathons ever recorded in the United Kingdom and United States, respectively.
He retained his Chicago title in 2010 in a season fraught with injury. In 2011, he died after a fall from a balcony at his home in Nyahururu following a domestic dispute.
As of Nov 2, 2026: 10 000 m 26:41.75 (#21 all-time), Half Marathon 58:33 (#19 all-time), 2010 season best 1:01:33 (Feb 28, 2010, New Orleans, LA (USA)) · Last competition: Chicago Marathon, Oct 10, 2010, 2:06:24 · Olympic Games: 1 gold · 39 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | – | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Semi | 1:01:33 | – | Feb 28, 2010 | New Orleans, LA (USA) |
| 2010 | Marathon | 2:06:24 | – | Oct 10, 2010 | Chicago Marathon |
| 2009 | 15Kilometr | 44:20 | – | Nov 29, 2009 | Melbourne (AUS) |
| 2009 | Semi | 1:01:08 | – | Sep 13, 2009 | Rotterdam Half Marathon |
| 2009 | Marathon | 2:05:10 | – | Apr 26, 2009 | London Marathon |
| 2008 | 10000m | 28:02.41 | – | Jun 1, 2008 | Niigata (JPN) |
| 2008 | 10Kilometr | 29:09 | – | Sep 27, 2008 | Scicli (ITA) |
| 2008 | Semi | 59:26 | – | Feb 3, 2008 | Granollers (ESP) |