Photo: Mardetanha—CC BY-SA 3.0
Silas Kiplagat
- Born
- Aug 20, 1989 (37 years old)
- Birthplace
- Marakwet District, Kenya
- Events
- 1500 m · Mile
- Height
- 1.70 m
Silas Kiplagat (born 20 August 1989) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres He has a personal best of 3:27 64 minutes, which makes him the seventh fastest of all-time over the distance Born in Siboh Village, Marakwet District, he started training in seriousness for competitive running in 2008 after completing Chebara high school in Marakwet district He met Sammy Kitwara and the professional trained with him and introduced him to his coach, Moses Kiptanui, a three-time world champion in the steeplechase He initially wanted to follow Kitwara into longer distances, but Kiptanui recognised his speed and urged him to try shorter events instead.
He tried his hand at cross country running and was seventeenth at the Kenyan National Cross Country Championships An appearance at the World's Best 10K in Puerto Rico saw him finish in tenth place It was only when he ran in the 1500 metres that he showed his true athletic potential: he won the race at the Kenya Prisons Championships and then was runner-up at the National Championships, beaten only by the reigning Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop Italian coach Renato Canova assisting him technically introduced him to the Italian manager Gianni Demadonna that signed him up, gaining him a place in the 1500 m at the Herculis meeting in Monaco His European debut marked a meteoric arrival onto the elite athletics scene – not only did he outrun more experienced runners such as Amine Laâlou and Augustine Choge, but he improved his personal best time by five seconds of 3:29 27 and raised himself into the top ten fastest runners ever for the event He gained selection for the event at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics and he just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behind Mekonnen Gebremedhin.
He returned to Europe and won at the Internationales Stadionfest and was second at the Rieti Meeting to Asbel Kiprop After the close of the European summer track and field circuit, he represented Kenya at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi He and James Magut completed a Kenyan 1–2 as Kiplagat became the Commonwealth champion with a tactical performance to beat defending champion Nick Willis He won silver at the 2011 World Championships, in a time of 3:35 92 He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing in 7th place in the finals, with a time of 3:36 19.
As of Oct 28, 2026: 1500 m 3:27.64 (#7 all-time), Mile 3:47.88, 2023 season best 14:54.2h (May 27, 2023, Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi (KEN)) · Last competition: Kenya Prisons Track and Field Championships, Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi, May 27, 2023, 14:54.2h · World Championships: 1 silver · World record (4x1500 Metres Relay) · 37 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5000m | 14:54.2h | – | May 27, 2023 | Kenya Prisons Track and Field Championships, Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi |
| 2022 | 5000m | 14:23.87 | – | Apr 9, 2022 | Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, Nairobi (KEN) |
| 2021 | 1500m | 3:40.00 | – | May 28, 2021 | Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi (KEN) |
| 2021 | 10Kilometr | 30:02 | – | Oct 2, 2021 | Giro Al Sas, Trento |
| 2020 | 1500m | 3:45.25 | – | Oct 3, 2020 | Kip Keino Classic, Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi |
| 2018 | 1500m | 3:41.78 | – | May 31, 2018 | Roma Golden Gala - Pietro Mennea |
| 2018 | Mile | 4:04.77 | – | May 26, 2018 | Eugene Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR - Promotional Events |
| 2018 | 3000m-short-track Indoor | 7:53.07 | – | Feb 6, 2018 | Düsseldorf PSD Bank Meeting, Leichtathletikhalle im Arena-Sportpark, Düsseldorf (i) - IAAF World Indoor Tour |