Rhonex Kipruto is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000m road race events. He is the present world record holder in the event, having established the 26:24 mark on 12 January 2020 in Valencia, Spain. He is also a former World U20 champion. One of his biggest achievements is the bronze medal win in his signature event at the World Athletics Championships in 2019.
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Rhonex Kipruto initially gained international recognition in 2018 when, at the age of 18, he won the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in New York, setting an event record with his 27:08 finish. This achievement marked the fastest 10K time ever recorded on American soil, securing Kipruto a $30,000 bonus. Later that year, he completed the 2018 Prague 10K in 26:46, which was then the second-fastest road 10K ever run, missing the world record by a mere two seconds.
In March 2018, Kipruto won the African Cross Country Championships U20 race in Algeria, winning the 8 km run in 25:01. He subsequently competed in the IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, where he attained a new championship record and clinched the 10,000 meters title in 27:21.08. In September, he achieved the second-fastest 10K time in history as he emerged victorious in the Prague race with a time of 26:46.
Kipruto continued to excel, placing sixth in the men’s senior 10 km race at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships in Eldoret in February 2019. He then participated in the 2019 IAAF (now World Athletics) World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, finishing sixth in the men’s senior race with a time of 32:17. At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, he secured his first major medal, a bronze, with a time of 26:50.32. On January 12, 2020, Kipruto etched his name in the history of the 10 km road race, establishing a world record in Valencia with a time of 26:24.
Rhonex Kipruto also made his first appearance at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He was a late inclusion to the Kenyan squad as Geoffrey Kamworor had to withdraw due to an injury. Later, he came in ninth in the men’s 10,000m final.
| Event | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| World Championships | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| World U20 Championships | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Rhonex Kipruto was born on October 12, 1999, in Kenya’s Keiyo District. He spent his early years in the village of Kombatich, where his parents worked as farmers. As a child, Kipruto aspired to become a soldier as he viewed it as an exciting career path. However, when his career in athletics progressed, he found inspiration in the accomplishments of two fellow Kenyan athletes – Eliud Kipchoge and David Rudisha.
| Event | Best Result | Discipline | Timing | Medal/ Place |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar 2019 | Men’s 10000 m | 26:50.32 | Bronze |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo Olympics 2020 | Men’s 10000 m | 27:52.78 | Ninth |
Rhonex Kipruto dominated at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race (Image Credits - Twitter/ @ATLtrackclub)
Rhonex Kipruto at the UnitedNYCHalf 2022 (Image Credits - Twitter/ @nyrr)
Rhonex Kipruto after winning the AJC Peachtree Road Race (Image Credits - Twitter/ Adidas)
Rhonex Kipruto at the 10K Valencia where he set the world record (Image Credits - Twitter/ @10KValencia) Rhonex Kipruto at the 10K Valencia where he set the world record (Image Credits - Twitter/ @10KValencia)
