Ednah Kurgat
Ednah Kurgat (born June 15, 1991)[1] is a Kenyan-born American middle- and long-distance runner. She won the 2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships while competing for the University of New Mexico. In October 2023, Kurgat represented the United States in the 10000 metres at the Pan American Games, winning a bronze medal. She is a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.
Kurgat competes at the Payton Jordan Invitational in 2019 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 15, 1991[1] Eldoret, Kenya | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 lb (50 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 1500 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m | ||||||||||||||
| College team | Liberty University Lady Flames New Mexico Lobos | ||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | May 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personal bests |
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Medal record
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Early life and emigration to the United States edit
Kurgat attended Biwott Ng’elel Tarit Secondary School in Eldoret, Kenya.[2] Initially, her decision to join the track team in the ninth grade was driven more by social factors than a serious interest in athletics.[3] However, her perspective shifted as she realized that running could offer opportunities for studying abroad. In 2014, an assistant coach at Liberty University recruited Kurgat to run for the school in Lynchburg, Virginia. For Kurgat, who had never traveled outside of Africa, relocating to Lynchburg marked a major adjustment, especially to the colder climate.[3]
Running career edit
College edit
Kurgat began competing for Liberty University in fall 2016. She finished 12th at the 2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships and placed 4th in the 5000 m at the 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. After her freshman year, she transferred to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, drawn by the opportunity to join a more competitive team and the warmer climate, a contrast to Lynchburg, Virginia.[3] However, due to NCAA transfer rules, Liberty University did not grant Kurgat immediate athletic eligibility at her new university, requiring her to take a mandatory year off from competition.[2][4] Consequently, she had to redshirt, sitting out the fall 2016 cross country season and the spring 2016 track season.
Kurgat resumed competition for the University of New Mexcio in fall 2017. She won the 2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, held at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.[4] Her time of 19:19.5 was a course and meet record. Kurgat’s victory also helped lead her team, the New Mexico Lobos, to a first-place finish. Following her victory, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Kurgat its National Athlete of the Year.[5]
In the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, Kurgat failed to replicate her win from 2017, however, she recorded two finishes in the top ten, finishing 5th and 9th, respectively. Other notable results include Kurgat setting a personal best for of 15:14.78 for the indoor 5000 m indoors on 1 December 2018.[6] This time ranked her third all-time in the women's indoor collegiate records, closely following Emily Sisson's record of 15:12.[7]
Professional edit
2020- 22 edit
After graduating from the University of New Mexico in May 2020, Kurgat enlisted in the United States Army.[8] She now competes as a member of the track team in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.
On 26 June 2021, Kurgat competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, aiming to qualify for the 2020 Summer Games which were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At these trials, Kurgat finished 11th with a time of 32:36.93. Other notable races contested by Kurgat include the USA 10 Mile Road Running Championships on 2 October 2022, where she finished 6th.[9]
2023 edit
In January, Kurgat won the 2023 USA Cross Country Championships in Richmond, Virginia, securing a place on the American national team.[10] She then competed at the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, on February 18, 2023. She finished 18th as the top American participant.[11]
At the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held in July, Kurgat participated in the 5000 m and 10000 m races, finishing 6th and 13th, respectively.[12][13] In September, she competed in the US 20 km Road Running Championships, averaging 5:22 per mile and finishing in 2nd place behind Emily Sisson.[14] On October 30, 2023, Kurgat represented the United States in the 10000 m at the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile.[15] She won her first international medal by finishing third in 33:16.61.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e World Athletics. "Profile of Ednah Kurgat". from the original on 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ a b "Ednah Kurgat". University of New Mexico Lobos athletics. 2020-04-27. from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ a b c Spezia, Mark (2018-09-14). "Ednah Kurgat's long road to NCAA finish line". ESPN.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ a b LetsRun.com. "Ednah Kurgat Wins and Leads New Mexico To Women's Team Title at 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships". LetsRun.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ "2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Awards". USTFCCCA. from the original on 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ "Women's 5000 Meters Results: Boston University / Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener". www.tfrrs.org. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ "Collegiate all-time bests: women's 5000 m indoor". USTFCCCA InfoZone: Records and Lists. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ "SGT Ednah Kurgat: WCAP". www.armywcap.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ USATF. "2022 USATF 10 Mile Road Championships Results". Flipsnack. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ Dutch, Taylor (2023-01-21). "Emmanuel Bor and Ednah Kurgat Win Titles at USATF Cross-Country Championships". Runner's World. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan. "In Bathurst, the "World's Greatest Footrace" Lived Up to Its Name". LetsRun.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan (2023-07-07). "2023 USA 10K: Woody Kincaid & Elise Cranny Break Free on Final Laps; Grant Fisher May Miss Worlds Team". LetsRun.com. from the original on 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ LetsRun.com (2023-07-10). "2023 USA 5000s: Abdihamud Nur Wins His 1st US Title, Elise Cranny Completes 5k/10k Double". LetsRun.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ "Results: Faxon Law New Haven Road Race". www.athlinks.com. 2023-09-04. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ Garcia, Nathaniel (2023-10-31). "Sgt. Kurgat Secures Bronze Medal in the Women's 10,000m at Pan American Games". www.armywcap.com. from the original on 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
External links edit
- Ednah Kurgat at World Athletics
- articles USATF
- Ednah Kurgat on Instagram