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Kennedy Njiru

Kennedy Muriithi Njiru (1987  – 7 January 2020), also known as Kenneth Njiru or Kennedy Njiri, was a Kenyan steeplechase and long-distance runner. With a 3000 metres steeplechase personal best of 8:18.48, he finished third place twice at the Kenyan national championships and finished highly at several major international road races and Diamond League meetings. On 7 January 2020, he died in a car accident in Kenya.

Kennedy Njiru
Personal information
Full nameKennedy Muriithi Njiru[1]
Nationality Kenya
Born1987 (1987)[2]
DiedJanuary 7, 2020(2020-01-07) (aged 32–33)[2]
Nyahururu, Kenya[3]
Sport
SportAthletics
Event3000 metres steeplechase
ClubKenya Defence Forces[2]
Achievements and titles
National finals
Personal bests

Biography edit

Njiru's first national track final was in 2012, when he finished 6th in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the Kenyan Athletics Championships with a time of 8:37.2.[2] The following year, he set a personal best of 8:31.4 and improved his national placing to 5th, followed by a 9th place national finish in 2014.[2]

In 2015, Njiru did not advance to the finals at the national championships in the steeplechase. However, in October that year he made his international debut on the roads, finishing 4th at the Trento Half Marathon and then six days later finishing 4th at the Giro al Sas road race in Italy.[2]

Njiru ran four half marathons in 2017, improving his personal best to 1:02:19 at the Semi-Marathon International de Berkane in Morocco. On 15 October, Njiru started the Gyeongju International Marathon but did not finish.[2] In December, Njiru improved his 3000 m steeplechase personal best by one tenth of a second, running 8:31.3 to win a meeting in Machakos, Kenya.[2]

Njiru made a marked improvement in 2018, choosing to focus solely on the steeplechase this year. He set a personal best of 8:24.2 to win the Kenya Defence Forces championships on 6 June, and then later that month he achieved his first national medal by finishing 3rd at the Kenyan Athletics Championships in another personal best of 8:18.48.[2] His placing earned him selection for his first Diamond League meetings, where he finished 7th at the 2018 Herculis meeting in Monaco, and 10th at the 2018 Weltklasse in Zurich. His time of 8:18.04 in Monaco would stand as his final personal best.[2] Njiru was selected to represent Kenya at the 2018 African Championships in the 3000 m steeplechase, but he was one of two athletes to not start the race.[why?][4]

In his final year of competition in 2019, Njiru achieved another third-place national showing at the 2019 Kenyan World Championships Trials, as well as a 10th place showing at the separate Kenyan Athletics Championships meeting that year. From 7 to 14 May 2019, Njiru was ranked 12th in the world at steeplechase events by World Athletics.[5] His 10 kilometres road time of 28:00 to finish 2nd at the Cooper River Bridge Run earned him 1,132 World Athletics Rankings points, his best score aside from his steeplechase times.[2]

Death edit

On Tuesday, 7 January 2020, Njiru was driving along a road connecting Nyeri to Nyahururu, towards Nyahururu.[3] On the drive, his sedan car collided head-on with a Toyota Land Cruiser headed in the opposite direction. According to Nyandarua County police, Njiru lost control of his own car towards the famous equator line on the road, which caused it to collide with the Land Cruiser. Three tourists of Russian origin in the Cruiser were injured from the accident and taken to the hospital in critical condition, while Njiru was proclaimed dead on the spot.[6]

His death was mourned by Athletics Kenya officials as well as steeplechase world champion Milcah Chemos, 2015 javelin world champion Julius Yego, and former marathon world record holder Patrick Makau.[7]

Personal bests edit

Event Mark Competition Venue Date
3000 metres steeplechase 8:18.04 Monaco Diamond League Monaco 20 July 2018
10 kilometres (road) 28:00 Cooper River Bridge Run Charleston, South Carolina 6 April 2019

References edit

  1. ^ "Kenyan Athlete Dies in a Road Accident". Daily Active. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kennedy Njiru at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  3. ^ a b Okeyo, Dennis. "Athlete Njiru dies in road accident [PHOTOS]". The Standard.
  4. ^ "African championships, Asaba (Nigeria) 1-5/08/2018 | Africathle". 1 August 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ^ "World Rankings | Men's 3000mSC (2000mSC)". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ^ KBC Channel 1. "KDF athlete Kennedy Muriithi Njiru dies in a road accident". Retrieved 12 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Tributes pour in for fallen Kenyan steeplechase runner". Nation. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2023.

External links edit

kennedy, njiru, kennedy, muriithi, njiru, 1987, january, 2020, also, known, kenneth, njiru, kennedy, njiri, kenyan, steeplechase, long, distance, runner, with, 3000, metres, steeplechase, personal, best, finished, third, place, twice, kenyan, national, champio. Kennedy Muriithi Njiru 1987 7 January 2020 also known as Kenneth Njiru or Kennedy Njiri was a Kenyan steeplechase and long distance runner With a 3000 metres steeplechase personal best of 8 18 48 he finished third place twice at the Kenyan national championships and finished highly at several major international road races and Diamond League meetings On 7 January 2020 he died in a car accident in Kenya Kennedy NjiruPersonal informationFull nameKennedy Muriithi Njiru 1 Nationality KenyaBorn1987 1987 2 DiedJanuary 7 2020 2020 01 07 aged 32 33 2 Nyahururu Kenya 3 SportSportAthleticsEvent3000 metres steeplechaseClubKenya Defence Forces 2 Achievements and titlesNational finals2010 Kenyan XC Champs 12 km XC 82nd2012 Kenyan Champs 3000mSC 6th2013 Kenyan Champs 3000mSC 5th2014 Kenyan Champs 3000mSC 9th2018 Kenyan Champs 3000mSC 3rd2019 Kenyan Champs 3000mSC 10th2019 Worlds Trials 3000mSC 3rd2019 Kenyan XC Champs 12 km XC 35thPersonal bests3000mSC 8 18 04 2018 10K 28 00 2019 Contents 1 Biography 2 Death 3 Personal bests 4 References 5 External linksBiography editNjiru s first national track final was in 2012 when he finished 6th in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the Kenyan Athletics Championships with a time of 8 37 2 2 The following year he set a personal best of 8 31 4 and improved his national placing to 5th followed by a 9th place national finish in 2014 2 In 2015 Njiru did not advance to the finals at the national championships in the steeplechase However in October that year he made his international debut on the roads finishing 4th at the Trento Half Marathon and then six days later finishing 4th at the Giro al Sas road race in Italy 2 Njiru ran four half marathons in 2017 improving his personal best to 1 02 19 at the Semi Marathon International de Berkane in Morocco On 15 October Njiru started the Gyeongju International Marathon but did not finish 2 In December Njiru improved his 3000 m steeplechase personal best by one tenth of a second running 8 31 3 to win a meeting in Machakos Kenya 2 Njiru made a marked improvement in 2018 choosing to focus solely on the steeplechase this year He set a personal best of 8 24 2 to win the Kenya Defence Forces championships on 6 June and then later that month he achieved his first national medal by finishing 3rd at the Kenyan Athletics Championships in another personal best of 8 18 48 2 His placing earned him selection for his first Diamond League meetings where he finished 7th at the 2018 Herculis meeting in Monaco and 10th at the 2018 Weltklasse in Zurich His time of 8 18 04 in Monaco would stand as his final personal best 2 Njiru was selected to represent Kenya at the 2018 African Championships in the 3000 m steeplechase but he was one of two athletes to not start the race why 4 In his final year of competition in 2019 Njiru achieved another third place national showing at the 2019 Kenyan World Championships Trials as well as a 10th place showing at the separate Kenyan Athletics Championships meeting that year From 7 to 14 May 2019 Njiru was ranked 12th in the world at steeplechase events by World Athletics 5 His 10 kilometres road time of 28 00 to finish 2nd at the Cooper River Bridge Run earned him 1 132 World Athletics Rankings points his best score aside from his steeplechase times 2 Death editOn Tuesday 7 January 2020 Njiru was driving along a road connecting Nyeri to Nyahururu towards Nyahururu 3 On the drive his sedan car collided head on with a Toyota Land Cruiser headed in the opposite direction According to Nyandarua County police Njiru lost control of his own car towards the famous equator line on the road which caused it to collide with the Land Cruiser Three tourists of Russian origin in the Cruiser were injured from the accident and taken to the hospital in critical condition while Njiru was proclaimed dead on the spot 6 His death was mourned by Athletics Kenya officials as well as steeplechase world champion Milcah Chemos 2015 javelin world champion Julius Yego and former marathon world record holder Patrick Makau 7 Personal bests editEvent Mark Competition Venue Date3000 metres steeplechase 8 18 04 Monaco Diamond League Monaco 20 July 201810 kilometres road 28 00 Cooper River Bridge Run Charleston South Carolina 6 April 2019References edit Kenyan Athlete Dies in a Road Accident Daily Active 8 January 2020 Retrieved 12 November 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k Kennedy Njiru at Tilastopaja registration required a b Okeyo Dennis Athlete Njiru dies in road accident PHOTOS The Standard African championships Asaba Nigeria 1 5 08 2018 Africathle 1 August 2018 Retrieved 12 November 2023 World Rankings Men s 3000mSC 2000mSC worldathletics org Retrieved 12 November 2023 KBC Channel 1 KDF athlete Kennedy Muriithi Njiru dies in a road accident Retrieved 12 November 2023 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Tributes pour in for fallen Kenyan steeplechase runner Nation 4 July 2020 Retrieved 12 November 2023 External links editKennedy Njiru at World Athletics Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kennedy Njiru amp oldid 1184886399, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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