Kaan Kigen Özbilen

Kaan Kigen Özbilen
Özbilen at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Born15 January 1986 (1986-01-15) (age 38)
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight57 kg (126 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event3000m – marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)3000m – 7:35.87 (2006)
5000m – 12:58.58 (2006)
10,000m – 27:30.53 (2011)
Half marathon – 59:48 (2019)
Marathon – 2:04:16 (2019)
Medal record
Representing  Kenya
African Championships
Silver medal – second place 2006 Bambous 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2006 Bambous 10,000 m
World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2006 Athens 5000 m
Representing  Turkey
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2016 Amsterdam Half marathon

Mike Kipruto Kigen (born 15 January 1986) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres and won silver medals in both events at the African Championships in Athletics in 2006 representing Kenya. In October 2015, he changed his name to Kaan Kigen Özbilen and has since then competed for Turkey.[2]

Career

Kigen was born in Keiyo District. He graduated in 2005 from the Simotwo High School in Ainabkoi, Keiyo South District where He was represented the school in various competitions. He is based at the PACE Sports Management training camp in Kaptagat.

Kigen's breakthrough year came in 2006 when he represented Kenya internationally at three competitions. He was fifth at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – a placing that brought him a gold medal with the Kenyans in the team competition. He set a personal best of 12:58.58 in the 5000 metres at the Bislett Games in Oslo and became the national champion over the distance.[3]

Track running

This earned him selection for the 2006 African Championships in Athletics in Bambous, where he scored a silver medal in his preferred distance before going on to win another silver through a personal best of 28:03.70 in the 10,000 metres event. He was not as successful at the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final, taking seventh in the 5000 m, but his track form returned at the 2006 IAAF World Cup as he took his second 5000 m silver of the year representing Africa.[3] His career was then disrupted at the end of the season by a severe knee injury in November.[4]

He returned to competition in 2007, but it was in 2008 that he began to regain his form. He won the Great Capital Run in July 2008, recording a course record of 28:42 minutes.[3] At the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final he ran in the 3000 metres and took fourth place. The following year he attended the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final (the last edition of the event) and was eleventh over 5000 m.[5]

Focus on road and cross country

He started the 2010 cross country running season well, with win at the IAAF permit meeting Antrim International Cross Country and the Crosse Oeust-France.[4] He followed this with another win at the San Sebastián Cross Country but he was not selected for the Kenyan team for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[3] He set a best of 28:09 over 10 km at the Parelloop race in Brunssum in March, coming fourth behind Berhanu Delale. He ran at the Grand 10 Berlin in October and took second place in largely Kenyan affair, finishing with a new personal best of 27:25 for the 10K distance.[6] He returned to the cross country circuit in November, taking third at both the Tuskys Cross Country meet in Kenya and Cross de l'Acier in France.[7][8] He also won in Antrim the following January, retaining his title.[9]

He was not included in the Kenyan World Cross Country squad and ran his half marathon debut instead at the Lisbon Half Marathon, coming fifth with a time of 1:00:49.[10] Following this he was runner-up to Micah Kogo at the Parelloop in April.[11][12] He competed on the 2011 IAAF Diamond League circuit, but did not finish higher than seventh place. He did, however, set a 10,000 m best of 27:30.53 minutes at the Memorial Van Damme.[13] Kigen dipped under the hour mark for the first time at the Delhi Half Marathon, and his time of 59:58 minutes was just one second behind the winner Lelisa Desisa.[12]

He began 2012 with his third straight win in Antrim and a second career victory at the Cross de San Sebastián.[14] He came third at the Azkoitia-Azpeitia Half Marathon and second at the Würzburger Residenzlauf. He attempted to gain selection for the 2012 London Olympics, but finished tenth in the 10,000 m trial at the Prefontaine Classic and fifth in the Kenyan 5000 m trial. A personal best run of 27:03.49 minutes came at the Memorial Van Damme. His last outing of the year was a fourth-place finish at the Great North Run.[15]

Kigen made his debut in the marathon in January 2013, coming eighth at the Dubai Marathon with a time of 2:08:24 hours.[16]

In the 2014 Great North Run Kigen led much of the race, being passed by Mo Farah in the final 300m. Both athletes finished in 59:59.

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
2006 World Cross Country Championships Fukuoka, Japan 5th Long race
1st Team competition
African Championships Bambous, Mauritius 2nd 5000 m
2nd 10,000 m, 28:03.70 PB
World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 7th 5000 m
World Cup Athens, Greece 2nd 5000 m

References

  1. ^ Kaan Kigen Özbilen Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. rio2016
  2. ^ Emmanuel Sabuni (31 December 2015). "Mike Kigen switches allegiance to Turkey". sportsnewsarena.com. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Mike Kigen Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. PACE Sports Management. Retrieved on 10 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b Duffy, Coilin (23 January 2010). Cullen and Kigen take the spoils in muddy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved on 25 January 2010.
  5. ^ Kigen, Mike. IAAF. Retrieved on 10 October 2010.
  6. ^ Komon on fire – 27:12 in Berlin. IAAF (10 October 2010). Retrieved on 10 October 2010.
  7. ^ Macharia, David (22 November 2010). Cheruiyot and Rotich prevail at Tuskys Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2010.
  8. ^ Ramsak, Bob (29 November 2010). Ebuya and Masai take comfortable victories at Cross de l’Acier Archived 1 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 29 November 2010.
  9. ^ Duffy, Coilin (22 January 2011). Kigen repeats in foggy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved on 22 January 2011.
  10. ^ Fernandes, Antonio Manuel (20 March 2011). Tadese blazes 58:30 in Lisbon, second fastest Half Marathon ever. IAAF. Retrieved on 20 March 2011.
  11. ^ van Hemert, Wim (3 April 2011). Kogo runs 27:15 on the roads in Brunssum. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 April 2011.
  12. ^ a b Krishnan, Ram. Murali (27 November 2011). In close races, Desisa and Kabuu prevail in New Delhi Half. IAAF. Retrieved on 27 November 2011.
  13. ^ Mike Kigen. IAAF Diamond League. Retrieved on 27 November 2011.
  14. ^ Duffy, Coilin (21 January 2012). Kigen makes it a hat-trick; Britton takes women's race win in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved on 22 January 2012.
  15. ^ Wenig, Jorg (16 September 2012). Dibaba and Kipsang take Great North Run victories – REPORT. IAAF. Retrieved on 23 February 2013.
  16. ^ Butcher, Pat (25 January 2013). Debutant Desisa wins Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45, five men under 2:05. IAAF. Retrieved on 23 February 2013.
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Records
Preceded by Men's Marathon European Record Holder
20 March 2016 – 3 December 2017
1 December 2019 – 		Succeeded by