College: Texas Tech University
Events: 5,000 – 14:38.64; 10,000 – 30:38.35
Coach: Mark Rowland
A native of Kenya, Sally Kipyego joined the OTC Elite squad in the fall of 2009 after graduating from Texas Tech University, where she won a record-tying nine NCAA championships for the Red Raiders.
Professional: Kicking off the 2012 year, Kipyego raced three times in Seattle, Washington. She won all three times, adding the indoor mile to her repertoire of OTC Elite records and dropping her 3,000 meter personal best, both outdoors and indoors, to 8:47.91. This PB in the 3,000 would be later dropped when Sally revisited the distance. At the very competitive Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., Sally took control of the 5,000 meter race from the start and broke the tape with a world leading time of 14:43.11. A month later at the Prefontaine Classic, Kipyego set another world leading time and personal best of 8:35.89 in the 3,000 meters. Kipyego travelled home to Kenya to compete for a place on the always competitive Kenyian Olympic Team. At the Kenyan Track & Field Championships, Sally went second and third in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters respecitively, making her first Olympic Team. In an impressive battle with the defending Olympic 10,000 meter gold medalist in London, Sally took silver in a personal best of 30:26.37. In the Olympic 5,000 meter final, Kipyego finished just outside the medals in 4th place. Sally finished the season with two additional Diamond League races, Birmingham and Brussels. Kipyego wrapped up 2012 with the third, fifth, and third fastest yearly times in the 3k, 5k, and 10k respectively.
Winter of 2011 results showed Kipyego’s training was on par. In February, she won the 3,000 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in 8:49.74. Then, in mid-March, Kipyego opened up the outdoor season with an 8:51.07 showing in the 3k at the Oregon Preview. She set her outdoor PR in the latter, and did it all by herself. At the Oregon Relays, she went on to rewrite the OTC record books in the 1,500m clocking a 4:06.23. Only a few weeks later she won the Payton Jordan-Cardinal Invite 10k against an impressive field in a time of 30:38.35, setting another OTC record. Traveling to Africa, she placed 2nd in the 10k against a host of world medalists at the Kenyan Track and Field Championships to qualify her for the IAAF Championships in Daegu, South Korea. There she had a spectacular race, running 30:50.04 for the World Championships silver medal. Kipyego ran yet another personal best and OTC record in the 5k at the Zurich Diamond league a few weeks later (14:30.42). She made a few road race appearances around the USA to finish off her amazing 2011 summer racing season.
The 2010 season was one of highlights upon highlights for the young Kenyan. She opened up her outdoor season with a meet-record setting win in the 1,500 at the Oregon Preview in mid-March. In April she went on to record a win at the Mt. SAC Relays in the 5,000 (15:02). Then, it was back to Eugene, where she won the 1,500 at the OSAA State meet on May 28 in a time of 4:07.82. Next up, Kipyego grabbed fourth in the 5k at the New York Diamond League meet – clocking a 15:18.46. She dipped below 15 minutes on an outdoor track for the first time at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on July 3 – running a then PR of 14:54.50. That time would only get better as Kipyego set two more huge PBs: first at the London Diamond League competition, where she ran a 14:41.96 to take fourth; and then in Brussels, where she earned fifth place with a head-turning and record-setting time of 14:38.64. … Indoors, in February of 2010, Kipyego ran the 5th fastest time in the World (indoors) with her then lifetime best of 14:52.67. She also set the OTC record in the indoor mile with a 4:32.30, third-place showing the Millrose Games.
College: Kipyego won nine NCAA Championships at Texas Tech, in everything from cross country to the 3,000, the 5,000 and the 10,000. Her nine titles put Kipyego’s name beside Suzy Favor-Hamilton’s in the NCAA record books as the most individual championships won by a female athlete. Kipyego accomplished that feat in 2 ½ years of competing at the NCAA level, an unprecedented feat. She won her first National title at the 2006 Division I Cross Country Championships. Kipyego won three more titles on the track in 2007, two indoors: at 3,000 and 5,000 meters and one outdoors: in the 10k. Another cross country title came in 2007, followed by indoor and outdoor 5k titles on the track. Her final cross country title was won in 2008 – and was an NCAA-record third straight. Kipyego’s ninth title overall came at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5,000. She also competed in three additional NCAA title races over the course of her collegiate track career, and she placed second in all three. … Kipyego went to South Plains College in Levelland, Texas prior to her three years at Texas Tech. As a freshman in 2006, she won NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships titles in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000.
High School: While in high school, Kipyego was the cross country national champion in Kenya in 2000. She was the record holder for 5k and 10k in 2001 and she represented her home country at the World Cross Country meet in 2001.
Personal: Born December 19, 1985 in Kapsowar, Kenya to parents Josphine and William Kipyego. Sally has three brothers: John, Chris and Mike; and three sisters: Elizabeth, Ann and Jane. When Sally was four years old, her father passed away. She is currently married to OTC Elite athlete and fellow Kenyan Kevin Chelimo. In 2009, Sally graduated from Texas Tech with a nursing degree.
PERSONAL BESTS – Outdoors
1,500 Meters – 4:06.23 – Oregon Relays, Eugene, Ore. - March 21, 2011
Mile – 4:29.64 – Festival of Excellence, Toronto, Canada – June 11, 2009
3,000 Meters – 8:35.89 – Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, Ore. - June 1, 2012
5,000 Meters – 14:38.64 – Diamond League, Brussels, Belgium – August 8, 2010
10,000 Meters – 30:26.82 – Olympic Games, London, UK - August 3, 2012
PERSONAL BESTS – Indoors
1,500 Meters – 4:15.5 – Millrose Games, New York, NY – January 29, 2010
Mile – 4:27.19 – NCAA Indoor Championships, College Station, Texas – February 28, 2009
3,000 Meters – 8:47.91 – Washington Invitational, Seattle, Wash. – January 27, 20012
5,000 Meters – 14:52.67 – Boston Indoor Games, Boston, Mass. – February 6, 2010
