James Kwambai

JAMES KWAMBAI
KENYA

BIRTHDATE:
28 February 1983

PERSONAL BEST:
2:10:20 (Brescia, 2006)

WORLD MARATHON MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS:

16Apr07 Boston Marathon 2nd 2:14:33

CAREER NOTES:

A young half-marathon specialist, James Kwambai has found success over the longer distance in 2006 winning the Brescia Marathon in Italy in April and then winning the Beijing Marathon in October. In the half marathon, he won the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in 1:03:30 and finished second at both the difficult San Blas Half Marathon and the Bogota International Half Marathon in 1:03:05. In 2005 he won in Bogota, San Blas, and at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon (1:00:45). In 2004 he set a personal best with a win at the City of Udine Half Marathon in 1:00:22. Additional half-marathon highlights include winning the 2003 Udine race in 1:00:38 and finishing runner-up in San Blas in 2003 and 2004.

At the 2007 Boston Marathon, Kwambai was the final challenger to eventual winner Robert Cheruiyot. He held on until the final water stop near 25 miles where he slowed to pick up a cup and Cheruiyot kept going and put 20 seconds of daylight between them.

Despite the blustery winds and bursts of rain, Kwambai said he found conditions refreshing. "Today I am very happy with the weather," he said. "I wish it had been a flood, so I could run faster."

At the New York City Half-Marathon in August, he was fourth in 1:01:03.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Kwambai lives in Keiyo, Kenya but trains in Eldoret and Italy where he is coached by Doctor Gabriele Rosa and Claudio Berardelli.

HIGHLIGHTS:

15Oct06 Beijing Marathon 1st 2:10:36
30Apr06 Brescia Marathon 1st 2:10:20