James Kwambai

JAMES KWAMBAI
KENYA

BIRTHDATE:
28 February 1983

PERSONAL BEST:
2:04:27 (Rotterdam, 2009)

WORLD MARATHON MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS:

24Jan13 Tokyo Marathon 5th 2:08:02
17Apr11 Virgin London Marathon DNF
07Nov10 ING New York City Marathon 5th 2:11:31
01Nov09 ING New York City Marathon DNF
28Sep08 real,- Berlin Marathon 2nd 2:05:36
21Apr08 Boston Marathon 8th 2:15:52
04Nov07 ING New York City Marathon 5th 2:12:25
16Apr07 Boston Marathon 2nd 2:14:33

ADDITIONAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

04Nov12 Joon Ang Marathon 1st 2:05:05
18Mar12 Seoul International Marathon 2nd 2:06:03
06Nov11 Joon Ang Marathon 1st 2:08:50
11Apr10 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon 20th 2:24:07
05Apr09 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon 2nd 2:04:27
15Oct06 Beijing Marathon 1st 2:10:36
30Apr06 Brescia Marathon 1st 2:10:20

CAREER NOTES:

James Kipsang Kwambai began as a half-marathon specialist. In 2003 he won the City of Udine Half Marathon in 1:00:38 and was runner-up at the difficult San Blas race that year and 2004. He returned to Udine later that year and set a personal record of 1:00:22. In 2005 he won in Bogota, San Blas, and at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon (1:00:45) and in 2006 won the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in 1:03:30 and finished second at both San Blas Half and Bogota.

By 2006 Kwambai achieved success at the marathon, winning the Brescia Marathon and the Beijing Marathon. At the 2007 Boston Marathon, Kwambai was the final challenger to eventual winner Robert Cheruiyot. He again finished behind Cheruiyot – and Haile Gebrselassie and Abdi Abdirahman – at the ING New York City Half-Marathon in August with a time of 1:01:03. Returning there in November, Kwambai placed fifth in the ING Marathon.

In 2008 he had his best marathon race to date, 2:05:36 at Berlin in September, second to Gebrselassie's world record. Kwambai reduced that time to 2:04:27 at Rotterdam the following April, losing by a step to Duncan Kibet as he became equal to the third fastest marathoner in history at the time.

After another 5th place in New York City in 2010, he has three successive solid marathon races in Seoul, winning the November Joong Ang races there in 2011 (2:08:50) and 2012 (2:05:05) and placing second in March 2012 at the Seoul International (2:06:03).

Kwambai's 2:08:02 at the 2013 Tokyo Marathon was the fastest ever fifth place there.

PERSONAL NOTES:

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