Geoffrey Mutai

GEOFFREY MUTAI
KENYA

BIRTHDATE:
7 October 1981

PERSONAL BEST:
2:04:55 (Rotterdam, 2010); 2:03:02a (Boston, 2011)

WORLD MARATHON MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS:

06Nov11 ING New York City Marathon 1st 2:05:06
18Apr11 Boston Marathon 1st 2:03:02a
26Sep10 real,- Berlin Marathon 2nd 2:05:08

ADDITIONAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

11Apr10 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon 2nd 2:04:55
11Oct09 Marathon Eindhoven 1st 2:07:01
12Apr09 Daegu Marathon 8th 2:10:45
12Oct08 Marathon Eindhoven 1st 2:07:50
30Mar08 Monte Carlo Marathon 1st 2:12:40

CAREER NOTES:

Geoffrey Kiprono Mutai ran the fastest marathon in history with his sensational 2:03:02 victory at the 2011 Boston Marathon. While aided by a tailwind, Mutai averaged a breath-taking 4:41.5 per mile.

He also the course record at New York City in the fall with a 2:05:06 triumph. That time slashed 2 minutes 37 seconds from a CR that had stood for 10 years.

Mutai ran 2:12:22 in a marathon race at Eldoret, Kenya in December 2007 but given that Eldoret is at 6900 feet of altitude and the winning time there was 2:10:45, it is not likely the course was the full distance.

After winning two fall marathons in Eindhoven, Mutai first stepped up to a World Marathon Majors race at Berlin in 2010 and came ever so close to pulling off another victory.

He was alongside countryman Patrick Makau as they reached the Brandenburg Gate within sight of the finish but despite having superior 10,000 meters speed, he could not match Makau's final burst. He came up two seconds short in 2:05:10.

With a half-marathon PR of 59:30 (Valencia, 2009) and a 59:43 victory at the Ras al Khaimah Half-Marathon in January 2010, he produced another superb marathon performance in Rotterdam last April.

Going into the last few kilometers he was even with Makau and Vincent Kipruto, all running at a sub-2:05 pace. Makau was able to open a gap but Mutai hung on to finish in 2:04:55 making him equal to the fifth fastest marathoner in history at the time.

With his 2:03:02 (Boston) and 2:05:06 (New York City) in 2011, Mutai set a record of 4:08:08 for fastest two race total time in a single year.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Mutai is the oldest of nine children and was born in the Koibatek District in the Rift Valley Province. He says that running came to him naturally as a youth. Mutai is married to Beatrice with a daughter Ivy born in 2009. He is not related to 2011 London Marathon winner, Emmanuel Mutai.