James Kiplagat Magut

James Kiplagat Magut (born 20 July 1990) is a Kenyan from Nandi County Kosirai ward middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He has a personal best of 3:30.61 minutes for the event as well as a best of 3:50.68 minutes for the mile run.

James Kiplagat Magut

Magut at the 2012 Bislett Games
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2014 Glasgow1500 metres
Silver medal – second place2010 New Delhi1500 metres
African Athletics Championships
Bronze medal – third place2012 Porto Novo1500 metres
IAAF World Relays
Gold medal – first place2014 Nassau4×1500 m relay

He won his first medals as a teenager, taking second at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics and winning the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships. His first senior podium finish soon followed: on his major international debut at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he claimed the silver medal. He was the bronze medallist at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics.

Magut was part of the world record-setting 4×1500 metres relay team that won the gold medal at the 2014 IAAF World Relays.

Career

Born in Nandi County,[1] Magut gained his first national selection after a runner-up finish in the 1500 m at the Kenyan junior championships.[2] At the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics, he seemed set to win the title but Algeria's Imad Touil narrowly beat him into second place by a tenth of a second.[3] Following this he performed in Europe for the first time, finishing in the top ten at the Rieti Meeting and Hanžeković Memorial.[4] The next year, the eighteen-year-old runner won the Kenyan high school championship, holding off Nixon Chepseba.[5] He topped the podium at the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships.[6] He competed infrequently the year after, but in spite of this won his first major medal in the form of a silver behind Silas Kiplagat at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[7]

Magut missed the 2011 season due to a knee injury,[8] but returned in May 2012 with a win at the Kenyan Armed Forces Championships,[9] then his first sub-four-minute mile to win at the Prefontaine Classic meeting.[8] He set a new best of 3:50.68 for the distance at the Dream Mile at the Bislett Games a week later – this was only enough for sixth at the higher calibre event, but still ranked him the eighth fastest runner that year.[10][11] He ran a 1500 m personal best of 3:34.60 minutes to place second at the national championship race, but faltered at the Kenyan Olympic trials, coming in sixth place and failing to break 3:40 minutes. This run still earned him a spot on the team for the 2012 African Championships in Athletics, where he took the bronze medal, half a second behind the winner Caleb Mwangangi.[12] Magut came third at the British Grand Prix (his first top three placing on the IAAF Diamond League) and peaked for the season at the Hanžeković Memorial, winning with a personal best of 3:33.31 minutes.[13]

At the start of his 2013 season, he won at the Melbourne Track Classic,[14] then in the Prefontaine Classic mile.[15] He was third at the Bislett Games and was runner-up at the national championships. He did not finish in the top three at the Kenyan World Championships trials and failed to finish at the Herculis and DN Galan 2013 IAAF Diamond League meets. His best run that year came at the London Grand Prix, where he was third in the mile in a near personal best of 3:50.93 minutes, ranking him eighth that year for the distance.[16]

Magut had a string of victories in Australia in early 2014, winning in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. A personal best for the 1500 m followed at the Doha Diamond League meet, although his time of 3:30.61 minutes placed him fifth in the quick race.[4] These performances earned him a place on the Kenyan 4×1500 metres relay team for the inaugural 2014 IAAF World Relays. Running alongside Silas Kiplagat, Asbel Kiprop and Collins Cheboi, the group won the gold medal in a world record-breaking time of 14:22.22 minutes – a fourteen-second improvement.[17]

Personal bests
  • 1000 metres – 2:19.72 minutes (2013)
  • 1500 metres – 3:30.61 minutes (2014)
  • 1500 metres (indoors) – 3:48.65 minutes (2014)
  • Mile run – 3:50.68 minutes (2012)

International competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2008 World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 2nd 1500 metres 3:47.51
2009 African Junior Championships Bambous, Mauritius 1st 1500 metres 3:37.05
2010 Commonwealth Games New Delhi, India 2nd 1500 metres 3:42.27
2012 African Championships Porto Novo, Benin 3rd 1500 metres 3:36.35
2014 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 1st 4×1500 m relay14:22.22 min WR
Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland 1st 1500 metres3:39.31

References
  1. James Magut. Glasgow2014. Retrieved on 3 August 2014.
  2. Kenyan Trials lead to squad of 23 selections for Bydgoszcz. IAAF (18 June 2008). Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  3. Men's 1500m. IAAF (10 July 2008). Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  4. James Magut. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  5. Kemboi the standout at the Kenyan high school champs in Eldoret. IAAF (6 June 2009). Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  6. Ouma, Mark (31 July 2009). African Junior champs, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  7. Rowbottom, Mike (13 October 2010). Women's relay team crowns Indian glory – Commonwealth Games, Day Seven. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  8. Lee, Kirby (2 June 2012). Dibaba 30:24.39 and Kiprop 27:01.98 on stunning but wet first night in Eugene – Samsung Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  9. Mutuota, Mutwiri (12 May 2012). Obiri polishes off opponents in Nairobi. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  10. Rowbottom, Mike (7 June 2012). Bolt's 9.79 victory tops the charts In Oslo – Samsung Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  11. Men's mile 2012. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  12. Burundian teen Niyonsaba takes dramatic 800m title as Nigeria top medal table in Porto-Novo – African champs, Day 5. IAAF (2 July 2012). Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  13. Ramsak, Bob (4 September 2012). Five meet records fall in Zagreb – IAAF World Challenge. IAAF. Retrieved on 28 May 2014.
  14. Johnson, Len (6 April 2013). Korir, Rutherford and Farquhar lead the way in Melbourne. IAAF. Retrieved on 29 May 2014.
  15. Gains, Paul (1 June 2013). Menkov jumps 8.39m in Eugene, best in the world since 2011 – IAAF Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on 29 May 2014.
  16. Men's Mile 2013. IAAF. Retrieved on 29 May 2014.
  17. Kenya's 4x1500m men throw caution to the winds. IAAF (26 May 2014). Retrieved on 29 May 2014.
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