Posted: December 30, 2004

Athletics: Marathoner Biwott Retires

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Simon Biwott, the marathon silver medalist at the 2001 IAAF World Championships, has decided to retire.

"A persistent back-injury, which hampered him for the last two years, has stopped him from competing at high level," said Edgar de Veer of Global Sports Communications, the Dutch athlete management firm which represented Biwott at the end of his career.

Biwott was a slightly chubby 27 year-old when he began running under the supervision of coach Gabriele Rosa and his Fila Discovery Kenya program. One of his first major competitive breakthroughs came when he won the very competitive Fila Discovery Kenya Half-Marathon in the thin air of Eldoret in January, 1999, running 62:02 at 2000m.

Just three months later, he set a marathon personal best of 2:07:41, finishing third at Rotterdam, and the following summer he finished ninth at the IAAF World Championships in Sevilla.

Biwott had his best year in 2001 when he won the Paris Int'l Marathon in 2:09:40 then won the silver medal in a thrilling sprint finish against Gezahegne Abera at the World Championships. Abera had taken a wrong turn before entering the stadium and Biwott redirected him back to the correct course. Abera took the gold medal by just one second over Biwott.

The Kenyan's other marathon victories included Cancun and Mexico City in 1998, Berlin and Milan in 2000, and Rotterdam in 2002. His career best time of 2:06:49 was set in Berlin in 2002 where he finished second to Raymond Kipkoech Chemwelo by just two seconds.

Now that Biwott has decided to retire from international running, he has invested in the construction of a school in his hometown Eldoret. In the near future, this private school named "Livingstone," will accommodate 160 pupils at primary level. Biwott's new challenge is making his school the best one in the Eldoret region.

"Running has given me a lot," said Biwott in a prepared statement. "I am gratefull to all the organizers, sponsors and journalists who have made my stay in the running-scene a pleasant one. I will always be available to assist young athletes with the first steps in their careers and through them, I will stay connected to the world of marathon running."

Simon Biwott (KEN) b. 03-Mar-1970

Best Marathon Times:
2:06:49   (2)  Berlin, 2002
2:07:41   (3)  Rotterdam, 1999
2:07:42   (1)  Berlin, 2000
2:08:39   (1)  Rotterdam, 2002
2:09:00   (1)  Milano, 2000
2:09:40   (1)  Paris, 2001

Best Half-Marathon Time:
1:01:27   (1)  Monterrey, 1999