Isaac Kimeli

Isaac Kimeli (born 9 March 1994^[3] in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya) is a Kenyan born Belgian middle- and long-distance runner.

Isaac Kimeli

Kimeli in 2013
Personal information
Nationality	Kenyan-Belgian
Born	(1994-03-09) 9 March 1994 (age 31) Uasin Gishu County, Kenya[1]
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)[1]
Sport
Country	Belgium
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Middle-, Long-distance running
Coached by	Tim Moriau (–2024)[2]
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Belgium European Running Championships 2025 Brussels 10000 metres European Indoor Championships 2021 Toruń 3000 m European U23 Championships 2015 Tallinn 5000 m European Cross Country Championships 2016 Chia U23 men 2013 Belgrade Junior men 2018 Tilburg Senior men 2019 Lisbon Senior team 2024 Antalya Senior team 2022 Turin Senior men

Kimeli won one Diamond League meeting, securing victory in the 5000 m at the 2019 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels (promotional event) with a personal best of 13:13.02.^[3]

Training and personal life

When Kimeli was four years old, his mother migrated from their home county of Uasin Gishu in Kenya to Belgium to work as a nurse. Kimeli was left in the care of his grand-parents for ten years. At age 15 he was finally reunited with this mother in Belgium. It was there that his PE teachers encouraged him to join a track club.^[4]

Career

In 2011, Kimeli competed in his first international competition at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon, Turkey.^[4]

Two years later, Kimeli won his first international medal by winning a silver at the junior 2013 European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.^[5] This was soon followed by a gold medal at the Under-23 2016 European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy,^[6] and 2 silver medals (one individual, one team) and a bronze at the senior level 2018,^[7] 2019^[8] and 2022 European Cross Country Championships^[9] resp. He picked up another silver medal with the Belgium men's team at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey.^[10]

On the track, Kimeli earned a silver in the 5000 metres at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships and in the 3000 metres at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships.^[11]

Kimeli represented Belgium at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan resp. Paris, France, his best result a 8th place in the final of the men's 5000 metres in Paris.^[12]

Achievements

Competition record

Representing  Belgium

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
2011	European Youth Olympic Festival	Trabzon, Turkey	9th	1500 m	3:58.80
2012	European Cross Country Championships	Szentendre, Hungary	6th	XC 6.025 km U20	19:00
2013	World Cross Country Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	30th	XC 8 km U20	23:15
	European Cross Country Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	2nd	XC 6.025 km U20	17:51
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	19th (h)	1500 m	3:41.96
	European Cross Country Championships	Samokov, Bulgaria	20th	XC 7.782 km U23	26:20
2015	European U23 Championships	Tallinn, Estonia	2nd	5000 m	13:54.33
	European Cross Country Championships	Hyères, France	38th	XC 8.087 km U23	24:27
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	9th	1500 m	3:47.92
	European Cross Country Championships	Chia, Italy	1st	XC 7.97 km U23	22:48
2017	World Cross Country Championships	Kampala, Uganda	–	XC 9.858 km	DNF
2018	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	15th (h)	1500 m	3:42.77
			– (f)	5000 m	DQ
	European Cross Country Championships	Tilburg, Netherlands	2nd	XC 10.3 km	28:52
2019	European Team Championships First League	Sandnes, Norway	1st	3000 m	8:09.09
	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	18th (sf)	1500 m	3:37.50
			14th	5000 m	13:44.29
	European Cross Country Championships	Lisbon, Portugal	7th	XC 10.3 km	30:46
			2nd	Team	38 pts
2021	European Indoor Championships	Toruń, Poland	2nd	3000 m	7:49.41
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	32nd (h)	5000 m	13:57.36
			18th	10,000 m	28:31.91
2022	World Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	– (f)	3000 m	DNS
	World Championships	Eugene, OR, United States	10th	10,000 m	27:43.50 SB
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	11th	5000 m	13:33.39
			– (f)	10,000 m	DNF
	European Cross Country Championships	Turin, Italy	3rd	XC 9.572 km	29:45
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	13th	10,000 m	28:20.77
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	14th	10,000 m	28:17.84
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	11th (h)	5,000 m	13:19.25
			8th (f)		13:18.10
			19th (f)	10,000 m	27:51.52
2025	European Running Championships	Brussels-Leuven, Belgium	3rd	10,000 m	27:58

National titles

• Belgian Athletics Championships
  • 1500 metres: 2014
• Belgian Indoor Athletics Championships
  • 3000 metres: 2022
• Belgian Cross Country Championships
  • 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2023, 2024

Personal bests

• 1500 metres – 3:36.51 (Marseille 2018)
• 3000 metres – 7:47.48 (Rome 2020)
  • 3000 metres indoor – 7:44.17 (Ghent 2021)
• 5000 metres – 12:56.53 (Stockholm 2024)
• 10,000 metres – 27:07.97 (San Juan Capistrano 2024)

Road

• 10 kilometres – 27:10 (Valencia 2025)