Daniel Komen

Daniel Komen
Personal information
Full nameDaniel Kipngetich Komen
Born (1976-05-17) 17 May 1976
Mwen, Kenya
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight55 kg (121 lb)
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
Events
Middle-, Long-distance running
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing Kenya Kenya
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1997 Athens5000 m
African Championships
Gold medal – first place1998 Dakar5000 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1998 Kuala Lumpur5000 m
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place1994 Lisbon5000 m
Gold medal – first place1994 Lisbon10,000 m
African Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place1994 Algiers5000 m
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place1994 BudapestU20 team
Gold medal – first place1998 MarrakeshShort race team
Silver medal – second place1994 BudapestU20 race
Silver medal – second place1998 MarrakeshShort race
Representing Africa
World Cup
Gold medal – first place1998 Johannesburg5000 m

Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, his most notable achievements came in a two-year period between 1996 and 1998, during which he broke a string of world records.

Komen held the world record in the 3000 metres for nearly 28 years, with a time of 7:20.67 set in 1996. Komen also held the world best in the two mile run for nearly 26 years. With his time of 7:58.61 set in 1997, he, along with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, are the only two men in history to average two miles at a sub-four-minute mile pace. Komen's splits were 3:59.4 on both the first and second half of the race. He is also the Kenyan record holder for the 5000 metres both outdoors and indoors.

Komen was the second man, after Saïd Aouita, to break the 31⁄2-minute mark for the 1500 m, the 71⁄2-minute mark for 3000 m, and the 13-minute mark for the 5000 m.