Sammy Wanjiru The World’s Greatest Marathoner Has Died

16 May 2011 Leave a Comment

by Paulette in Charity, Deceased Tags: Guinness Book of World Records, london marathon, Sammy Wanjiru

Sammy Wanjiru, the 24 year-old Kenyan Olympic marathon champ,  has died tragically in Kenya after a fall from a balcony at his home. Wanjiru’s record in the marathon was simply astounding.

He finished six marathons in his life and he won five of them, with four of the wins coming at the Olympics, the London Marathon, and the Chicago Marathon (twice). His slowest marathon ever was his first one, a 2:06:39 win in Fukuoka in 2007.

While Wanjiru will always be known for his Olympic win, his last win on 10/10/10 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon was simply amazing.  Wanjiru faced Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede who in the spring of 2010 had won the London Marathon, the world’s most competitive outside of the Olympics. Wanjiru had dropped out of the London 2010, in the only marathon he would not finish. The battle in Chicago was not only for the Chicago crown and the $500,000 World Marathon Major first prize, but unofficially it was for the title of best marathoner on the planet.