# Augustine Kiprono
**Augustine Kiprono Choge** (born 1987) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner who won the 5000 m at the 2006 [Commonwealth Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/commonwealth-games), took silver and bronze in the 3000 m at the World Indoor Championships of 2012 and 2016, and anchored a Kenyan team to a 4 × 1500 meters relay world record in 2009. His 1500 m best of 3:29.47, set in Berlin in 2009, was the fastest time in the world since 2006 at the moment he ran it.[1](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987 in Kabirisang, Nandi, Kenya; nickname Gus; 162 cm, 55 kg; club affiliation Kenya Police[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620) |
| Major titles | 2006 Commonwealth Games 5000 m gold (12:56.41); World Indoor 3000 m silver 2012, bronze 2016[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620) |
| Junior titles | World Youth 3000 m 2003; World Junior 5000 m 2004; World Junior Cross Country 2005[2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi) |
| 1500 m | 3:29.47, Berlin, 14 June 2009, then the world's fastest since 2006[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi) |
| 5000 m | 12:53.66, Rome, 8 July 2005; at 17 in Berlin 2004 he became the youngest ever man to break 13 minutes[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi) |
| Relay world record | 4 × 1500 m, 14:36.23, Brussels, 4 September 2009, anchoring the Kenyan team[1](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679) |
## Early career and junior titles
In 2004 he took the 5000 m title at the World Junior Championships in Grosseto in 13:28.93, and that September in Berlin, aged 17, he ran 12:57.01 to become the youngest ever man to break 13 minutes for 5000 m.[5](https://www.istaf.de/wp-content/uploads/ISTAF-Results-2004.pdf) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi) His coach during this period was Brother Colm O'Connell, the Irish-born coach long based at St. Patrick's in Iten, Kenya.[2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi)
His first senior global track appearance came at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.[6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/augustine-choge-kiprono/18595)
## Commonwealth gold and the Olympic cycle, 2006–2008
**2006** was his breakthrough senior year. At the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne he won the 5000 m in 12:56.41, and at the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka he was seventh in the short race and first in the team event.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620) On the track he won 1500 m races in Berlin and Zürich, ran 3:33.37 for third in the 1500 m at the World Athletics Final in [Stuttgart](https://www.edgepedia.org/stuttgart), and set his 5000 m best of 12:53.66 in Rome.[7](https://worldathletics.org/download/competition?filename=AT-1500-M-F--1--.RS1.pdf&path=%5Cpdf%5C3487%5C&updatedOn=11%2F09%2F2012+12%3A59%3A24&urlslug=1500-metres-Official+Results) • [4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/)
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing he finished ninth in the 1500 m final in 3:35.50, having run the event with a stress fracture.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi)
## 2009: the 3:29.47 season and a relay world record
Choge's 2009 season produced his fastest marks. He ran 1:44.86 for 800 m in Ostrava and set his 1500 m best of 3:29.47 winning the Berlin Golden League meeting on 14 June, a time the meeting's own biography notes was the world's fastest since 2006.[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) • [2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi) He also won the 1500 m at the Zürich Golden League meeting and took third in the Golden League mile in Oslo.[2](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi)
At the World Championships in Berlin that August he finished fifth in the 1500 m final in 3:36.53.[8](https://olympiandatabase.com/en/athletes-augustine-kiprono-choge) Three days later, on 4 September, he anchored the Kenyan team at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels to 14:36.23 in the 4 × 1500 meters relay, breaking the long-standing world record for the event.[1](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679)
## World Indoor medals and later track career
Choge's championship medals came indoors. At the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul he took 3000 m silver in 7:41.77, and at the 2016 edition in Portland he won bronze in 7:57.43.[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620) • [6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/augustine-choge-kiprono/18595)
On the circuit he remained a regular winner into his thirties, with five [Diamond League](https://www.edgepedia.org/diamond-league) meeting wins to his name.[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) In 2016 he won the 3000 m at both the International Hallen Meeting in [Karlsruhe](https://www.edgepedia.org/karlsruhe) and the ISTAF meeting in Berlin.[9](https://www.the-sports.org/augustine-kiprono-choge-athletics-spf4618.html) His 2013 mile best of 3:50.01 came at the London Olympic Stadium, and he ran 28:22.8h for 10,000 m in Nairobi in 2016.[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/)
## Move to the roads
Choge's personal bests show the progression of his career from track to road.
| Event | Personal best | Venue and date |
|---|---|---|
| 800 m | 1:44.86 | Ostrava, 17 June 2009[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) |
| 1500 m | 3:29.47 | Berlin, 14 June 2009[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) |
| Mile | 3:50.01 | London, 27 July 2013[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) |
| 3000 m (short track) | 7:28.00 | Stuttgart, 5 February 2011[1](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679) |
| 5000 m | 12:53.66 | Rome, 8 July 2005[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) |
| 10,000 m | 28:22.8h | Nairobi, 22 April 2016[4](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/) |
[World Athletics](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-athletics) lists his 3000 m best as 7:28.00, set on 5 February 2011; a Japanese-language results compilation gives 7:28.76 for the outdoor 3000 m in Doha in 2011 alongside the 7:28.00 indoor mark.[1](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679)
## References
1. [Augustine Kiprono CHOGE, Profile, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/augustine-kiprono-choge-14207679)
2. [IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final 2009, Men's 1500 m biographical summaries, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=956878da-8e1a-44d9-83f6-0a828c9eb639.pdf&urlSlug=mens-athlete-biographies-world-athletics-fi)
3. [Augustine Choge, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/114620)
4. [Augustine Kiprono CHOGE, Wanda Diamond League](https://www.diamondleague.com/athlete/14207679/)
5. [ISTAF Results 2004, ISTAF Berlin](https://www.istaf.de/wp-content/uploads/ISTAF-Results-2004.pdf)
6. [Augustine Choge Kiprono, athlétisme, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/augustine-choge-kiprono/18595)
7. [4th IAAF World Athletics Final 2006, 1500 m official results, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/download/competition?filename=AT-1500-M-F--1--.RS1.pdf&path=%5Cpdf%5C3487%5C&updatedOn=11%2F09%2F2012+12%3A59%3A24&urlslug=1500-metres-Official+Results)
8. [Augustine Kiprono Choge, Medals, Results & Biography, Sportsencyclo](https://olympiandatabase.com/en/athletes-augustine-kiprono-choge)
9. [Augustine Kiprono Choge (Athletics): Prize list and results, The-Sports.org](https://www.the-sports.org/augustine-kiprono-choge-athletics-spf4618.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Middle and long-distance track runners › Kenyan middle and long-distance runners*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license