Sam Chelanga

Kenya

BIB NUMBER:   12

BIRTHDATE:   February 23, 1984

PERSONAL BEST:    07Aug10 Anchorage, AK 1st 30:07

10-K HIGHLIGHTS:
Has only run one road 10-K:
07Aug10 Anchorage, AK 1st 30:07

CAREER NOTES:
11Jun11 NCAA Championships 5,000m 1st 13:29.30
10Jun11 NCAA Championships 10,000m 2nd 28:12.18
26May11 NCAA Eastern Preliminary Round 10,000m 1st 29:00.94
22Nov10 NCAA Cross Country Championships 10 km 1st 29:22.2
01May10 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 10,000m 3rd 27:08.39 NCAA Record
23Nov09 NCAA Cross Country Championships 10 km 1st 28:41.3
24Apr09 Brutus Hamilton Incvitational 10,000m 1st 27:28.48
13Feb09 Tyson Invitational (Indoors) 5000m 3rd 13:19.79

CAREER NOTES:
Sam Chelanga is one of the most decorated athletes ever to come out of the NCAA ranks.  A 14-time All-American, Chelanga won four national titles, including two in cross country, while at Liberty University. Having just ran his final NCAA race earlier in the month (a 13:29.30 win at the NCAA Championships in the 5000m), Chelanga has chosen the B.A.A. 10K as the place to begin his professional career.

"My love for Boston began in 2001 when my brother ran his debut marathon there and finished 3rd,” said Chelanga, who hopes to soon run the Patriot’s Day race.  “To begin my professional career on the streets of Boston really and truly is a dream come true. To top it off, I get to race the best guys in the world: Geoffrey Mutai, Moses Mosop, and the rest of the great field. This is a very exciting opportunity for me.”

Sam also has family ties to Boston: his fiancé MaryBeth is from Plymouth, MA.  The 26-year-old is now represented by Josh Cox, who won the B.A.A. 10K in 2010.