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Samuel Chelanga

Chelanga in 2023
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1985-02-23) February 23, 1985 (age 39) Baringo, Kenya
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Sport
Sport	Track, Track and field, long-distance running
Event(s)	5000 metres, 10,000 meters
College team	Liberty University
Club	Nike
Turned pro	2011
Now coaching	Scott Simmons
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Half Marathon 1:00:37 (2018) 10,000 meters 27:08.39 (2012) 5000 metres 13:04.35 (2014)

Samuel Chelanga (born February 23, 1985, in Baringo County, Kenya) is a Kenyan-born American track and field athlete who competed for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, from 2008 to 2011. He set the NCAA record for the 10,000 meters run with a time of 27:08.49 set at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Palo Alto, California, on May 1, 2010. (That record was broken by Nico Young on March 16, 2024.) His brother, Joshua Chelanga, is a professional marathon runner.

Early life

Sam Chelanga was born in Kabarsel village, Baringo County, Kenya, and was the 10th of 11 children.

Running career

Collegiate

Originally hailing from Baringo County, Kenya, Chelanga moved to the United States on a sports scholarship. He attended Liberty University, with whom he won the 2009 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Indiana, and set a course record in 28:41.3. He won a third consecutive title at the Big South Conference cross country championships in October, leading the race by a margin of over half a minute. In 2010, he defended his title by winning the NCAA cross country championship, becoming only the 11th man in NCAA history to win at least two such titles. He ended his time at Liberty University with fourteen All-American distance honours.

Professional

Chelanga signed a contract with Nike and made his professional race debut at the B.A.A. 10K in Boston in June 2011 under Jerry Schumacher and managed to take fourth place.

In November 2013, he won the 77th Manchester Road Race (4.748 miles), an annual race held on Thanksgiving Day in Manchester, Connecticut, in a time of 21 minutes, 31 seconds. Sam ran a 13:04.35 at Boston University's BU Multi-Team Meet, coming in second. He came in second behind his old college rival Galen Rupp who won in 13:01.26 – a new American indoor 5k record.

From 2013 - January 2015, Sam trained with Dartmouth College alumnus Ben True in Hanover, New Hampshire.

In January 2015, Sam joined coach James Li in Tucson, Arizona.

At the 2016 US Olympic Trials, Chelanga finished the 10,000 meters in sixth place, a minute behind winner Galen Rupp. But he was the third fastest in the race to hold a sub-28:00.00 qualifying time.

2014 Annual Bests

Seasonal best

2015

Carlsbad 5000 Results:
1. @LawiLalang1 13:32
2. Wilson Too 13:35
3. @Lagat1500 13:40
4. @SamChelanga 13:50

Wharf to Wharf Santa Cruz to Capitola 6 mile results:
1. Sam Chelanga 27:24.48
2. Shadrack Kosgei 27:27
3. John Muritu Watiku 27:28

43rd New Balance Falmouth Road Race
August 16
Sam finished 4th place 32:21 only 4 seconds behind the winner Stephen Sambu.

USA 5 km Championships CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5k Providence, Rhode Island
September 20,
1. David Torrence 13:56.0
2. Dan Huling 13:59.0
3. Dathan Ritzenhein 14:03.0
4. Sam Chelanga 14:07.0

USA 10 mile championship on October 4
1. Sam Chelanga 46:47
2. Tyler Pennel
3. Dathan Ritzenhein

2016

Sam placed third in 2016 New York Half Marathon in 1:01:43 on March 20, 2016.

Sam placed first in Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run in Washington, D.C. Sam ran 10 Miles Road in 48:26 on April 3, 2016. The first 🇺🇸a male win at @CUCB since Greg Meyer in 1983!

Sam Chelanga placed fifth in 2016 Payton Jordan Invitational 10,000m in 27:54.57 at Stanford University on May 1, 2016.

Chelanga qualified for the 2016 US Olympic Trials (track and field) at 2016 Hoka One One Mid Distance Classic May 20 hosted by Occidental College by running 5000 metres in 13:27.53.

Chelanga placed sixth in the 10,000 m in 28:56.12 and 22nd in 5000 meters in 13:59.52 at 2016 United States Olympic Trials (track and field).

Chelanga placed second in 59:16 at USATF 20 km Championships at Faxon Law New Haven Road Race.

2017

Chelanga took home fourth place in 30:22.2 at 10 km at 2017 USATF cross country championships on February 4, 2017.

Chelanga placed first at NACAC 10 km road race on February 26, 2017.

Chelange placed first at World best 10 km Road in February in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a time of 28:19.

Chelanga placed third in 15 km Road in March in Jacksonville, Florida, in a time of 43:28.

In May Chelanga served as a pacer for Nike's Breaking2 attempt at achieving a sub-2-hour marathon time.

Chelanga placed ninth in 10,000m at 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June in Sacramento in a time of 29:08.29.

Chelanga placed third in 10 km road in July at Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race in a time of 28:25 and first at Quad-City Times Bix 7 in a time of 32:53.

Chelanga placed third in September at Faxon Law New Haven Road Race 20 km in a time of 59:16.

Chelanga placed 15th in October at 2017 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:15:02.

2018

Chelanga placed seventh at 2018 Aramco Half Marathon in 1:00:37. Chelanga ran the sixth fastest American time all-time for the half marathon behind Ryan Hall (59:43 14 January 2007 in Houston Texas), Leonard Korir (59:52 19 November 2017 in New Delhi India), Dathan Ritzenhein (60:00 1 October 2009 in Birmingham England), Abdihakem Abdirahman (60:29 5 August 2007 in New York NY), and Galen Rupp (60:29 20 March 2011 in New York NY).

Personal bests

• Updated May 17, 2014.

References

1. All-Athletics. "Profile of Samuel Chelanga".
2. USTFCCCA Collegiate Track and Field Records Archived June 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, (updated May 24, 2018). Retrieved June 17, 2018.
3. "USTFCCCA InfoZone: Records and Lists".
4. "The Accidental Runner: Sam Chelanga's Amazing Journey From Poverty In Rural Kenya To American Citizen And US Olympic Favorite - LetsRun.com". LetsRun.com. August 18, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
5. "Chelanga Outruns Doubts to Win NCAA Title", RunningTimes.com. November 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
6. Ramsak, Bob (November 1, 2010). Hasay cruises to Pac-10 title, Chelanga dominates in Blacksburg - NCAA Conference champs round-up. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-08.
7. Lee, Kirby (November 23, 2010). Chelanga and Reid Prevail at NCAA Cross Country Championships. IAAF Retrieved on 2010-11-27.
8. "Chelanga Clicking Off Fast Times | Liberty Flames". www.liberty.edu. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014.
9. "DirectAthletics". www.directathletics.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
10. Chelanga Places 4th in BAA 10K. Liberty Flames (June 26, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-07-02.
11. 2013 Manchester Road Race
12. "Chelanga To Train With Lagat In Tucson - Flotrack". www.flotrack.org. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015.
13. "Sam Chelanga on Twitter: "After Carlsbad 5000 with @Lagat1500 @bennysaint &@halagat. Thanks to God for the good times!". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
14. Tim Riley (March 5, 2015). "@Lagat1500 @LawiLalang1 @Abdi_runs @SamChelanga putting in some work this perfect evening in Tucson" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
15. "Breaking News from your Local News Source Leader in Watsonville, California | Register-Pajaronian". www.register-pajaronian.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
16. "Sam Chelanga wins Wharf to Wharf; Gotcher top American". Retrieved April 30, 2018.
17. "Sam Chelanga wins Wharf to Wharf; Gotcher top American | Santa Cruz". santacruzupdate.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
18. "Stephen Sambu (32:17) & Diane Nukuri (36:47) Streak to Titles at 43rd Falmouth Road Race - LetsRun.com". LetsRun.com. August 16, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
19. "2015 USATF 5 km Championships - Official Website - info/results - 09/20/15". RunnerSpace.com. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
20. United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Results in New York City, NY Sunday, March 20, 2016
21. "Credit Union Cherry Blossom Race Results". www.cherryblossom.org. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
22. "RunnerSpace.com on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
23. "Fast Times at Payton Jordan - Stanford University". Stanford University. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
24. "usatf.org 2016 Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic". Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
25. 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field Results - 6/30/2016 to 7/10/2016 Eugene, Oregon Archived July 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine USATF. Retrieved by September 5, 2016.
26. 2016 Results - USATF 20 km Championships Published by USATF 20 km Championships - Official Website USATF. Retrieved by September 5, 2016.
27. Landry Seeks to Extend USATF Running Circuit Lead at USATF 20 km Championships 9/2/2016 NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT USATF. Retrieved by September 5, 2016.
28. 2017 USATF National XC Championships Senior Men 10K Results February 4, 2017, River's Edge Golf Course, Bend, OR USATF. February 4, 2017
29. USA – Korir, Tuliamuk victorious at USATF Cross Country Championships athleticsnacac.org. February 5, 2017.
30. Olympians Top Canadian Contingent At NACAC 10K Road Race Cup February 27, 2017.
31. Olympians top Canadian contingent at NACAC 10K Road Race Cup runningmagazine.ca/ - February 26, 2017, by Tim Huebsch.
32. PUR Wacera Secures Hat-Trick At World’s Best 10k In San Juan NACAC. Retrieved by February 27, 2017
33. Association of Road Racing Statisticians Runner profile Samuel ChelangaAssociation of Road Racing Statisticians
34. 2017 USATF Championships Results - 6/22/2017 to 6/25/2017 Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, California Archived October 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine USATF. Retrieved by June 23, 2017
35. Houston Half Marathon and Marathon Live Tracking, Results and Leaderboard LetsRun.com. Retrieved by January 13, 2018
36. IAAF Samuel Chelanga biography. Retrieved on June 27, 2011.

External links

• Sam Chelanga Track and Field Profile at Liberty Flames
• Sam Chelanga at World Athletics

• Living people
• 1985 births
• Sportspeople from Nairobi
• Liberty University alumni
• American male marathon runners
• Kenyan male long-distance runners
• American people of Kenyan descent
• Sportspeople of Kenyan descent
• American sportsmen
• Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 Pan American Games
• Medalists at the 2023 Pan American Games
• Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
• Australian Athletics Championships winners
• Liberty Flames track and field athletes
• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
• 21st-century Kenyan sportsmen