Nixon Chepseba

Who is Nixon Chepseba?

Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He was the 2011 Diamond League series winner of that event and has a personal best of 3:29.90 minutes.

Chepseba gained his first international selection for the 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships via a trial event at Nyayo National Stadium. At the competitions he took the silver medal in the 1500 m behind fellow Kenyan James Magut. He made his European debut later that year, winning at the Antwerp Gala and setting a meet record of 2:18.61 min for the 1000 m at the Athletics Bridge in Slovakia. He trains in Kaptagat.

He moved up to the senior ranks the year after and ran an indoor best of 3:35.82 min for the 1500 m in Leipzig in February 2010. Another personal best came at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in his first Diamond League appearance. He also ran at the Golden Gala and Memorial van Damme meetings that year and finished his season with a personal best run of 3:32.42 min for third at the Rieti Meeting.

Chepseba established himself as a top level competitor during the 2011 indoor season. He defeated Deresse Mekonnen and Silas Kiplagat at the Meeting Pas de Calais with a world-leading time, then improved further at the PSD Bank Meeting to defeat Augustine Choge with a world-leading and meet record time of 3:34.63 min. He continued his winning streak outdoors with consecutive 2011 Diamond League victories in Doha and Shanghai, setting a meet record of 3:31.42 min to beat the Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop at the latter event. He came sixth in the Oslo Dream Mile and was fifth at the Kenyan Championships, missing out on a place for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. He turned his attention to the Diamond League circuit instead and a win at the Weltklasse Zurich meet saw him top the rankings to become the 2011 Diamond League winner over 1500 m. He ended his year on a high, setting a meet record and personal best of 3:30.94 min to win at the Hanžeković Memorial.