Bernard Barmasai

Who is Bernard Barmasai?

Bernard Barmasai is an athlete from Kenya. He specialised in steeplechase running but is nowadays a marathoner.

He set the new 3000 metres steeplechase world record of 7:55.72 on 24 August 1997 in Cologne. The record was broken by Brahim Boulami from Morocco in 2001. The time survived as a Kenyan Record until July 2011, when Brimin Kipruto run a new African Record time of 7:53.64

Barmasai won the Eurocross in 1997, before going on the win the team gold with Kenya at that year's IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Barmasai suffered from knee injuries and was mostly sidelined in 2002 and 2003. This prompted him to quit steeplechase and switch to marathons.