Ben Jipcho

Benjamin Wabura "Ben" Jipcho (born 1 March 1943) is a former athlete from Kenya, who won the silver medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase at the 1972 Summer Olympics, behind his teammate Kipchoge Keino.[1]

Ben Jipcho

Personal information
Born	1 March 1943 (1943-03) (age 77) Mount Elgon District, Western Province, Kenya
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	71 kg (157 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	1500-5000 m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500 m – 3:33.16 (1974) 5000 m – 13:14.3 (1974) 3000 mS – 8:13.91 (1973)
Medal record Representing  Kenya Olympic Games 1972 Munich 3000 m steeplechase Commonwealth Games 1974 Christchurch 5000 m 1974 Christchurch 3000 m steeplechase 1974 Christchurch 1500 m All-Africa Games 1973 Lagos 5000 m 1973 Lagos 3000 m steeplechase

Jipcho won the 5000 metres race in the 1973 All-Africa Games. He also won the gold medal in the 5000 m and 3000 m steeplechase, and the bronze medal in the 1500 meters at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Jipcho may be as well known for his role in Keino's victory over Jim Ryun in the high altitude 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City as for his own athletic accomplishments. Sacrificing his own chances for a medal to team tactics, he pulled Keino through a 56-second first 400 meters, before being passed by his teammate with 800 meters to go and drifting back into the pack. By that point, Keino had established a lead of 20 meters or more, which Ryun's famous finishing speed could not erase.[2] Jipcho later apologized to Ryun for acting as Keino's rabbit.

He was later quoted:

"Running for money doesn't make you run fast. It makes you run first."[3]

His granddaughter Esther Chemutai is also a runner,[4] while he is a distant uncle to the siblings Linet Masai and Moses Masai.[5]

He won the silver medal at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games 1970 in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing in front of Mexico Gold Medallist Amos Biwot, who collected bronze.