By Calvin Noche
Kenya mourns the unfortunate death of Paul Koech, the 1998 World Half-Marathon Champion. The professional athlete passed away on Tuesday, September 4th after a short illness.
Koech fell sick and was admitted at the Defense ForcesMemorial Hospital in Nairobi after complaining of a severe headache.
Major Paul Koech In Action on the Tracks
Until his death, Paul Koech served as a major in the Kenya Armed Forces.
Major Koech dies aged 49. He was born on December 31st, 1969 in Uasin Gishu. Sadly, Major Paul Koech passes on less than a month after the sad demise of Nicholas Bett. Nicholas Bett was the 2015 World 400m Hurdles Champion, and he died in a road accident.
Other than holding the 1998 Half-Marathon medal, Major Paul Koech also has made his name in the cross-country competition. He is a three-time cross-country winner. His main rival on the cross-country tracks was the legendary Paul Tergat.
Major Koech was a regular contestant in the IAAF World Cross Country Championship, where he managed the top-5 spot several times. ‘The Running Major’ also won the Parelloop 10K race in the Netherlands back in 1999.
His sudden death was officially announced by Athletics Kenya. “Athletics Kenya with sorrow, regret to announce the sudden demise of Major Paul Koech, a co-opted member in Athletics Kenya Executive Committee.” Said a statement by Athletics Kenya.
The Body also added that Major Paul was a great track, cross country and road racing athlete of all times. It also acknowledged that Major Paul Koech was “A dedicated team player in Kenya’s national and World Cross Country squad,”
Paul Koech was an uncle to yet another former world champion, Sally Barsosio. Barsosio won the 10,000m bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. Surprisingly, Barsosiowas only 15 years when she won the bronze medal.
Koech started working on his running career during his primary education. When he joined Arnesens Secondary School, he was dormant with his athletic career in the first two years. He later moved to Wareng High, where he completed he completed his secondary education.
He joined the Armed Forces Training College in 1994 at Kahawa Barracks. After serving in the Armed Forces, Paul Koech focused on his athletics career too. He moved to run on an international level in 1998, where he then won the silver medal, just behind Paul Tergat.
Major Paul Koech shares names with another world champion, Paul Kipsiele Koech. However, the latter was born in 1981 and doesn’t have any blood relation with the major. Paul KipsieleKoech is known to be a top performer at the international level.
Major Paul Koech leaves behind a wife, Zipporah, and three kids. Paul Koech lived with his family in their Burnt Forest home. The family of Major Paul Koech will announce his funeral date later.
Athletics Kenya and the Kenya Defense Forces both mourn the loss of ‘one of their best’ members in the recent times.
