Leonard Kiplimo Barsoton (born 21 October 1994) is a Kenyan

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who competes mainly in

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

and track events. He has represented his country twice at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

and was a silver medallist over

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

at the

African Games The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (A ...

Career

After starting his career based in Japan, Barsoton emerged as a junior athlete in 2013 by placing second to

Ronald Kwemoi Ronald Chebolei Kwemoi ( ja, ﾛﾅﾙﾄﾞｹﾓｲ; born 19 September 1995) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in cross country running and track running events. He specialises in the 1500 metres and holds a personal best of 3:28 ...

at the national cross country trials. He was chosen for the junior team at the

2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 24, 2013. The races were held at the Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Kenya topped the medal standings in the competition with 5 gold, and Ethiopia had the most overall ...

and claimed the silver medal in both the individual and team races, having finished adrift of the comfortable favourite

Hagos Gebrhiwet Hagos Gebrhiwet Berhe ( ti, ሓጎስ ገብረሂወት, born 11 May 1994) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner and the former World Junior Record holder in the 5000 meters (12:47:53). Early life Born in the Tigray Region, he took up runni ...

. After a runner-up finish behind

Bedan Karoki Bedan Karoki Muchiri (born 21 August 1990) is a Kenyan professional long distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running disciplines. He represented Kenya at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He was a silver medallist at ...

at the

Kenyan Cross Country Championships The Kenyan Cross Country Championships is an annual cross country running competition that serves as the national championship for Kenya. It is organised by Athletics Kenya and has permit race status from the International Association of Athletics ...

, he led Kenya to a sweep of the medals at the 2014 African Cross Country Championships, winning the race with his teammates Kipruto Kangogo, Rono Cherop and

Solomon Kirwa Yego Solomon Kirwa Yego (born 1987) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes mainly in road running competitions. His half marathon best of 58:44 minutes makes him the ninth fastest man ever for the distance. Yego has won the Roma-Ostia Half Mar ...

completing the top four. He also proved himself on the track that year with a

best of 27:20.74 minutes, ending the year fifth on the world rankings. Barsoton established himself as a senior level runner in the 2015 season. Following his third place at the Kenyan Championships, he finished fifth at the

2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships () was the 41st edition of the global championships in cross country running, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was held in Guiyang, China on 28 March. It was the ...

, helping the Kenyan men to a team silver. On the outdoor track he took a 10,000 m silver at the

2015 African Games The 11th African Games took place from September 4–19, 2015 in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. This edition marked the 50th anniversary of the Games, as well as their return to Brazzaville, which hosted the first edition in 1965. Host aw ...

, beaten by Ethiopia's Tsebelu Zewude. He failed to build on this in the 2016, not making any national teams, and ranked just outside the world's top 30 for the 10,000 m for season. He became national champion at the 2017

Personal bests

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...

– 8:07.1 min (2011) *

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

– 13:16.25 min (2015) *

– 27:20.74 min (2014) *

10K run 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

– 27:42 min (2016) All information from All-Athletics profileLeonard BARSOTON
All-Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.

International competitions

National titles

**Senior race: 2017

References

External links

*
Interview at 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barsoton, Leonard Living people 1994 births Kenyan male long-distance runners Kenyan male cross country runners African Games silver medalists for Kenya African Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 African Games African Cross Country Championships winners Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Japan 20th-century Kenyan people 21st-century Kenyan people