Jonah Koech

Jonah Koech
Koech at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Full nameJonah Koech Kipruto
Born (1996-12-12) December 12, 1996
Eldoret, Kenya
EducationSt. Patrick's High School
University of Texas at El Paso '18 BS Physical Therapy
Texas Tech University '19 MS Physical therapy[1][2]
Sport
Country
  •  Kenya
  •  United States
SportTrack and field
Event
800m
College teamTexas Tech Red Raiders
UTEP Miners
ClubUnder Armour
Coached byTom Brumlik
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
NACAC Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Freeport800 m

Jonah Koech Kipruto (born 12 December 1996) is a Kenyan-born middle-distance runner who represents the United States in international competitions. He specializes in the 800 meters and 1500 meters.

In the 800 meters, he qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Championships and 2022 NACAC Championships after finishing second at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[4][5] In the 1500 meters, he won both the 2025 Rabat Diamond League and the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[6][7] In 2026, Koech was banned for three years after admitting to blood doping and his performances occurring after June 30, 2025 were disqualified. His ban is in place until July 17th, 2029. [8]

He competes for the Under Armour Mission Run team, based in Baltimore, Maryland.[6]

Early life and collegiate career

In the 2010s, Koech attended St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya, where he trained under Colm O'Connell, and alongside 800 meter world record holder David Rudisha.[6]

Koech is a 10-Time USTFCCCA All-American.[9] In 2015, as an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Texas at El Paso, Koech finished 11th at the 2015 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. In 2016, Koech finished 6th in the indoor mile and 6th in the outdoor 800m at the NCAA Division I Championships. He later transferred to Texas Tech in 2018, and became a U.S. citizen in 2019 after graduating and enlisting in the U.S. Army.[6]

Professional career

In 2022, Koech ran a personal best of 1:44.74 to finish second in the 800 meter final at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he advanced to the semifinals but was disqualified.[6]

On May 25, 2025, Koech won the 1500 meters at the Rabat Diamond League, in a meet record and personal best of 3:31.43. He became the third American man after Leo Manzano and Yared Nuguse to win a Diamond League 1500 meter or mile race.[6] On May 31, 2025, at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Koech improved his 800 meter personal best to 1:43.32.[10]

On August 2, 2025, Koech won a national title over the 1500 meters at the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing in a personal best time of 3:30.17, thus qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Before the race, Koech stated that he was 75-percent healthy and was dealing with a hamstring issue.[7][11]

On August 10, 2026 the United States Anti-Doping Agency announced that Koech had been suspended for 3 years when his biological passport showed atypical values consistent with blood doping.[12] Koech admitted the violation. All his results after July 30, 2025 were disqualified, and his suspension was dated from July 17, 2026 through July 2029.

Achievements and titles

NCAA performances

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Texas Tech University
2019 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships University of Texas at Austin 7th 800m 1:47.28
Big 12 Conference Outdoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma 2nd 800m 1:46.42
3rd 1500m 3:53.78
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 13th 800m 1:51.31
Big 12 Conference Indoor T&F Championships University of Oklahoma 1st 1000m 2:23.75
3rd 4000m DMR 9:58.59
Representing University of Texas at El Paso
2018 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 7th 800m 1:47.28
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Rice University 1st 800m 1:48.79
1st 1500m 3:49.73
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas 9th Mile 4:02.26
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 1st Mile 4:10.03
2nd 800m 1:52.10
2017 NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 24th 4x400m 3:18.65
25th 1500m 3:49.66
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships UTEP Miners 5th 800m 1:55.36
1st 1500m 3:44.64
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships College Station, Texas 11th 4000m DMR 9:56.03
11th Mile 4:01.02
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 3rd Mile 4:04.93
1st 4000m DMR 10:03.04
2016 2016 NCAA Division I cross country championships LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course 122nd 10km 31:03.2
Conference USA Cross Country Championships University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Frank Liske Park Concord, North Carolina		 2nd 8km 24:05
NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships Eugene, Oregon 9th 800m 1:46.53
Conference USA Outdoor T&F Championships Middle Tennessee State University 2nd 800m 1:50.00
1st 1500m 3:43.39
NCAA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 6th Mile 4:07.52
Conference USA Indoor T&F Championships Birmingham CrossPlex 1st Mile 4:07.34
2nd 4000m DMR 10:10.13
Final 800m 1:51 - DQ
2015 2015 NCAA Division I cross country championships E. P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park cross country course
Louisville, Kentucky		 11th 10km 30:04.4
Conference USA Cross Country Championships Bowling Green, Kentucky 2nd 8km 24:44

References

  1. ↑ "Jonah Koech". texastech.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  2. ↑ Jonah Koech UTEP Miners
  3. ↑ Jonah Koech at World Athletics
  4. ↑ Williams, Don (June 27, 2022). "Texas Tech ex Koech makes U.S. team for World Championships". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ Three World Class Athlete Program Track & Field Athletes Qualify for U.S. World Team United States Army
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 LetsRun.com (May 27, 2025). "How An American Sprung One of the Biggest Upsets in Track & Field History". LetsRun.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  7. 1 2 null (August 2, 2025). "Jonah Koech Stuns Field To Win U.S. 1500m Title at USATF Championships 2025". FloTrack. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Jonah Koech Accepts ABP Doping Sanction | USADA". www.usada.org. August 10, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ Jonah Koech results TFRRS
  10. ↑ Perelman, Rich (June 1, 2025). "ATHLETICS: Two world leads at Keino Classic in Nairobi, plus U.S.'s Koech goes 1:43.32 in 800; NCAA women's second rounds conclude". The Sports Examiner. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Jonah Koech—Despite Just '75%' Health—Pulls Off a Huge 1500-Meter Upset at USAs". Runner's World. August 2, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ null (August 10, 2026). "Jonah Koech accepts 3-year ban, stripped of 2025 U.S. 1500m title in biological passport case". nbcsports.com. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
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