{{short description|Kenyan runner (born 1992)}} {{EngvarB|date=March 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}} {{MedalTableTop|sport= Women's athletics|country_code=KEN|medals= {{Medal|Competition|World Cross Country Championships}} {{Medal|Gold |2013 Bydgoszcz|Team race}} {{Medal|Competition|African Championships}} {{Medal|Bronze|2014 Marrakesh|5000 m}} {{Medal|Competition|African Cross Country Championships}} {{Medal|Silver |2014 Kampala|Senior race}} {{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}} {{Medal|Silver |2014 Glasgow|5000 m}} }} '''Janet Kisa''' (born 5 December 1992) is a Kenyan professional middle- and long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country, and road running events.
Kisa won the silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She was a team gold medallist at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and runner-up at the 2014 African Cross Country Championships.
==Career== Born near Mount Elgon in Kenya,<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140810122603/http://results.glasgow2014.com/athlete/athletics/1009613/j_kisa.html Janet Kisa]}}. Glasgow2014. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> she began competing as a teenager and placed second at the 2009 Shoe4Africa 5km race behind the more experienced Helena Kirop.<ref>Makori, Elias (2009-12-21). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/training-run-ends-up-in-victory-for-kirop-in Training run ends up in victory for Kirop in Iten – Shoe4Africa women's 5km]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> She established herself at national level in 2011 by winning the junior women's division of the Kenyan Cross Country Championships.<ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2011-02-19). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/mutai-and-masai-take-hard-fought-wins-in-nair Mutai and Masai take hard fought wins in Nairobi; reigning World champs Ebuya and Chebet won't defend]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> At the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships she came fifth in the junior race, helping Kenya to the team silver medals with the individual champion Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon.<ref name=IAAFHonours>[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/kenya/janet-kisa-259268#honours Janet Kisa]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> Her next international appearance brought her the first individual medal of her career: at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships she was the silver medallist, forming a Kenyan 1–2 in the 5000 metres with teammate Caroline Chepkoech.<ref>Jalava, Mirko (2011-05-15). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/chepkoech-leads-kenyan-womens-1-2-in-the-5000 Chepkoech leads Kenyan women's 1-2 in the 5000m in Gaborone – African Junior Champs, Day 3]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref>
Kisa joined up with the Kenyan Police team in 2012 and placed fifth in their cross country championships and second in their 5000 m race that year. She made her IAAF Diamond League debut in Doha, running a personal best of 8:51.63 minutes for seventh over the 3000 metres. A 5000 m best of 14:57.68 minutes followed at the IAAF Rabat Meeting, where she was runner-up. She tried to make the Kenyan Olympic team but came fifth at the trials.<ref name=Tilas>[http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atw.php?ID=70474&Season=2012&Odd=0 Janet Kisa]. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> In 2013, she placed third at the Police Cross Country and gained her first senior selection with the same placing at the Kenyan Championships.<ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2013-01-19). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/kipsang-romps-to-kenyan-police-victory-cheron Kipsang romps to Kenyan Police victory, Cherono takes Defence Forces title]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref><ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2013-02-16). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/rono-and-muriuki-win-kenyan-world-cross-trial Rono and Muriuki win Kenyan World Cross Trials in Nairobi]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref> Kisa's sixth-place finish in the senior race at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships brought her a share in the team gold medals with Kenya.<ref name=IAAFHonours/>
The 2014 African Cross Country Championships saw Kisa place second to Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon and the Kenyan women swept the medals with Alice Nawowuna in third.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/kenya-african-cross-country-championships Kenya makes a clean sweep at African Cross Country Championships]. IAAF (2014-03-16). Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref><ref>[http://media.cdn.athletics-africa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Kampala2014-Results-senior-women-race.pdf Kampala2014-Results-senior-women-race] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163136/http://media.cdn.athletics-africa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Kampala2014-Results-senior-women-race.pdf |date=2 April 2015 }}. Athletics-Africa. Retrieved on 2014-03-18.</ref> She made her debut over the half marathon distance in Nice in April and won in a time of 71:01 minutes by a margin of over 2 minutes.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.demadonna.com/news/191-dap-s-janet-kisa-was-crowned-winner-of-the-23rd-edition-of-nice-half-marathon-on-sunday-27th-april.html | title=DAP's Janet Kisa was crowned winner of the 23rd edition of Nice Half Marathon on Sunday 27th April | publisher=Demadonna | accessdate=1 March 2015 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150607/http://www.demadonna.com/news/191-dap-s-janet-kisa-was-crowned-winner-of-the-23rd-edition-of-nice-half-marathon-on-sunday-27th-april.html | archivedate=2 April 2015 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> On the track she placed fifth at the Golden Gala in a 5000 m personal best of 14:52.59 minutes then was runner-up at the national championships.<ref name=Tilas/> This brought her selection for Kenya at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. In the 5000 m Commonwealth final Kisa was the runner-up behind Mercy Cherono, winning the first senior track medal of her career.<ref>[http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/article/2000130339/mercy-cherono-wins-gold-in-the-women-s-5000m-as-janet-kisa-bags-silver Mercy Cherono wins gold in the women's 5000m as Janet Kisa bags Silver]. ''Kenya Standard'' (2013-08-03). Retrieved on 2014-08-03.</ref>
From the beginning of 2016 she is coached by the Italian Renato Canova. In the first competitions of the new season, she improved her PB of 3000m (8:32.0 in Doha on 6 May) and of 5000m (14:38.70 in Rabat on 22 May).
==Personal bests== *1500 metres – 4:14.03 min (2016) *3000 metres – 8:28.33 min (2016) *5000 metres – 14:38.70 min (2016) *10K run – 33:55 min (2013) *Half marathon – 71:01 min (2014)
==International competition record== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |rowspan=2|2011 |rowspan=2|World Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Punta Umbría, Spain |5th |Junior race | |- |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Junior team |- || 2011 |African Junior Championships |Gaborone, Botswana |bgcolor=silver|2nd |5000 metres | |- |rowspan=2|2013 |rowspan=2|World Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Bydgoszcz, Poland |5th |Senior race | |- |bgcolor=gold|1st |Senior team | |- |rowspan=2|2014 |rowspan=2|African Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Kampala, Uganda |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Senior race | |- |bgcolor=gold|1st |Senior team | |- || 2014 |Commonwealth Games |Glasgow, United Kingdom |bgcolor=silver|2nd |5000 metres | |- |2015 |World Championships |Beijing, China |6th |5000 metres |15:02.68 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{World Athletics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kisa, Janet}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Kenyan women long-distance runners Category:Kenyan women middle-distance runners Category:People from Mount Elgon District Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Kenya Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Kenya Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya Category:Kenyan women cross country runners Category:Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:21st-century Kenyan sportswomen Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics