{{short description|Kenyan long-distance runner}} {{MedalTableTop|sport= Men's athletics|country_code=KEN | name = Leonard Kiplimo Barsoton | image = Leonard Barsoton (1).jpg | image_size = 230px | caption = Barsoton nearing halfway point in 2021 Boston Marathon where he got 5th place |medals= {{Medal|Competition|African Games}} {{Medal|Silver|2015 Brazzaville|10,000 m}} {{Medal|Competition|IAAF World Cross Country Championships}} {{Medal|Silver|2015 Guiyang|Senior team}} {{Medal|Competition|African Cross Country Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2014 Kampala|Senior race}} {{Medal|Gold|2014 Kampala|Senior team}} }} '''Leonard Kiplimo Barsoton ''' (born 21 October 1994) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes mainly in cross country running and track events. He has represented his country twice at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and was a silver medallist over 10,000 metres at the African Games.
==Career== After starting his career based in Japan,<ref>[http://mobile.nation.co.ke/sports/Scramble-for-Worlds-tickets-beckons-after-championships/-/1951244/2788350/-/format/xhtml/-/11utf30z/-/index.html Scramble for Worlds tickets beckons after championships]. ''Daily Nation'' (2015-07-14). Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref> Barsoton emerged as a junior athlete in 2013 by placing second to Ronald Kwemoi at the national cross country trials.<ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2013-02-16). [https://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 2016-09-03.</ref> He was chosen for the junior team at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and claimed the silver medal in both the individual and team races, having finished adrift of the comfortable favourite Hagos Gebrhiwet.<ref>Minshull, Phil (2013-03-24). [https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/world-record-breaker-gebrhiwet-gets-his-first World record breaker Gebrhiwet gets his first major title – Bydgoszcz 2013 junior men's report ]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref> After a runner-up finish behind Bedan Karoki at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships,<ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2014-02-15). [https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/faith-kipyegon-bedan-karoki-2014-iaaf-permitk Karoki and Kipyegon win in Nairobi]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref> 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 completing the top four.<ref>[https://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 2016-09-03.</ref> He also proved himself on the track that year with a 10,000 metres best of 27:20.74 minutes, ending the year fifth on the world rankings.<ref>[https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/middle-long/10000-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2014 senior outdoor 2014 10,000 Metres men]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref>
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, helping the Kenyan men to a team silver.<ref>Mutuota, Mutwiri (2015-02-14). [https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/kenyan-cross-country-trials-karoki-kipyegon-2 Karoki and Kipyegon successfully defend Kenyan cross-country titles]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref> On the outdoor track he took a 10,000 m silver at the 2015 African Games, beaten by Ethiopia's Tsebelu Zewude.<ref>Mulkeen, Jon (2015-09-15). [https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/all-africa-games-2015-meite-ta-lou Ivorian sprint double for Meite and Ta Lou at All-African Games]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref> 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.<ref>[https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/middle-long/10000-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2016 senior outdoor 2016 10,000 Metres men]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref>
He became national champion at the 2017 Kenyan Cross Country Championships.<ref>Evans, Kip (2017-02-18). [https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/news/barsoton-cheptai-kenya-cross-country-champion Barsoton and Cheptai take Kenyan cross-country titles]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2017-03-22.</ref>
==Personal bests== *3000 metres – 8:07.1 min (2011) *5000 metres – 13:16.25 min (2015) *10,000 metres – 27:20.74 min (2014) *10K run – 27:42 min (2016)
All information from All-Athletics profile<ref>[http://www.all-athletics.com/node/542818 Leonard BARSOTON]. All-Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-09-03.</ref>
==International competitions== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- |rowspan=2|2013 |rowspan=2|World Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Bydgoszcz, Poland |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Junior race |21:08 |- |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Junior team |26 pts |- |rowspan=2|2014 |rowspan=2|African Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Kampala, Uganda |bgcolor=gold|1st |Senior race |34:26.12 |- |bgcolor=gold|1st |Senior team |10 pts |- |rowspan=3|2015 |rowspan=2|World Cross Country Championships |rowspan=2|Guiyang, China |5th |Senior race |35:24 |- |bgcolor=silver|2nd |Senior team |20 pts |- |African Games |Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo |bgcolor=silver|2nd |10,000 m |27:27.55 |}
==National titles== *Kenyan Cross Country Championships **Senior race: 2017
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{World Athletics}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtIF6Solg5w Interview at 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships]
{{Footer African Champions men's cross country}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barsoton, Leonard}} Category:Living people Category:1994 births Category:Kenyan men long-distance runners Category:Kenyan men cross country runners Category:African Games silver medalists for Kenya Category:African Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Category:African Games athletes for Kenya Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 African Games Category:African Cross Country Championships winners Category:Kenyan expatriate sportspeople in Japan Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen