{{short description|Kenyan long-distance runner}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Samwel Mailu | birth_name = Samwel Nyamai Mailu | image = | caption = | nationality = Kenya | sport = Athletics | event = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|2|7|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | pb = '''1500m:''' 3:54.86 (Nairobi, 2022) <br>'''5000m:''' 14:24.50 (Nairobi, 2022)<br>'''10,000m:''' 29:58.33 (Nairobi, 2022)<br>'''Half marathon:''' 59:19 (Riga, 2023) <br>'''Marathon:''' 2:05:08 (Vienna, 2023) |show-medals = yes |medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{KEN}}}} {{MedalCompetition|World Road Running Championships}} {{MedalBronze|2023 Riga|Half marathon}} }}
'''Samwel Nyamai Mailu''' (born 7 February 1993) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He won a bronze medal in the half marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/samwel-nyamai-mailu-15018129|title=Samwel Mailu|website=World Athletics|accessdate=3 October 2023}}</ref>
==Early life== Mailu grew up the son of vegetable farmers, one of five children, in a village called Ulawani, not far from the Kenya-Tanzania border and Mount Kilimanjaro, although he himself did not live at high altitude. He only started to train at fifteen years-old and stopped running until later in life after completing a college course to become a primary school teacher. He started training seriously in 2020, and moved to a training camp in Machakos, southeast of Nairobi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.watchathletics.com/article/12426/after-vienna-course-record-samwel-mailu-pledges-to-help-kenyan-talents|website=Watch Athletics|title= After Vienna course record Samwel Mailu pledges to help Kenyan talents|date=24 April 2023|accessdate=3 October 2023}}</ref>
==Career== In June 2022, Mailu won the Hamburg half-marathon with a time of 1:01:52 despite bad weather conditions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/athletics/story/defending-champion-samwel-mailu-returns-to-hamburg-in-search-of-successive-victories-2023062407073343514|title=Defending champion Samwel Mailu returns to Hamburg in search of successive victories|first=Abigael|last=Wafula| date=25 June 2023|accessdate=3 October 2023}} l</ref> Later that year Mailu finished as runner-up at the Frankfurt Marathon running 2:07.19 despite initially only starting the race in the role of pacemaker. He had never completed a competitive marathon before.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://athleticsillustrated.com/frankfurt-marathon-european-silver-medallist-matea-parlov-kostro-and-kenyan-samwel-mailu-to-toe-the-line/|website=Athletics Illistrated|accessdate=3 October 2023|title= Frankfurt Marathon: European silver medallist Matea Parlov Kostro and Kenyan Samwel Mailu to toe the line|date=25 July 2023|first=Cristopher|last=Kelsall}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.leichtathletik.de/news/news/detail/77902-samwel-mailu-kroent-jubilaeum-mit-streckenrekord-sebastian-hendel-neunter|website=Leichtatgletik.de|accessdate=3 October 2023|date=April 23, 2023 |title=Samwel Mailu crowns his anniversary with a course record, Sebastian Hendel ninth|first=Jörg|last=Wenig}}</ref>
Mailu set a new course record and personal best time of 2:05.08 to win the Vienna Marathon in April 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/athletics/2023-04-24-vienna-city-marathon-my-biggest-career-win-mailu/|date=24 April 2023|title= Vienna City Marathon my biggest career win - Mailu |website=The-Star.co.ke|accessdate=3 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nation.africa/kenya/sports/athletics/kenyans-shine-in-vienna-hamburg-marathons-4210112|website=Nation.Africa|accessdate=3 October 2023|title= Kenyans shine in Vienna, Hamburg Marathons|date= April 23, 2023}}</ref> In June 2023, Mailu successfully defended his Hamburg half-marathon title.<ref>{{cite web|first=Abigael|last=Wafula|url=https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/athletics/story/samwel-mailu-leads-kenyan-1-2-3-sweep-as-he-successfully-defends-hamburg-21k-title-2023062509274293516|website=Pulse Sports|title= Samwel Mailu leads Kenyan 1-2-3 sweep as he successfully defends Hamburg 21k title|date=25 June 2023|accessdate=3 October 2023}}</ref>
Mailu was part of a Kenyan clean-sweep of the medals, alongside Sabastian Sawe and Daniel Simiu Ebenyo in the half-marathon during the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia on 1 October 2023. It meant Kenya also comfortably claimed the team title at the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/rugby/2023-10-02-confidence-and-good-race-tactics-were-key-says-sawe-after-riga-sweep/|website=The-Star.co.ke|accessdate=3 October 2023|title= Confidence and good race tactics were key, says Sawe after Riga sweep|date=2 October 2023}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mailu, Samuel}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Kenyan men long-distance runners Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen