Meet the man whose steeplechase record was unbroken for 28 years

Julius Kariuki

• Kariuki is the only Olympian outside the Rift Valley ever to have won a gold medal in the 3,000m steeplechase
• Kariuki, a former soldier set a time of 8:05:51 during the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in South Korea 
• It stood for 28 years before it was broken by Conseslus Kipruto during the 2016 Rio Olympics

When Kenyan boys showed the Ethiopians dust in the 2,000m steeplechase during the IAAF Under-18 World Championships at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, it was Olympic legend Julius Kariuki who was granted the honour of bestowing Leonard Bett and Kandie Meyan their gold and silver medals, respectively.  

Kariuki, the former soldier, is the only Olympian ever to have ever won Kenya Olympic gold in the energy-sapping 3,000m steeplechase outside the Rift Valley.