Peter Maru (born 3 April 2003) is a Ugandan long-distance runner. He has represented Uganda at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and he finished 5th at the 2021 World U20 Championships in the 1500 m.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Uganda |
| Born | 3 April 2003 (21 years, 39 days old)[1] |
| Home town | Kween District, Uganda[2] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 5000 metres 10K run |
| College team | Arkansas Razorbacks track and field[2] |
| Club | Arua[1] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 13:07.42 (2022) 27:30 (2023) |
| Updated on 1 January 2024. | |
Biography edit
Maru was the third child in a poor family of eight children.[3] Originally an association football player, Maru's athletics career started in the 800 metres, and he did not start running the 1500 metres until February of 2021.[4] One of the reasons he started running was to fund his schooling – he did not complete his education at Saint John's Chebwik Secondary School because his parents could not afford his bills.[4] Maru trained in Kapchorwa, where he said the lack of sprinters to train with prompted his moving up in distance.[4]
Maru's first international championship was at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships – Men's 1500 metres, where he qualified for the finals and finished 5th.[3] He attributed his performance to the lack of a coach and his recent change of disciplines from the 800 m.[4] Following his performance, Maru sought out a college scholarship in the United States but settled for being signed with a management company that placed him in the training camp of Jacob Kiplimo.[3] On New Year's Eve of 2021, Maru was the runner-up in Berihu Aregawi's world record-breaking 5K run in Barcelona.[5]
In 2022, Maru saw further success in the 5000 metres, qualifying to compete in that event at the 2022 World Championships.[6] Maru finished 14th in his qualifying heat, and did not advance to the finals.[3] He blamed "fatigue" for not advancing, claiming he landed in Eugene, Oregon just two days before the race, in the "longest trip of [his] life".[3]
At the 2022 World U20 Championships in the 5000 m, Maru finished 9th in the finals.[1]
In 2024, Maru enrolled as a freshman at the Arkansas Razorbacks track and field team. He ran 13:17.86 to break the school record in his 5000 m debut at the Valentine Invitational in February.[7] He finished 5th in the 5000 m at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships.[2] This result came despite sustaining a hamstring injury with 400 m remaining.[8]
Statistics edit
Personal bests edit
| Event | Mark | Place | Competition | Venue | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 metres | 13:07.42 | 8th | Bislett Games | Oslo, Norway | 16 June 2022 | [1] |
| 10K run | 27:30 | 5th | Lille Half Marathon 10K | Lille, France | 19 March 2023 | [1] |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Peter Maru at Tilastopaja (registration required)
- ^ a b c "Peter Maru". Arkansas Razorbacks. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Darren Allan Kyeyune (26 July 2022). "Inspired by Kiplimo, Maru targets world U20 title after Oregon lessons". World Athletics.
- ^ a b c d "Maru focused on becoming a professional athlete". Bukedde.
- ^ "Taye and Aregawi break world 5km records in Barcelona | REPORT | World Athletics". World Athletics. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Uganda at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 | Peter Maru". MTN Sports. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Razorback freshman Peter Maru breaks Arkansas 5,000m record in debut". Arkansas Razorbacks. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ Peter Maru of Arkansas and Uganda said picked up hamstring injury after NCAA 5th place in 5000, retrieved 9 March 2024