| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Uganda |
| Born | 3 April 2003 (20 years, 283 days old)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 5000 metres 10K run |
| Club | Arua[1] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 13:07.42 (2022) 27:30 (2023) |
| Updated on 1 January 2024. | |
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.
Biography
Maru was the third child in a poor family of eight children.[2] 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.[3] 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.[3] Maru trained in Kapchorwa, where he said the lack of sprinters to train with prompted his moving up in distance.[3]
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.[2] He attributed his performance to the lack of a coach and his recent change of disciplines from the 800 m.[3] 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.[2] On New Year's Eve of 2021, Maru was the runner-up in Berihu Aregawi's world record-breaking 5K run in Barcelona.[4]
In 2022, Maru saw further success in the 5000 metres, qualifying to compete in that event at the 2022 World Championships.[5] Maru finished 14th in his qualifying heat, and did not advance to the finals.[2] 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".[2]
At the 2022 World U20 Championships in the 5000 m, Maru finished 9th in the finals.[1]
Statistics
Personal bests
| 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
- 1 2 3 4 5 Peter Maru at Tilastopaja (registration required)
- 1 2 3 4 5 Darren Allan Kyeyune (26 July 2022). "Inspired by Kiplimo, Maru targets world U20 title after Oregon lessons". World Athletics.
- 1 2 3 4 "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.