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By Kenyan standards, Bor was an accomplished field events athlete before suddenly abandoning his love for jumps.
Kenyan-born American track star Hillary Bor may be the US national champion in the 3000m steeplechase but was not even a track athlete for most of his teenage years.
As a student at the Arnesens High School in Eldoret, Bor preferred Pole Vault, Long Jump, and Triple Jump. But with little to no success for Kenya in his disciplines of choice, the now 33-year-old was confronted with a life and career-defining dilemma.
Stick to the jumps and live a life of no success or switch to the track and have a fighting chance. Opportunities were plenty for long-distance runners and Bor gave in. He transitioned to the track in his final years of high school and took up 3000m SC.
“In high school, my three main events were Pole Vault, Long Jump and Triple Jump. I was told that in order to get a scholarship, I needed to focus on running,” he said.
His switch to the track paid off well as he was awarded a scholarship in 2007 to Lowa State University. His first competition after moving to the USA was at the 2008 NCAA Championships where he placed fourth in the 3000m SC in 8:36.84 earning All-American status.
His elder brothers, Emmanuel, and Julius Bor also ran for the University of Alabama and the trio found a path to citizenship in the country of their education by joining the United States Army.
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Bor’s latest feat came on Sunday 2 April where he obliterated a strong field to win the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile men’s division in 46:11, and broke Greg Meyer’s 40-year-old national record by two seconds.
However, he is keen on transitioning to the full marathon distance in 2025. The three-time 3000m SC national champion revealed that he will still focus on the specialty this year and next year.
His next races are the Diamond League Meetings in Rabat (May 28) and Paris (June 9) as he prepares for the World Championships in Budapest.
“Our plan is to finish up the next two years on the track. I have been doing a lot of road races lately but now I want to focus on track,” he said.
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