Stephen Kwelio Chemlany (born 9 August 1982) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. He has a personal best of 2:06:24 hours for the event. Chemlany was runner-up at the 2011 Berlin Marathon and came fourth at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. He has won the Dalian Marathon (twice), the Tiberias Marathon and the Macau Marathon. He gained a master's degree in computer science from Iona College in the United States in 2008 and represented the school athletically. Career Early life and career Born in Kapsokwony in Kenya's Western Province, he studied abroad at Iona College in New York. While studying for a degree in computer science he also competed collegiately for the Iona Gaels team. He appeared three times at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship, with his best finish of 33rd place coming in 2004. He won back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference indoor titles in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres from 2005 to 2006. His sole outing at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships saw him finish twelfth in the 5000 m in 2006. He completed his degree in 2006 and continued on to get a master's degree in computer science from Iona College in 2008. He met Emily Chelanga (another Kenyan athlete) in New York and the pair had their first child, Faith, around 2006. After finishing his first degree, Chemlany began to compete in road running events. Running for Westchester Track Club, he came first in the New York Road Runners road mile championship in 2007. He came eleventh at the Healthy Kidney 10K and ran a time of 67:19 minutes at the Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September. After graduating from Iona in 2008, he ran a half marathon best of 64:39 minutes in Hartford, Connecticut and, on his marathon debut, came second at the St. Jude Marathon in 2:20:57 hours. His performances improved in 2009: he was fifth at the Healthy Kidney 10K and the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. He won the Virginia Beach half marathon in a new best time of 62:56 minutes. Over the marathon distance, he came third at the Mississippi Blues Marathon, fifth in Jacksonville, Florida, then ran a personal best of 2:16:14 hours to finish fourth at the Country Music Marathon. Professional marathon running Having seen elite American runners travel to Kenya for high altitude training, he decided to return to his native Kenya to