A Kenyan teen has made history by breaking the fastest 10km record in the United States, at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in New York on Sunday.

18-year-old Rhonex Kipruto, a student from Kimwogo Secondary school in Elgeyo Marakwet County, clocked 27:08 to beat the previous record of 27:11 set by Sammy Kipketer in New Orleans in 2002.

Another Kenyan, Mathew Kimeli (27:19), finished second in 27:19 followed by Ethiopia’s Teshome Mekonen (28:10).

Now in its 14th year, The UAE Healthy Kidney 10K is an annual race organized by the New York Road Runners, with support from the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC, to benefit the National Kidney Foundation.

Kipruto’s impressive performance earned him a direct ticket to represent Kenya in the 2017 IAAF World under 18 athletics championships that took place in Kasarani stadium in Nairobi.

Last month Rhonex Kipruto won U20 men’s 8km Africa Cross Country Championship CHLEF 2018.