İlham Tanui Özbilen

Ilham Tanui Özbilen (birth name William Biwott Tanui; born March 5, 1990 at Keiyo District ) is a Turkish middle-distance runner of Kenyan origin.

He began with a serious running training in November 2006 in his last year at the Simotwo High School in hopes to get a scholarship to the United States. Although this did not materialize, his father assured him to support him for two years in an attempt to become a professional runner.

In 2008, he narrowly missed a place in the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz.

In his first international season in 2009 he presented on July 3 with 3:49,29 min a junior world record in the mile run on and improved over 1500 meters to 3:31,70 min.

On 4 September 2009 he was part of a Kenyan quartet ( Tanui, Gideon Gathimba, Geoffrey Rono Kipkoech, Augustine Kiprono Choge ), the Brussels 14:36,23 min with 32 -year-old world record of the German Karl Fleschen, Thomas Wessinghage, Harald Hudak and Michael Lederer at the 4- times -1500- meter relay broke.

In June 2011 he took part in the Turkish nationality. In his first start for his new home country he won at the World Indoor Championships 2012 in Istanbul silver over 1500 meters.

In March 2013 he won the silver medal in the 1500 meter run at the Indoor Athletics Championships 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Personal Best

• 800 m: 1:44,25 min, August 6, 2011 Ninove
• 1000 m: 2:17,08 min, 31 May 2011, Ostrava
• 1500 m: 3:31,37 min 13 September 2011, Zagreb Hall: 3:34,76 min 12 February, 2012, Karlsruhe, Germany