Peter Kipchumba Rono (Kapsabet, July 31, 1967) is a Kenyan athlete specializing in midfield trials who was Olympic 1500m champion at the 1988 Seoul Games.
In 1985 Nairobi was proclaimed African champion cross-country junior.
At the 1986 Junior World Championships in Athens he won a silver medal in the 1500m, behind his compatriot Wilfred Kirochi.
He participated in the 1500 meters of the World Championships in open air of Rome 1987, although it was eliminated in the semifinals.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics he was not considered among the favorites, as the forecasts pointed to the British Steve Cram and Peter Elliott as the main candidates for gold. However in a very close final Peter Rono managed to rise with the victory with a mark of 3: 35.96. The silver medal was for the British Peter Elliott (3: 36,15) and the bronze medal for the East German Jens-Peter Herold (3: 36.21) For his part Steve Cram was left off the podium in 4th position.
At just 21, Peter Rono became the youngest Olympic champion in the history of this event.
After his Olympic victory, he never again achieved important triumphs. In 1989 made in Zurich the best mark of his life in the 1,500 m with 3: 34.54 although he was only 11th in the world ranking of the year. That same year was runner of the 1,500 m in the Universiade of Duisburg after his compatriot Kip Cheruiyot.
He retired from athletics in 1992, despite being still quite young. That same year he obtained his degree in Mount Saint Mary University of Maryland, institution where later exerted like trainer of athletics.
He currently serves as a manager for New Balance, a New Jersey-based shoe manufacturing company. He is also the president of Gotabgaa, a charity that helps Kenyans living in the United States.
He is married to the exathlete Mary Rono, with whom he has four children.
In November 2006 he was appointed United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
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