The year 2005 was a successful one for Kiplagat: she won a silver medal at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships then took the title at the 2005 European Cross Country Championships, feats which led to her begin selected as the Dutch athlete of the year. At the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships she finished second in Japan, winning the silver medal. She also finished fifth in the 10,000m at the 2006 European Athletics Championships.