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Tegla Loroupe

Tegla Loroupe
Tegla Loroupe Rio2016.jpg
Loroupe at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Nationality Kenyan
Born (1973-05-09) 9 May 1973 (age 43)
Kutomwony, Kenya
Height 156 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight 40 kg (88 lb)
Sport
Sport Long-distance running
Event(s) 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 3000 metres: 8:30.95
5000 metres: 14:45.95
10,000 metres: 30:32.03
Marathon: 2:20:43

Tegla Chepkite Loroupe (born 9 May 1973) is a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. She is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Loroupe holds the world records for 20, 25 and 30 kilometres and previously held the world marathon record. She is the three-time World Half-Marathon champion. Loroupe was also the first woman from Africa to win the New York City Marathon, which she has won twice. She has won marathons in London, Boston, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin and Rome.

In 2016 she was the person organising the Refugee Team for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Tegla Loroupe was born in Kapsait village in the Lelan division of West Pokot District. It is situated in the Rift Valley, approximately 600 kilometres north of Nairobi. Her father and mother are from the Pokot tribe, a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting parts of northern Kenya, eastern Uganda and southern Ethiopia.

Loroupe was told by her father that she was useless and her career might be babysitting. She grew up with 24 siblings. The Pokots being a polygamous culture, her father had four wives. She spent her childhood working fields, tending cattle and looking after younger brothers and sisters.

At the age of six, Loroupe started school at Kapsait Elementary school; she had to run ten kilometres to and from school every morning. At school, she became aware of her potential as an athlete when she won races held over a distance of 800 or 1500 metres against much older students. She decided to pursue a career as a runner. However, except for her mother, she was not supported by anyone.


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Wikipedia

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