Africa's first female marathon world record holder and a global ambassador for peace — three-time world marathon record holder whose speed on the roads transformed expectations for African women in distance running, later founding the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.
Tegla Chepkite Loroupe was born in Kutitwo, West Pokot, Kenya in 1973 and became the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon — in 1994 — and the first to hold the world marathon record, setting a mark of 2:20:43 in Berlin in 1999 that stood for 4 years. She competed from 1994 to 2014. She won the New York Marathon in both 1994 and 1995 — the first back-to-back women's titles since Grete Waitz. She won the Berlin Marathon in 1999 when she set her world record. She won 20 marathons in her career. She set the half marathon world record of 66:44 in 1998. She won the World Championships 25km road race in 2002. She grew up in a cattle-herding family, sometimes running barefoot on rough terrain as a child — a background that produced exceptional endurance. Beyond athletics, she has been a powerful advocate for peace and education in Kenya and South Sudan — founding the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, which uses athletics to promote peace between rival tribal communities. She is a UN Global Ambassador. She led the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
First African woman to win New York Marathon, marathon world record holder
Lasting Impact
Pioneer for African women in distance running, peace ambassador
World Record Marathon 2:20:43 (Berlin 1999)
Career Honours
- World Record Marathon 2:20:43 (Berlin 1999)
- World Record Half Marathon 66:44 (1998)
- New York Marathon winner 1994, 1995
- Berlin Marathon winner 1999
- World Champion 25km Road Race 2002
- Peace and Sport Global Ambassador