In the realm of the world of marathon running, Kenya’s women stand tall among the best.
These athletes, born from the high-altitude regions of Kenya, have earned the respect of the global running community.
With every step they take, they rewrite history, pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
But this remarkable journey didn’t come without its struggles.
For many years, women were denied the opportunity to compete in marathon races based on the belief that participating in such long distances was too physically demanding and “unladylike.”
It wasn’t until 1972 that women were officially allowed to race in major marathons like Boston and New York.
The first woman to take home top honours in these prestigious events was Nina Kuscsik of the USA, winning both the Boston and New York Marathons in 1972 and 1973 with times of 3:10:26 and 3:08:41, respectively.
A decade later, in 1984, the marathon was added to the Olympic Games for women.
From those humble beginnings, the women’s marathon has blossomed and Kenya has been at the heart of this evolution, producing some of the world’s finest marathoners.
Trailblazer Tegla Loroupe broke new ground in 1994 by becoming the first Kenyan woman to win a major marathon race as she took the top spot at the New York Marathon with a time of 2:27:37.
She would go on to shatter records, including the women’s world record at the 1998 Rotterdam Marathon with 2:20:47—a record she would later break again in Berlin in 1999 as she pushed it to 2:20:43.
Loroupe’s success opened the floodgates for other Kenyan women, including Catherine Ndereba, who set the world record in 2001 with a time of 2:18:47 in Boston and Jemima Sumgong, who made history in 2016 as the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic marathon.
Sumgong is currently serving an eight-year doping ban. But one of the most exciting talents to emerge in recent years is Sheila Chepkirui.
After an extraordinary performance in the New York Marathon last year, Chepkirui has firmly placed herself in the conversation with the greats.
Against a stacked field of world-class competitors, including defending champion Hellen Obiri, Chepkirui produced a breath-taking performance, crossing the finish line in 2:24:35 to claim her first major marathon title.
The victory stunned the athletics world as she held off Obiri ( 2:24:49 ) and Vivian Cheruiyot ( 2:25:21 ) to secure the win.
The win, however, came as a surprise to her.
“Winning was not my primary target,” Chepkirui reflected.
“I went to New York aiming to finish on the podium and I knew it would be tough. But when the opportunity came, I pushed for the win.”
“The New York course was tough and hilly, but winning felt incredible. It proved that my training had paid off. I had prepared well and that was evident in the race,” she added.
That triumph came in just her fifth marathon in a career that began in 2022 in Valencia.
There, she finished third with a personal best of 2:17:29, behind Ethiopian runners Amane Shankule ( 2:14:58 ) and Letesenbet Gidey ( 2:16:49 ).
Despite being a rookie in the marathon scene, Chepkirui remained focused on the task at hand, confident in her ability to deliver.
“I wasn’t afraid. I told myself I had to go for the win because I had put in the hard work,” she recalled.
In 2023, she made her debut at the London Marathon, where she placed fourth with a time of 2:18:51.
Chepkirui was encouraged by the strong performance.
“The competition was intense, but I was happy with my time, especially since it was a sub-2:20 finish. This proved to me that I am on the right track.”
She later impressed again at the Berlin Marathon that year, finishing second in 2:17:49 behind Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa ( 2:11:53 ).
“Berlin was fast, but I had my sights on the podium. It was a great race,” Chepkirui reflected.
In 2024, she made her second appearance in London, finishing sixth with a time of 2:19:31, a result she was proud of despite a mishap at the 15km mark, where she missed a water station and had to go back.
“I missed the water station at the 15km mark and had to go back and that cost me time but I was pleased with the results. London is a tough course with strong competition and it was where the women’s only world record was broken.”
Peres Jepchirchir shattered the women’s only world record in London clocking 2:16:16; leading Assefa ( 2:16:23 ) and Joyciline Jepkosgei ( 2:16:24 ) to the podium.
As the 2025 season unfolds, Chepkirui has her eyes set on more triumphs.
“I’m praying for an injury-free season. I don’t have any races planned yet, but my fans can expect good things from me,” she said.
Her training schedule has her logging 150-160 kilometres a week, a routine that has become second nature to the 34-year-old marathoner.
Her first competition of the year was the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Cross Country Championships, where she placed 13th in 34:40.2.
While it was not a top finish, she was happy with the effort.
“It’s all about building the foundation for the season. Every race counts.”
Chepkirui, who self-trains in Kericho and Ngong under the management of Ikaika Sports, sees her independent approach as an advantage.
“I don’t have a personal coach, but I work with a small group of athletes and three of my pacers. I get my training programme from my management and it’s been working for me.”
Born on December 27, 1990, in Kapletundo, Sotik Sub County, Bomet County, Chepkirui’s journey to the top is nothing short of inspiring.
The first-born and only girl among four siblings, Chepkurui grew up in a household where running became a source of both escape and hope.
“As a kid, you have a lot of energy so I loved running around. I used to hear stories that my mother was a good runner and that motivated me to keep going,” Chepkirui said.
She joined Chebirbelek Primary School in 1998, where her favourite race was the 10,000m.
However, she experienced financial struggles that made her dream of becoming an elite athlete seem distant.
“We didn’t always have enough to eat. Sometimes I would go to school hungry and would sometimes miss school due to school fees.”
Her stars would align while in Class 8 in 2005 after she was spotted by coach Japheth Kemei who took her in at the Sigowet Training Camp.
“Kemei spotted me while I was competing during school games and he took me to his camp where I focused on the 1500m.”
But even then, she faced a lot of hurdles while manoeuvring her way in the athletics world.
“As an athlete you need proper running shoes to be able to train effectively. Due to the financial situation at home, I could not get a good pair of shoes so I used to borrow from my colleagues at the camp.”
“Getting money to facilitate my transportation was a big challenge but my coach would step in and assist me,” she noted.
Her breakthrough came the same year when she claimed gold at the World Youth Championships in Marrakech clocking 4:12.29.
“My coach had really motivated me before the youth games and had told me to do my best. We had to work on my speed to ensure I am in prime form,” she noted.
The mother of one recalls how the win eased up the financial burden on her parents.
“I got good money from the championship which helped ease the financial burden on my parents. They were now able to pay for my school fees as well as my siblings. From there on, I put more focus on my running because I knew it was an avenue I would support my family with.”
However, in 2007, she faltered in her quest to defend her 1500m world youth title in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Chepkirui claimed bronze ( 4:19.26 )—just behind Summary Cherotich ( 4:15.47 ) and USA’s Jordan Hasay ( 4:17.24 ).
Juggling school and running reduced her training time prior to the Ostrava championships.
“I did not have sufficient time to train because I was also focusing on school hence I failed to defend my title,” she noted.
Chepkirui doned the nation’s colours yet again in 2009 at the World Junior games in Bydgoszcz, Poland, finishing sixth ( 4:24.21 ) in the three-lap race.
In 2009, she featured in the 800m during the Africa Junior Championships, where she clocked 2:12:61 for eighth place.
After completing high school in 2010, she joined KDF, where she picked up accolades including gold in the 5000m at the Durban African Championships.
She secured a spot in Team Kenya for the 2017 London World Championships, where she featured in the 5000m but failed to make an impression, finishing seventh ( 14:54.05 ).
Chepkirui then opted for road races—highlighting a lack of accolades in her senior career on track as a major factor.
“I was not performing well on the track in my senior career as it was the case at both youth and junior level and so I decided to shift to the roads starting with the 10km. I then graduated to the half marathon before transitioning to full marathon,” she stated.
Her record in the 10km road race include victories from Valencia 2020, Prague 2019 and Brasov 2022 while in the half marathon, she boasts titles from Berlin 2022, Paris 2023 and the 2019 Nairobi Stan Chart Half Marathon.
Beyond her success on the track and road, Chepkirui’s family has been an unwavering source of support and inspiration.
“My family has been greatly supportive of me in my running career. They give me the motivation and drive to push on.”
Chepkirui’s parting shot to young female athletes is to be disciplined and exercise patience.
“The young female athletes
should exercise discipline in their
careers and also put God first in
everything. This will help them
grow and become great athletes.”
