NAIROBI, Kenya, September 11, 2026 – Former world record holder for the women’s marathon, Tegla Loroupe, has called on Kenyan sportsperson to better the lives of their local communities by participating in noble causes.
Loroupe holds that athletes should not forget their humble backgrounds even as they enjoy success on the international front.
“For sure, I think something they can learn from me is that I come from a humble background. I believe also even the current athletes, nobody comes from a rich family, they come from a humble background. This is something they should never forget,” the two-time New York Marathon champion said.
The 53-year-old rose from the dusty plains of the war-torn West Pokot to become one of the most distinguished female runners to ever emerge from Kenya.
Loroupe clocked 2:20:47 to set a new world record at the Rotterdam Marathon in April 1998, lowering it by four seconds, a year later at Berlin Marathon.
In addition to winning two New York Marathon titles, she also boasts three Rotterdam Marathon crowns, and three world half marathon wins.
With the experience of the harsh conditions of growing up in a poverty-stricken area afflicted by conflict, Loroupe has channeled her success to the grassroots, becoming a voice of the voiceless, including girls from marginalised communities as well as refugees.
Through the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, the former marathoner established annual Peace Run in Kapenguria to bring warring tribes together to lay down their arms in exchange for exploring their sports talents.
Reflecting on her struggles to scale up the athletics ladder, Loroupe says her eventual success should inspire many others faced with similar predicaments in their lives.
She also acknowledges that the situation has somewhat improved as cultural bottlenecks that had previously frowned upon sportswomen has thawed over the years.
“Nowadays, they have everything but during our time, we had a lot of luggage coming from the family. You didn’t have equipment or even money to take you to competitions but we did not lose hope. We had to fight…while you are still alive, you have to fight,” Loroupe said.
Other than running to put food on the table, Loroupe believes it should be a Kenyan culture adopted to fight lifestyle diseases.
The Covid-19 pandemic, Loroupe mentions, was a prime opportunity to ingrain a running culture among Kenyans.
“Look at the Covid-19 period, many people embraced running because they were tired of staying in the house. I wish we could have continued as a country with the same practice even after the pandemic ended,” she said.
Her passion for charitable causes were recently on show at the Strathmore Annual Run in Nairobi where she ran in the 2.5km race.
Loroupe admitted she didn’t think for a second when she was offered the opportunity to come on board the initiative, which seeks to raise funds for scholarship for needy students at the institution.
“I want to say something that motivated me is the VC (vice chancellor) who stood for charity to support the underprivileged students and therefore, that’s something that’s in my heart. When I see somebody who has the heart of supporting and is using this energy also to bring other people, that motivates me a lot. I may not give much but I am happy to contribute,” she said.
