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Tegla Loroupe

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Also known as Tegla Chepkite Loroupe

Kenyan long-distance runner (born 1979)

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Origin
Hungary

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Quotes

  • Running was in my blood from the beginning. If God has given you a talent, you have to show it. People told me, 'You won't have children if you run long distances.' It was lies. I wanted to be like the men. If no one gives you encouragement, you have to encourage yourself.
  • People would always be fighting over resources: land, animals, water. When I grew up, I wanted to find a way for people to listen to me – but for that to happen you need a title. At that time, I didn’t realise that sports could help me to be the way I am. Those two sides of me came together, to help me work for peace.
  • I always overcame obstacles because I stay focused on what I want and how to be better,” she said. “I have proven to myself anything is possible if I put my mind to it. This is why I started the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Nationality
Kenyan
Born
( 1973-05-09 ) 9 May 1973 (age 53) , Kutomwony , Kenya
Height
156 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight
40 kg (88 lb)
Website
Tegla Peace
Sport
Long-distance running
Event s
3000 meters , 5000 meters , 10,000 meters , Marathon
Olympic finals
2000 Sydney
Personal bests
3000 meters : 8:30.95 , 5000 meters : 14:45.95 , 10,000 meters : 30:32.03 , Marathon : 2:20:43 List of world records in athletics

via Wikipedia infobox

~8 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Tegla Chepkite Loroupe (born 9 May 1973) is a former 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 25 and 30 kilometers and previously held the world marathon record. She was the first African woman to hold the marathon World Record, which she held from 19 April 1998 until 30 September 2001. 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, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin and Rome.

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

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Tegla Loroupe” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.