Tragedy strikes the athletics community as Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei dies following a horrific death
Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei was accused of murdering her former lover, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who had succumbed to death from injuries sustained after the attack. The sad news was reported by Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, on September 10.
A heated argument over land with Cheptegei and her former lover, Marangach, ended with being set ablaze. Cheptegei, 33, who was running in the Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns over more than 75% of her body and died four days later.
Doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend, she suffered severe burns after returning from church with her daughters
Police said Marangach bought petrol, poured it on her, and set her on fire during a fight on September 8. He also received burns and was being treated at the same hospital. Cheptegei finished 44th in the Paris marathon, and she is the third well-known female athlete to be killed in Kenya since October 2021.
The killing has spurred the debate on whether domestic violence still thrives in Kenya, where most of these female athletes operate. Advocates note that women athletes in Kenya live under huge violence risks; nearly 34% of women aged between 15 and 49 have faced physical violence, especially married women.
Cheptegei’s untimely passing leaves a profound impact on those she inspires
In north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, officials said she was attacked after coming home from church with her two daughters. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said he lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her kindness and how she helped other runners with money.
Cheptegei, from Uganda, reportedly bought land in Trans Nzoia county and built a house close to Kenya’s top athletics training centers. Attacks on women are a big problem in Kenya. A national survey in 2022 found that at least 34% of women said they experienced physical violence. Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said this tragedy shows the urgent need to fight against violence toward women, which is affecting even top athletes. Different UN organizations have also spoken out about this issue.
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