Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympian marathon runner from last month, reported being brutally attacked by her partner, resulting in burns over 75% of her body. According to a late-night police report, the Ugandan runner was hospitalized after her partner set her on fire.
The attack occurred on Sunday afternoon at Cheptegei’s residence in Trans Nzoia County, western Kenya. The 33-year-old athlete is currently in critical condition at a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.
Police report that Dickson Ndiema Marangach, Cheptegei’s alleged attacker and partner from Kenya, broke into her home while she was at church and inflicted the injuries.
Cheptegei’s parents mentioned that their daughter had purchased a house and land in the area to utilize the local training facilities. They are reportedly traveling from Uganda to be with her.
Cheptegei is not the only prominent athlete to become a victim of domestic violence in Kenya. She ranked 44th in the women’s marathon at the 2024 Olympics.
In 2021, Agnes Tirop, a record-breaking Kenyan runner, was found fatally stabbed at her home. The trial for Tirop’s murder is ongoing, with her estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, denying any involvement.
In memory of Tirop, her family and fellow Kenyan athletes established Tirop’s Angels, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating gender-based violence. They recently opened a center in the western town of Iten, Kenya.
