Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei to Get Full Military Send Off

Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei is set to be buried with full military honors—a fitting yet heartbreaking end for a runner whose life was cut tragically short. The marathoner’s journey from Paris to a final resting place is less about the glory of the track and more about the painful reality of violence against women.

Cheptegei, a name that once echoed with triumph at the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, was back in the highlands of western Kenya, a region renowned for its altitude training facilities. This is where she hoped to recover from her marathon finish at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th. Little did she know, her return would mark the final chapter of her race against life.

On a day meant for family and faith, tragedy struck. As Cheptegei was returning from church with her two daughters and younger sister in Kinyoro village, she allegedly faced a horrifying attack. Her former partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, reportedly doused her in petrol and set her alight. Cheptegei suffered burns to 80% of her body and died four days later.

Table: Timeline of Tragic Events

Just before her death, Cheptegei had confided to her father that she did not think she would survive. Her final wish was to be buried in Uganda, a land where she first dreamed of athletic glory. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, shared this heart wrenching detail with Reuters.

Cheptegei’s untimely demise has ignited outrage over the persistent violence against women in Kenya, especially within the athletics community. Her death makes her the third elite runner to reportedly fall victim to violence from a romantic partner since 2021. This statistic paints a grim picture of safety for female athletes, who are often targeted due to the allure of their prize money, figures that shine brighter than the local incomes.

Table: Violence Against Women in Kenya

Cheptegei’s athletic career was a torch of hope. She won the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and set a national marathon record in Padova, Italy. Her achievements were as dazzling as a Nyama Choma feast under the Kenyan sky. But her life’s race ended in a grim display of violence that echoes through the running community.

Marangach’s death a few days after Cheptegei, from burns allegedly sustained during the attack, has divided opinions. Some, like marathoner Viola Cheptoo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, feel justice would have been served had Marangach faced the long arm of the law instead of a tragic end.

Cheptegei’s story has sent shockwaves across the globe, and while her name may inspire future athletes, it comes with a heavy heart. Paris, where Cheptegei once dazzled, is reportedly planning to honor her with a sports facility named in her memory. The city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, described Cheptegei as a symbol of beauty, strength, and freedom.

The Tragic Life of Rebecca Cheptegei

On September 1, 2024, as Cheptegei was preparing for a Sunday church service in her quiet Kinyoro village, her former partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, decided it was the perfect day for a grand, disastrous gesture. He called up a friend, retired runner Dennis Masai Chepkongin, to borrow a lighter, citing an “emergency” that, in the grand scheme of things, turned out to be a particularly sinister plot.

Hours later, Marangach doused Cheptegei in petrol and set her alight. Both Cheptegei and Marangach succumbed to their burns.

Table: Timeline of Tragic Events

Her death, occurring just after her stint in the Paris Olympics, was NOT surprising to her family, though it shocked the world. For those unacquainted with the grim realities of Kenya’s athletics scene, this tale sheds light on the murky underbelly of success in a country where elite athletes often earn more in one race than many do in a year. It is a scenario ripe for exploitation, like a buffet laid out for vultures.

Cheptegei was not just a runner. She was a single mother who had managed her finances and was the breadwinner for her large family. She had attempted to escape her abusive relationship with Marangach on multiple occasions, even involving the police. However, the police response was as effective as a sieve trying to hold water.

Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, had warned the authorities that Marangach was a ticking time bomb. The local police’s “solution” was to advise Marangach to stay away—a bit like asking a goat to avoid a  leopard. Predictably, Marangach didn’t listen, and Cheptegei’s final act was a desperate struggle against a man whose sense of entitlement matched his violent tendencies.

The narrative around Cheptegei’s life and death highlights a pattern of inaction from both local and national authorities. Despite the promises from Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen and an adviser to President William Ruto, activists argue that efforts to curb gender based violence in sports are similar to putting a band aid on a gaping wound.

Table: Female Runners Killed in Kenya

Elizabeth Keitany from Athletics Kenya claimed that they had been swift in handling abusive cases. Cheptegei had even gone above and beyond in supporting Marangach, purchasing land for him and covering his expenses. Her final act was refusing to be manipulated.