The day before my Olympic marathon race in Paris, I jogged around the Olympic Village to stretch out my legs and shake out some nerves. I passed by a group of marathon women — maybe five or six of them — from Kenya and Uganda standing outside their complex, chattering excitedly and bobbing to some African tunes. Immediately I felt both regretful that I didn’t have the same close-knit running community but also inspired by their cohesion, joie de vivre and sense of belonging.
Rebecca Cheptegei was in that group, surrounded by friends, training partners and competitors, preparing for the gruelling marathon race by relaxing and having some fun. I wondered if maybe I was taking things too seriously when I realized that many of tomorrow’s medal hopefuls were in the group? Or maybe, as we have now come to learn, Rebecca had never felt safer than she did inside the secured and protected gates of the Olympic Village.
The following day we marshalled towards the start line of the Olympic Marathon and the race officials held us for 20 minutes in a contained court yard outside the Hotel de Ville, and I noticed the group, once again huddled together. The energy this day was much more serious and focused, but still the women stuck together, pinning each other’s bib numbers on the backs of their jerseys and doing their warm up drills in unison.
The way to the top of running in Africa is not an individual pursuit, but one of strong community and deep cultural roots to the sport. You become a champion by running in packs of hundreds, living in large training camps and putting your life on hold for your sport. For women in Africa, international success through running is a life line to financial security, opportunity and empowerment. But where there is emancipation from patriarchy, there is also tension and violence.
The running world is small and we are all connected; there is no one who understands the sacrifice, commitment, euphoria and defeat better than a fellow runner. I feel deeply connected to my competitors, as it is such a profound experience to race a marathon, especially at the Olympic level, and one that you can’t easily explain to others.
I can’t believe that only a month after standing on the start line with Rebecca, and, in front of her children, she was doused in petrol and lit on fire in an excruciating death. It is shocking, heartbreaking and should be a huge call to address gender-based violence worldwide.
Rebecca was a veteran on the International running scene, with success in variety of disciplines, including cross country, mountain and trail running and marathon running. As the Uganda national record holder in the marathon and a former world champion, Rebecca was a role model to thousands of young girls in Uganda.
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Running is a surest way for many African girls
They would see that her success in running provides women with opportunity to travel, pursue education abroad, buy land, and support their extended families through sponsorship and race earnings. I race because I love to train and compete, but for many young African girls raised in poverty, running is the surest way to provide financial security to their families. Rebecca was the main provider for her children and parents.
Many female runners are groomed from an early age, controlled by coaches and managers who often become their boyfriends and husbands — and people they can never escape. Despite earning good incomes, many women do not have access to their own money. After the high profile murder of word record holder Agnes Tirop in 2021, many of Kenyas top female runners created an NGO “Tirop’s Angels” to help fight gender violence and help educate young girls about the risk of the sport. I know we all feel helpless when these tragedies occur, but following and donating to this grassroots organization is one way you can help.
We must remember Rebecca and all the women who die at the hands of their abusers not for their senseless deaths, but for their accomplishments and bravery. Rebecca is a world champion, Olympian, mother, role model, friend, and teammate. I will remember the joy I felt when I ran past her in the Olympic Village dancing and I hope that her legacy of goodness, light and joy is not overshadowed by her horrific ending.
Malindi Elmore is from Kelowna, B.C. She is a three time Olympian and was the sole woman representing Canada in the marathon at 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
