Rebecca Cheptegei | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

Rebecca Cheptegei, born on 22 February 1991, was a prominent Ugandan cross country, long-distance running, and marathon runner who tragically passed away on 5 September 2024. A national record holder in the marathon and a former world champion in mountain running, she consistently represented Uganda at numerous international competitions, including the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Her life was cut short when she was brutally attacked by her former partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who set her on fire during a dispute over land in Kenya. Her death brought a significant and renewed focus to the critical issue of gender-based violence, particularly as it affects female athletes, sparking national and international calls for greater awareness and protection.

2. Personal Life and Background

2.1. Early Life and Upbringing

Rebecca Cheptegei was born on 22 February 1991, on the Kenyan side of the Kenya-Uganda border. Her parents were Joseph and Agnes Cheptegei, and she was the second of their thirteen children. Her ancestral village was Bukwo in Uganda. Cheptegei later moved to the village of Chepkum in Kenya, where she acquired property to be closer to essential athletic training centers.

2.2. Military Service and Personal Relationships

In 2008, Cheptegei joined the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), eventually achieving the rank of Sergeant. She was an active member of the UPDF's athletics club, utilizing her military service as a platform for her burgeoning sports career. Cheptegei had two children with her estranged husband, Simon Ayeko. She was also previously in a relationship with Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who later became her attacker.

3. Athletic Career

3.1. Early Career and Cross Country

Rebecca Cheptegei's professional running career commenced in the early 2010s, with a focus on cross country and long-distance events. In 2010, she participated in the 38th IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where she secured 15th place in the U20 race. In May of the same year, she won the 1500-meter race at the München Pfingstmeeting in Munich, Germany. Just two days later, she competed in the 800-meter race at Rehlingen Pfingstsportfest in Rehlingen, finishing 19th. That year, she also placed 15th in the 1500-meter race at the Regensburg Sparkassen-Gala and 10th in the 1500-meter event at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Warsaw. Cheptegei concluded her 2010 season by winning the 10,000-meter race in Kampala, Uganda.

In 2011, Cheptegei continued her impressive early career by finishing 55th in the senior race at the 39th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbría, Spain. She secured a notable second place at the Madrid Half Marathon. Her achievements that year also included a third-place finish in the Camargo Spanish 10,000-meter Road Running Championships in Camargo, Spain. She further participated in the Women's 5000 meters at the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro. Before the year concluded, she earned second place at the Cantalejo Half Marathon and finished 10th in the 10 km race at the Lisbon São Silvestre da Amadora.

Cheptegei's performance in 2013 included a 68th-place finish in the senior race at the 40th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz. She achieved a significant victory by winning the 47th iteration of the Cross Internacional Ciutat de Granollers. She ended 2013 by winning the 10,000-meter race in the Crevillente San Silvestre. In 2014, she continued to compete actively, placing 14th in the 5000-meter at the Meeting Iberoamericano de Atletismo in Huelva and 8th in the 3000-meter race at the Bilbao Reunion Internacional de Atletismo. She went on to win the Santa Pola 10 km race and secured a third-place finish in the 2014 African Cross Country Championships held in Kampala.

3.2. Major Achievements and Olympic Participation

In the later stages of her career, Rebecca Cheptegei achieved significant milestones, including setting a national record and participating in the Olympics. In 2016, she finished third in the Quanzhou Half Marathon. The following year, 2017, saw her place 12th in the Shanghai Half Marathon. She also secured third place in the 5 km race and second place in the 10,000-meter race at the Kampala Ugandan Championships that same year. She concluded 2017 with a fourth-place finish at the Brazzaville Half Marathon. In 2019, she earned second place in the Semi Marathon Eiffage de Dakar in Dakar and finished fifth in the 10,000-meter race at the Ugandan Champions Mandela National Stadium in Kampala. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Cheptegei did not race again until 2021, when she achieved third and fifth place finishes in the 4th and 7th UAF Trials at Mandela National Stadium, respectively. Later that year, she finished 47th in the Eldoret City Marathon before securing second place in the Kampala Half Marathon.

In 2022, Cheptegei won the Padova Marathon and secured second place in the 10,000-meter event at the Ugandan Championships in Kampala. A highlight of her career in 2022 was setting a new Ugandan national record in the marathon with a time of 2:22:47. That same year, she became a world champion by winning the postponed 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She concluded 2022 with a fourth-place finish in the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, an achievement that qualified her to represent Uganda in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. In 2023, she continued her strong performance by finishing second at the Florence Marathon and 14th at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In 2024, she proudly competed for Uganda in the women's marathon at the Summer Olympics in Paris, where she finished 44th.

4. Death

Rebecca Cheptegei's death was a tragic outcome of a violent assault, underscoring the urgent need to address the pervasive issue of gender-based violence.

4.1. Attack and Circumstances

On 1 September 2024, Rebecca Cheptegei was subjected to a brutal attack at her residence in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. Her former partner, identified as Dickson Ndiema Marangach, reportedly doused her with petrol and set her ablaze. This horrific act resulted in Cheptegei sustaining severe burns covering 80% of her body, leaving her in a critical condition and requiring immediate hospitalization. Police investigations revealed that the assault reportedly stemmed from an argument over a property Cheptegei had recently purchased. Marangach also sustained injuries during the attack and was hospitalized alongside Cheptegei.

4.2. Passing and Perpetrator's Death

Rebecca Cheptegei died on 5 September 2024, at the age of 33, at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. The direct cause of her death was multiple organ dysfunction syndrome brought on by her extensive burn injuries. Four days later, on 9 September, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, her former partner and alleged assailant, also died in the same hospital. He had sustained burn injuries covering 40% of his body during the incident. At the time of Marangach's death, the police had been preparing to formally charge him with Cheptegei's murder.