Tegla Loroupe
Awards & Honours
4
Awards Won
4
Honours
1
Rankings
4
Records
Tegla Loroupe's record is defined by breaking barriers for African women in athletics. She was the first African woman to win a major marathon and the first to hold the women's world marathon record. Her three World Half-Marathon Championship titles place her among the elite in the event's history. Beyond the track, her induction into the Laureus World Sports Academy highlights her unique dual legacy as a champion athlete and a peacebuilder. She is one of the few athletes to receive the Order of the Burning Spear, a high national honour in Kenya. Her work with refugees has been recognized globally, influencing policy changes at the highest levels of international sports governance.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Member of the Laureus World Sports Academy
Inducted for outstanding contribution to sport and society
Order of the Burning Spear
Awarded for exceptional service to the nation
UN Goodwill Ambassador
Appointed to advocate for refugees and displaced persons
New York Road Runners Hall of Fame
Inducted for historic victories and contributions to the sport
Rankings & Lists
Most Famous Person from Kenya
Records & Feats
First African Woman to Win Major Marathon
Became the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon in 1994
Women's Marathon World Record
Set the world record of 2:20:47 at the Berlin Marathon
Three-Time World Half-Marathon Champion
Won the World Half-Marathon Championships in 1998, 1999, and 2005
Oldest Female Marathon Finisher (Active Era)
Competed in the Chicago Marathon at age 52 in 2025