Running to Open Doors and Change Lives
Tegla Loroupe and Wilson Kipketer
In 1994, Tegla Loroupe ran so effortlessly over the 26.2 miles of the New York City Marathon course that her feet seemed barely to touch the pavement. When she crossed the finish in Central Park in 2:27:37, more than two minutes in front of the next woman, the 21-year-old Kenyan became the first-ever African woman to win a major marathon. Loroupe defended her title in 1995, and she has remained one of the most beloved of New York City Marathon champions, returning many times to delight her adoring fans, who cheer for her simply as “Tegla.” She placed eighth (2:41:48) as recently as 2007.
Now 38 and retired from competitive racing, Loroupe will run the ING New York City Marathon again in 2011, this time to raise funds for the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, an organization that promotes peaceful coexistence and socioeconomic development among poor and marginalized men, women, and children in East Africa. Among many other projects, the foundation has built four schools for orphans in Kenya.
“I went through a lot of hardship growing up in Kenya, and running was my way out,” Loroupe says. “At first, I competed just to beat my brothers and prove that girls can run, but soon I realized that running could open doors.”
Loroupe will share her five-borough journey on November 6 with Wilson Kipketer, 38, a Kenyan-born three-time world champion at 800 meters. Kipketer has never tackled a marathon, but he’s gotten some great tips from Loroupe, who has reminded him to stay hydrated and to enjoy the experience. “I told him the kids he’s running for will inspire him when he needs it most,” she says.
Like Loroupe, Kipketer believes that running has the power to transform children’s lives. “Running changed everything for me,” he says. “Sports can give impoverished kids a reason to dream and a way to be successful.”
