Tegla Loroupe

World-record-holding marathon runner and peace activist who uses sports to resolve conflicts in East Africa.

Tegla Loroupe (born 1973) is a Kenyan long-distance runner and global advocate for peace. She became the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon in 1994 and held the world record for the 25,000-meter race. Beyond athletics, Loroupe founded the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation in 2003, which organizes cross-border sports initiatives to reconcile communities in conflict zones like South Sudan and Kenya’s Rift Valley.

Her Peace Through Sports program has disarmed over 10,000 warriors by exchanging weapons for running shoes, offering education and vocational training. Loroupe also served as the Chief Marshal for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Rio Games, highlighting the plight of displaced athletes. In 2021, she was appointed UN Ambassador for Sport and Peace, leveraging her platform to address gender-based violence and poverty.

Loroupe’s dual legacy as an athlete and humanitarian demonstrates how determination and empathy can drive social change. By transforming marathons into tools for dialogue, she has redefined the role of sports in fostering global unity.