Jeptoo's long and rugged journey to stardom

Rita Jeptoo

Rita Jeptoo has achieved the biggest prize in marathon running — winning Boston Marathon twice (2006, 2013 and 2014) and Chicago Marathon this year. She has certainly achieved what few other world-beating marathoners have attained.

Her tactical approach in races, the outstanding pace in the homestretch and the never-say-die spirit must have conspired well, to make her the bane of world marathon running.

Besides the win last month, Jeptoo was a runner-up at the lucrative Bank of America Chicago Marathon last year. She also has a brilliant 66.27 mark, the fifth fastest time ever, in 21km run RAK half marathon last year where she finished third.

Born in Karona village and bred at Kapcheplanget village in Trans-Nzoia County, Jeptoo has claimed scalps in local and well-heeled marathons around the world, thanks to her unrivaled determination and bravery in handling highly competitive races.

The alumni of Kapcheplanget Primary School and Kapcheplanget Girls' High School, Jeptoo has never disappointed her fans.

"When I am in top form, I do something unique...even beating the strongest field. I run better times in hard courses like New York, Chicago and Boston. Even high altitude ones like Kass Marathon," she said.

And the Boston Marathon win was a perfect reward for her life-long career dream which she developed while in primary school where she represented Trans-Nzoia District in 1996 national athletics, running barefoot in 1500m, 3000m and 800m but her favourite was 4x4 relays.

"I was the best in 400m and, above all, I was the finisher in 4x400m relays as I was the one with high speed. This made me run on tartan track barefoot in Kasarani in 1996 while I was in class five."

She is your typical Kenyan runner who trek long distances from home to school. She used cover almost 40 kilometres daily.

Although she competed in 5000m and 10,000m races, the determined Jeptoo had the 2000 London marathon winner Tegla Loroupe, her in-law, as her best sports women and always wanted to emulate her.

But a desire to practice hard and board a plane to compete abroad kept burning deep within her. And that aptly kept her winning the big marathons.