For years, Sharon Cherop’s name evoked pride in Kenya’s athletics circles. The former Boston Marathon champion conquered some of the world’s toughest courses, pocketed six-figure paydays and built a legacy on grit, endurance, and an unrelenting will to win.
But away from roaring crowds and finish-line glory, Sharon now finds herself running a very different race, one fought in courtrooms, not on roads.
She is embroiled in an emotionally charged, multi-million-shilling property battle with her former husband, Matthew Bowen.
The saga has attracted national attention, especially within Eldoret’s athletics community, not just because of Sharon’s fame, but because it mirrors an unsettling pattern haunting many of Kenya’s most celebrated female athletes: dazzling success on the track, heartbreak and betrayal at home, and the devastating loss, or near-loss, of hard-earned fortunes.
Sharon and Bowen’s relationship began as a union of equals; both were accomplished runners, well acquainted with the discipline and sacrifice required for global competition. They solemnised their marriage in 2008 and were blessed with four children.
However, in October last year, the partnership collapsed when Sharon filed for divorce before Principal Magistrate Peter Ireri in Eldoret. Her petition was damning, boldly accusing her former lover and father of their children of infidelity, violence, absenteeism and cruelty.
Bowen, now an athletics coach in the United States, attempted to convince the court to save the marriage, but Ireri declared the union “irretrievably broken” and granted the divorce.
Sharon was awarded custody of their children. Yet, the emotional scars of the split were quickly overshadowed by an even more bitter dispute, one over property, money, and claims of betrayal.
Before Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the High Court, the former couple is battling over an enviable portfolio of assets. The list reads like the spoils of a successful sporting career.
A Sh34 million matrimonial home in Kipkorgot, registered as Kaptagat/Kaptagat Block 3 (Misoi) 622, along the Eldoret–Ravine highway.
Sh40 million prime property at Uasin Gishu/Kimumu Settlement Scheme/4994.
Rental complex near the University of Eldoret along the Eldoret–Ziwa road, bringing in Sh260,000 a month.
Beauty Smile and Cosmetics, at the Central Business District in Eldoret, valued at Sh5 million. They are also fighting over another property on the Eldoret–Iten highway, similarly valued at Sh5 million.
Bowen insists he is the rightful owner.
“I purchased and developed the aforesaid properties before 2024 and also set up a business known as Beauty Smile and Cosmetics in Eldoret town, which is worth Sh15 million and is currently being run by my former wife,” he says.
In court, Bowen accused Sharon of fraudulently registering the matrimonial home in her name and using a court order to evict him.
He further claimed she violated an order requiring rental income from the storey building to be deposited into their joint bank account.
“Some time in October 2020, my former wife issued a notice to my tenants to start paying rent through her personal account, hence the genesis of our disagreement,” he said. His proposal to the court was blunt: Sharon should receive a quarter of the assets, while he keeps three-quarters.
The marathon legend rejected Bowen’s claims, maintaining that her wealth came from years of relentless training and victories in gruelling local and international races. “I was able to acquire and develop the properties, including the matrimonial home, during my active life in athletics. I used my own finances on the acquisition,” she says.
Her affidavit tells of a marriage scarred by violence.
“My husband started assaulting me severely, rendering our marriage unsustainable. Due to his violent nature, I had to seek restraining orders for my safety and that of our children,” she recounts.
Worked for it
Cherop warned that if Bowen retains sole possession or control of the disputed properties, she risks losing everything she worked hard for.
“I face the danger of losing all my past investment should my ex-husband retain the sole occupation, possession or control of the said properties which were acquired by my sole efforts,” she said.
The High Court will resume hearings on September 16, 2025, a date now circled in the calendars of lawyers, journalists and curious onlookers alike. Sharon and Bowen’s case is one that is a pattern too familiar in the athletics circles.
The marathoner’s plight, while high-profile, is far from unique. Over the last two decades, Kenya’s athletics scene has witnessed a troubling string of cases where female stars have lost, or nearly lost, fortunes to lovers and husbands.
Pattern of heartbreak and loss
Behind the headlines of medals and multi-million-shilling endorsements lies a pattern: financial exploitation, property disputes, and, in the worst cases, violence.
Joan Rotich is a classic case of love turned deception. Joan’s story exploded online after she shared her experience in a raw, emotional video.
A successful athlete with millions in race earnings, she built a dream home and invested in assets, believing she was securing her future with partner Samuel Kiplagat.
But Kiplagat allegedly manipulated her into registering all properties in his name, including a Sh2.8 million tours and travel vehicle purchased with her prize money.
“Ni gari moja niliyonunua na pesa yangu yote. Almost Sh2.8 million. Inaenda Masai Mara… alinidanganya nikampa,(One of the vehicles I bought using my own money. Almost Sh2.8 million. It operates within Maasai Mara...I surrendered it to him after he persuaded me),” she recalled. Her heartbreak deepened when she discovered Kiplagat was already married with a family. A rogue agent later conned her out of Sh1.6 million from a race in Qatar, vanishing abroad.
Lucy Kabuu is also embroiled over multi-million shilling property dispute.
The marathon champion claims she amassed over Sh100 million in prize money, funneling it into property, businesses and investments.
But her marriage to Jeremiah Maina ended in a bitter court battle over wealth division. Her athletic prowess had earned her millions, allowing her to invest in real estate, businesses and luxury assets.
Yet, even wealth and success could not shield her from personal ruin. Her marriage to Maina ended in a bitter divorce, with the husband demanding half of her fortune.
Pamela Jelimo rose from gold, global riches to courtrooms. At 18, Pamela became an Olympic champion and millionaire. But her marriage to Peter Kiprotich Murrey ended in acrimony, with Murrey demanding a share of her wealth and even ownership of farm machinery.
Her marriage to Murrey, which had seemed like a fairy tale, quickly turned into a bitter legal battle. Murrey, the man she had loved since high school, dragged her to court, demanding a share of her hard-earned fortune. “We moved from being an almost invisible couple to this famous and wealthy couple… I felt like a squatter in my own home,” Murrey told the press.
The public spectacle pushed Pamela into retreat, avoiding the media glare she once embraced.
Fatal betrayals
Agnes Tirop’s story was one of fatal betrayal. A rising star, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist, and a world-record holder, she had a promising future with millions earned from international races and endorsements.
But behind her success was a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. The World Championships bronze medalist was murdered in 2021, allegedly by her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, amid financial disputes.
On September 12, 2021, Agnes set a new women’s-only 10km road running world record in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
A month later, she was found dead in her home in Iten, having suffered multiple stab wounds. In one court testimony at the start of Rotich’s trial in November 2023, Agnes’ sister claimed he had physically assaulted Agnes on many occasions
Rotich, who was arrested after the alleged murder, denied the charges before the court. Agnes’ death sent shockwaves through Kenya and underscored the deadly stakes that can accompany wealth and control
Ugandan marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei’s death was a story of a love and land dispute that ended in tragedy. In September 2024, Cheptegei, who had been living in Kenya, was set ablaze and killed, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend after a dispute over land and infidelity.
Her death reinforced a growing fear: that fame and fortune often attract dangerous partners more interested in control than love. Rebecca’s gruesome murder reignited calls for better protection of female athletes from predatory partners.
Vivian Cheruiyot was also involved in alleged disputes with her husband over land income. Nicknamed “The Pocket Rocket,” Vivian has leveled allegations against her husband of financial mismanagement in her marriage. She accused her husband, Moses Kiplagat, of mishandling proceeds from their agricultural land without her consent.
These stories cut across generations and disciplines and carry striking similarities. The women’s wealth often comes young, sometimes before they are 20, and is paired with limited financial literacy, immense trust in partners, and cultural pressures to share resources.
For Sharon, as for many before her, the question is no longer whether she can win on the track. It’s whether she can protect her legacy, and her children’s future, from the man she once called her husband.
The court battle ahead will decide the fate of millions in assets, but it will also serve as another chapter in the broader cautionary tale facing Kenya’s female athletes.