Tegla Loroupe

Tegla Loroupe (born May 9, 1973 in Kapsait, Kenya) is a two-time Marathon world record holder (1998 Rotterdam, 1999 Berlin). She still holds the world records for 20, 25 and 30 kilometres. She is a three-time World Half-Marathon champion and was the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon, which she has won twice. She has won marathons in London, Boston, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin, and the Millenium Marathon in Rome in 2000.

In 2006, she was named a United Nations Ambassador of Sport by Secretary General Kofi Annan, together with Roger Federer, tennis champion from Switzerland and Katrina Webb paralympics gold medalist from Australia.

She is an International Sports Ambassador also for UNICEF and a global spokeswoman for peace, women’s rights, and education.