Olympic Marathon Runner Passes Away After Being Set On Fire By Boyfriend

Rebecca Cheptegei, a marathon runner who ran for Uganda in the Paris Olympics, has died following an altercation with her boyfriend in which he set her on fire. The 33-year-old reportedly sustained 80% burns to her body.

Cheptegei, who lives in Kenya, was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County in East Africa. Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said on Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her and set her on fire. Ndiema reportedly sustained serious burns as a result of the attack as well.

The police report noted that the couple had been overheard fighting over land where the house they were in was built.

She was receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and spokesperson Owen Menach confirmed her death on Thursday.

"We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei … following a vicious attack by her boyfriend. May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure," Donald Rukare, president of Uganda Olympics Committee, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Cheptegei made her Olympic debut during last month's marathon in the Summer Games where she finished 44th. She won the Padova Marathon in 2022 and finished runner-up in the 10,000-meter race at the Ugandan Championships.

A report by the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics published in January 2023 found that 34 percent of women in the country have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.