Margaret Okayo

Last updated
Margaret Okayo
Margaret Okayo London 2005.jpg
Okayo running in the 2005 London Marathon
Personal information
Born (1976-05-30) 30 May 1976 (age 48)
Masaba, Kisii District, Kenya
Height1.51 m (4 ft 11 in)
Sport
Country Kenya
Sport Athletics
Event Marathon
Achievements and titles
Personal best2:22:35 (London 2004)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
World Marathon Majors
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2001 New York City Marathon
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2002 Boston Marathon
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2003 New York City Marathon
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 London Marathon
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1999 Chicago Marathon
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2000 New York City Marathon

Margaret Okayo (born 30 May 1976) is a professional Kenyan marathon runner. She has won four World Marathon Majors with victories in the New York City Marathon (two times), the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon, setting three course records. Okayo's 2003 New York course record of 2:22:31 still stands today, despite the challenge of some of the world’s best distance runners having the benefit of improved shoe technology. [1] She has also won the San Diego Marathon on two occasions.

Contents

Biography

Margaret Okayo started running while at primary school. She graduated from the Itierio Secondary School, located near Kisii town, in 1993. She was recruited by Kenya Prisons Service, home to the country's top women's marathon runners, in 1995 where she nurtured her running career. [2]

At the 1998 Commonwealth Games she finished fifth in 10,000 metres. She finished thirteenth at the 1999 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.

Amongst her most successful races are the wins at the New York Marathon in 2001 and 2003, the Boston Marathon in 2002 and the London Marathon in 2004. She still holds the course records at the New York Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

Other marathons won by Okayo include Milan in 2003, San Diego in 2000 and 2001. She represented her native Kenya in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, but did not finish the marathon. She spends three months of every year training in Italy.

She won the 2003 Udine Half Marathon and finished third at the 2008 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon. [3] [4]

Okayo is of the Gusii tribe. She is managed by Federico Rosa and coached by Gabriele Rosa.

Achievements

Representing Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
1999 Chicago Marathon Chicago, IL, United States2nd2:26:00
2000 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon San Diego, CA, United States1st2:27:05
New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States3rd2:26:36
2001 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon San Diego, CA, United States1st2:25:05
New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States1st2:24:21
2002 Boston Marathon Boston, MA, United States1st2:20:43
Milan Marathon Milan, Italy1st2:24:59
2003 Boston Marathon Boston, MA, United States4th2:27:39
New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States1st2:22:31
2004 London Marathon London, United Kingdom1st2:22:35
Olympic Games Athens, Greece DNF
New York City Marathon New York, NY, United States4th2:26:31
2005 London Marathon London, United Kingdom4th2:25:22
2006 London Marathon London, United Kingdom9th2:29:16

Related Research Articles

Edith Chewanjel Masai is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who specialised in cross country and track races, then road races in her late career. She represented Kenya at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Her best achievements are three individual gold medals in the short race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships between 2002 and 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Ndereba</span> Kenyan marathon runner

Catherine Nyambura Ndereba is a retired Kenyan marathon runner. Between 2003 and 2008, she finished in the top two in five successive global championship marathons. Ndereba has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, becoming Kenya's first female multi-medalist. She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a two-time winner of the Chicago Marathon. It was at the latter in 2001 that she broke the women's marathon world record with a time of 2:18:47.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hellen Jemaiyo Kimutai</span> Kenyan marathon runner

Hellen Jemaiyo Kimutai is a Kenyan marathon runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot</span> Kenyan long-distance runner (born 1978)

Robert "Mwafrika" Kipkoech Cheruiyot, sometimes known as Omar Ahmed, is a Kenyan marathon runner and is the former record holder and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Kiplagat</span> Kenyan long-distance runner

Florence Jebet Kiplagat is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She was the world record holder for the women's half marathon with a time of 1:05:09 hours until it was broken by Peres Jepchirchir on 10 February 2017 at the RAK Half Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Incerti</span> Italian long-distance runner

Anna Carmela Incerti is an Italian long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She has represented Italy in the marathon at European, World and Olympic-level. She won the bronze in the event at the 2010 European Championships, later upgraded to silver and then to gold.

Alice Jemeli Timbilil is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time Olympian, having competed over 10,000 metres at both the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilda Kibet</span> Dutch runner of Kenyan birth (born 1981)

Hilda Kibet is a Dutch runner of Kenyan birth. She is the sister of Sylvia Kibet and the niece of Lornah Kiplagat. She obtained Dutch nationality in October 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salina Kosgei</span> Kenyan long-distance runner

Salina Jebet Kosgei is a long distance runner from Kenya. She is a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, has competed at the Olympics and has won various marathons, including the 2009 Boston Marathon.

Michael Kosgei Rotich, or Mike Rotich is a marathon runner from Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firehiwot Dado</span> Ethiopian long-distance runner

Firehiwot Tufa Dado is a female long-distance runner from Ethiopia, who won the New York City Marathon in 2011 with a personal best time of 2:23:15 hours. She also took three consecutive victories in the Rome City Marathon.

Jonathan Kosgei Kipkorir is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in road running competitions, including marathons. He is a two-time winner of the Venice Marathon, with consecutive wins in 2006 and 2007, and won the 2010 Beppu-Ōita Marathon. He also competes over the half marathon and has wins from the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon and Porto Half Marathon. His personal best in the marathon is 2:07:31 while he has run 1:00:19 for the half marathon distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roma-Ostia Half Marathon</span>

The Roma–Ostia Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in early March in Rome, Italy. The course begins in the EUR district of the city and follows a direct southeasterly route to the finish point near the beaches of Ostia. It is Italy's most popular half marathon, with a record 12,000 entries and 9,485 finishers in 2011.

Agnes Jepkemboi Kiprop is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon events. Initially a cross country specialist, she has focused on marathons since 2008 and has won races in Reims, Turin, Frankfurt, Prague and Hannover. She holds a personal best of 2:23:54 hours for the event.

Benson Kipchumba Barus is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon and half marathon competitions. He has a personal best of 2:07:07 hours for the distance, set at the 2011 Prague Marathon, which he won. He also won the 2009 Turin Marathon and has placed top three in Rome, Beijing and Chuncheon.

Tiziana Alagia is a retired Italian long-distance runner who specialised in the marathon. She represented Italy at the World Championships in Athletics in 2001. A one-time Italian marathon champion, her best for the distance was 2:27:53 hours. She primarily competed in Italy and won marathon races in Florence, Carpi, Turin, Padova and Piacenza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hellen Obiri</span> Kenyan middle- and long- distance runner

Hellen Onsando Obiri is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country. Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 metres. She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5,000 m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. Obiri also took world bronze for the 1,500 metres in 2013 and silver in the 10,000 m in 2022. She won the 3,000 metres race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. She is the 2019 World Cross Country champion. Obiri triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon race. She places fifth in the half marathon on the world all-time list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Udine Half Marathon</span>

The Udine Half Marathon is an annual road running event over the half marathon distance (21.1 km/13.1 mi) which takes place in late September in Udine, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philomena Cheyech</span> Kenyan long-distance runner

Flomena Cheyech Daniel is a Kenyan athlete who competes in long distance and marathon races. She set her personal best of 2:22:44 winning the 2014 Paris Marathon and was a gold medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She represented Kenya at the 1999 IAAF Junior World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland and at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She was based in Japan between 2007 and 2010, running for the Uniqlo corporate team, and was a two-time winner of the Japanese Corporate Half Marathon. She has also won marathons in Vienna and Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netsanet Gudeta</span> Ethiopian long-distance runner

Netsanet Gudeta Kebede is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running and cross country running events. She was the bronze medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2015. She shared in the team title at that competition and also won team silver at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2014. Her best for the half marathon is 66:11 minutes.

References

  1. Turnbull, Simon (16 April 2023). "Ndereba and Okayo – the marathon greats who blazed a trail for Kenyan women". World Athletics . Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  2. "Kenya: Athletics - Prisons Staff Line Up for National Meet". Daily Nation . AllAfrica. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  3. "Italian road race season off to flying start with Bekele and Okayo". IAAF. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. "Women's course record goes at Rome-Ostia Half Marathon with 1:09 run". IAAF. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2016.