Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died from complications due to burns she suffered, after her boyfriend set her on fire. She was 33. Cheptegei competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics representing Uganda.

On August 1, her former boyfriend Dickson Ndiema went to her house, poured gasoline over her, and set her on fire. They had a disagreement over her land. Ndiema was also burned in the attack. Cheptegei’s house is in Western Kenya in Trans Nzoia County. Apparently, Ndiema snuck into the house while the marathon runner was at church with her two children.

Trans-Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom told The Star (Kenyan Newspaper) “The two were rescued by neighbors who put out the fire and rushed them to hospital.” The former boyfriend’s condition is improving and stable.

Cheptegei was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. She had burns on  more than 75% of her body. Her death was announced by the hospital’s director and the Ugandan Athletics Federation on August 5, four days after she was attacked.  She suffered from multi-organ failure.

Cheptegei was born and raised in Cheminy, Uganda. She moved to Kenya because it cost less and it was easier to train in Kenya. She bought and developed her land in Kenya.

The 2024 Olympics was Cheptegei’s first time competing in the Olympics. She finished number 44 in the women’s marathon.

Per The Standard, Cheptegei started competing seriously  in 2010. She was the “2022 Padova Marathon winner and finished fourth in the Abu Dhabi Marathon that same year. She also represented Uganda in the 2011 and 2013 World Cross Championships in Punta Umbria and Bydgoszcz.” The races she competed in included 1,500 meters, 10,000 meters, full and half-marathons. Her personal record was set in the Abu Dhabi marathon with a (2:22:47).

Joseph Cheptegei, the father of Rebecca Cheptegei, stated that his daughter and former boyfriend had been estranged for some time and were involved in a dispute over her land in western Kenya. According to The Standard, the two were set to appear before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Kenya.

“The land has caused many issues,” he said to reporters on Thursday, adding that he urged the government to safeguard her children and property to ensure that no one intrudes on her home or takes anything.

The police confirmed the land disputes and are continuing the investigation.

Rest In Peace.

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