World Marathon Champion Pinned as Honorary Rotarian

Kenya’s Tegla Lorupe, the first African woman to hold a marathon world record for three years between 1998 and 2001, is now an honorary Rotarian.

“Today I had the honor to give honorary Rotary membership to Tegla,’’ District Governor Leonard Ithau said. “Tegla is a global spokesperson for peace, women’s rights and education, areas that are of concern to Rotary,’’ District Governor Leonard Ithau said.’’

Rotary District 9212 Governor Leonard Ithau on bestowing honorary membership to Tegla Lorupe

She founded Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation to create peace initiatives in East African pastoralist conflict areas. Since its founding in 2003, thousands of athletes have trained and competed in Peace Races held in conflict areas in Kenya and Uganda.

Since 2015, hundreds of refugee athletes from South Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries have trained at the Tegla Loroupe International Olympic Refugee Training Camp in Ngong, Kenya, just to the west of Nairobi.

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In 2016, Ambassador Tegla Loroupe led the International Refugee Olympic team to Rio, where five of the Ngong Training Camp athletes competed. In 2021, Ambassador Tegla Loroupe led the International Refugee Olympic team to Tokyo.