Rita Jeptoo facts for kids
Rita Jeptoo at the 2007 Boston Marathon
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rita Jeptoo Sitienei |
| Born | February 15, 1981 |
| Sport | |
| Country | Kenya |
| Event(s) | Marathon, half marathon |
Rita Jeptoo (born 15 February 1981) is a famous Kenyan marathon runner. She has won many big races. These include the Boston Marathon two times. She also won marathons in Chicago, Stockholm, and Milan.
In 2014, Jeptoo faced a challenge. She was found to have used a substance that was not allowed in sports. This led to her being stopped from competing for a few years.
Contents
Her Running Journey
Rita Jeptoo started her marathon career with a bang. In 2004, she won the Stockholm Marathon. This was her very first marathon race. She then won the Milan Marathon right after.
In 2005, she came third in the Turin Marathon. She also placed seventh at the World Championships.
Big Wins and Challenges
The year 2006 was very successful for Rita. She won the Boston Marathon with her fastest time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 38 seconds. She also won the Paris Half Marathon. She earned a bronze medal at the World Road Running Championships. Later that year, she finished fourth in the New York City Marathon.
In 2007, she tried to win Boston again but came fourth. She said the cold weather made it hard for her. She won the Lisbon Half Marathon that year. She also set a new record at the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race.
Coming Back to Racing
Rita won the Portugal Half Marathon in 2008. She placed third in Boston and fourth in New York that season. She then took some time off from running. She returned to racing in 2011 after having a baby.
Her first marathon back was the Rotterdam Marathon. She finished fifth there. She then ran her fastest marathon since 2005 at the Frankfurt Marathon.
In 2012, she came sixth at the 2012 Boston Marathon. She had a great race at the 2012 Chicago Marathon. She finished second and ran her personal best time. This was 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 4 seconds.
In 2013, she ran even faster. She finished third in the RAK Half Marathon. Her time of 66 minutes and 27 seconds made her one of the fastest ever.
That same year, she won both the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon. Her Chicago time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 57 seconds was her fastest ever.
Fair Play Rules and Disqualification
In 2014, Rita Jeptoo won the Chicago Marathon again. However, she later had a problem with a sports rule. A test showed she had used a substance that was not allowed for athletes.
Because of this, she was stopped from competing for two years. Later, this ban was made longer, to four years. The sports court also decided that her wins after April 17, 2014, would not count. This included her wins in the 2014 Boston and Chicago marathons. This means she was disqualified from those races.
Personal Life
Rita Jeptoo is married to Noah Busienei. He is also a runner.
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Kenya |
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| 2004 | Stockholm Marathon | Stockholm, Sweden | 1st | Marathon | 2:35:14 |
| Milan Marathon | Milan, Italy | 1st | Marathon | 2:28:11 | |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 7th | Marathon | 2:24:22 |
| 2006 | Paris Half Marathon | Paris, France | 1st | Half marathon | 1:09:56 |
| Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:23:38 | |
| 2007 | Lisbon Half Marathon | Lisbon, Portugal | 1st | Half marathon | 1:07:05 |
| 2013 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:26:25 |
| Chicago Marathon | Chicago, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:19:57 | |
| 2014 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | DSQ (1st) | Marathon | |
| Chicago Marathon | Chicago, United States | DSQ (1st) | Marathon | ||
See also
In Spanish: Rita Jeptoo para niños
