Sharon Lokedi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sharon Lokedi

Lokedi winning the 10,000 m at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Nationality	Kenyan
Born	(1994-03-10) March 10, 1994 (age 31) Burnt Forest, Kenya
Employer	Under Armour
Height	5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m)
Sport
Country	Kenya
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Middle-, long-distance running; Cross country
College team	Kansas
Club	Dark Sky Distance
Coached by	Stephen Haas
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Kenya World Marathon Majors Gold 2022 New York Marathon Silver 2024 Boston Marathon Bronze 2023 New York Marathon Gold 2025 Boston Marathon

Sharon Lokedi, born on March 10, 1994, is a talented runner from Kenya. She is known for her amazing speed in both middle and long-distance races.

In 2018, Sharon won the 10,000-meter race at a big college championship. She became an "All-American" 10 times and won 12 championships in the Big 12 conference during her college career. In 2022, she ran her very first marathon, the New York City Marathon, and won it! She also won the Boston Marathon in 2025.

Sharon went to the University of Kansas (KU) where she studied nursing and business. She started running for her college team in 2015.

Early Life and School

Sharon is the daughter of Jonathan and Rose Lokedi. She has three younger brothers and sisters.

High School Achievements

At the Kapkenda Girls’ School, Sharon was a star athlete. She earned four "letters" in track, which means she was a top performer. She still holds the school records for the 3000-meter and 5000-meter races. In 2013, her school named her "Best Athlete of the Year."

College Running Career

Sharon Lokedi joined the University of Kansas track and cross country teams in 2015. She quickly became one of their best runners.

Freshman Year (2015)

In her first college race, Sharon finished sixth in the 3000-meter indoor event. She improved her time and became the eighth-fastest KU runner ever in that race. She also ran the 5000 meters.

Sharon led her team in all five cross country races she ran that year. She finished 10th at the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championships. This made her the second "All-American" in KU's history for cross country.

Sophomore Year (2016)

In 2016, Sharon continued to shine. She finished sixth in the 5000-meter indoor race at the NCAA championships. She won the Big 12 Indoor Championship in the 3000 meters.

Outdoors, she placed sixth in the 10,000-meter race at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also won the 10,000 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship. In cross country, she finished fifth at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Junior Year (2017)

Sharon took a break from indoor running in 2017 for health reasons. But she came back strong for the outdoor season. She finished third in the 10,000-meter race at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championship. This earned her more "All-America" honors.

She set a new Kansas school record in the 10,000 meters. She also won Big 12 titles in both the 10,000 and 5,000 meters. Sharon set another school record in the 5000-meter run.

She was named the Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second year in a row. She was one of only four women in Big 12 history to win multiple conference titles.

Senior Year (2018)

In 2018, Sharon broke her own KU school record in the 5000-meter indoor race. She also set a new school record in the 3,000-meter run. She won both the 5000-meter and 3000-meter titles at the Big 12 Indoor Championship.

At the NCAA Indoor Championships, she finished third in the 5000 meters and sixth in the 3000 meters. This earned her two more "First Team All-America" awards.

Her most exciting win came at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In the 10,000-meter race, Sharon passed the favorite runner, Karissa Schweizer, on the very last lap. Sharon won the race with an amazing time of 32:09.20. This time was 18 seconds faster than the old meet record from 30 years ago!

Final College Season (2019)

In December 2018, Sharon ran a very fast 5000-meter race. Her time was one of the best in NCAA history on a 200-meter track. This time also helped her qualify for the 2019 World Championships.

At the 2019 Big 12 indoor track and field championship, Sharon won both the 5000-meter and 3000-meter races. She finished 11th in the 5000-meter race at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Professional Running Career

Sharon Lokedi in the 2025 Boston Marathon, which she won

After college, Sharon became a professional runner.

First Pro Race

In her very first professional race, Sharon easily won the Carlsbad 5K. Her boyfriend, Edward Cheserek, also tied a world record in the men's race that day.

Marathon Debut and Wins

In November 2022, Sharon surprised everyone when she ran her first-ever marathon. She won the 2022 New York City Marathon by seven seconds! Her time was 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 23 seconds.

In April 2025, Sharon Lokedi won the 2025 Boston Marathon. She set a new record for women on that course with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 22 seconds.

Personal Best Times

These are Sharon Lokedi's fastest times in different races:

• 3000 meters – 9:14.18 (Chandler, AZ 2021)
• 5000 meters – 15:18.03 (Los Angeles, CA 2020)
• 10,000 meters – 31:11.07 (San Juan Capistrano, CA 2020)
• 5 kilometers – 15:16 (Boston, MA 2022)
• 10 kilometers – 31:06 (Manchester 2022)
• Half marathon – 1:08:14 (New York, NY 2022)
• Marathon – 2:17:22 (Boston, MA 2025)

See also

In Spanish: Sharon Lokedi para niños