NAIROBI — Ambassador Tegla Loroupe completed an 840-kilometre peace marathon on Sunday, journeying from the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei refugee settlement to Uhuru Park in Nairobi to champion peace, education, hope, and unity among refugee and host communities.
Loroupe, one of Kenya’s most celebrated distance runners and a renowned peace advocate, led the endurance run across nine counties, bringing together professional athletes, refugees, youth, and local community leaders along the route.
The Slovak Ambassador to Kenya, Maroš Mitrík, joined Loroupe for the final kilometre of the journey. According to the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nairobi, Loroupe was accompanied by 28 refugee runners during the final stage a joint effort highlighting inclusion, dignity, and peaceful coexistence.
“We are not running for medals; we are running for a cause,” Loroupe stated during the event. “We are running for the plight of refugees and local communities, to foster peace, promote education, and give hope to those who need it most.”
The former champion the first African woman to win the New York City Marathon has long used her global athletic status to advance conflict resolution through the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation.
Throughout the run, the campaign emphasized sports diplomacy and community resilience, particularly during political transitions.
“This marathon carries a message across nine counties that we need peace before, during, and after elections,” Loroupe added. “Our young people must be given the opportunity to vote peacefully, live peacefully, and build their communities together.”
With humanitarian funding facing global constraints, Loroupe linked social stability directly to fundamental resources: “Food security is peace. Education is peace. Opportunity for our youth is peace. When people have basic needs met and a sense of hope, they choose peace over conflict.”
The roster of participants underscored personal transformation through sport. Among those running was Eliza Lopilale, a former bandit from West Pokot who abandoned armed insurgency after participating in the inaugural Tegla Loroupe Peace Race in 2003. Lopilale, who hails from Lelan and currently resides in Kanyarkwat, now serves as Loroupe’s Personal Assistant.
Congolese refugee and Peace Ambassador Msafiri Francois also ran key segments, advocating for refugee rights and societal integration.
The initiative received broad backing from local and international institutions, including the Ministry of Sports, Athletics Kenya, Dubai Energy, the African Union, UNHCR, ANOCA, and the Nyamira County Government, alongside local security teams and administration officers.
Reflecting on the achievement at Uhuru Park, Loroupe framed the marathon as her ultimate athletic milestone.
“Winning medals comes with pride, but winning peace for Africa will be my greatest victory,” Loroupe said. “That is the legacy I want to leave behind as I step away from track and field.”
