Donation Amount. Min £2

Mary Keitany, the world record holder in a women marathon, speaks during an interview with Reuters as she takes part in the 2019 Athletes Annual Conference in Eldoret, Kenya. December 4, 2019. Photo REUTERS/Njeri Mwangi

 

(Reuters) - Kenya’s Mary Keitany, the world record holder for a women-only marathon, announced her retirement on Wednesday at the age of 39 due to a back injury.

Keitany set the record in her third London Marathon win in 2017, finishing in a time of two hours 17 minutes and one second. Her compatriot Brigid Kosgei and Briton Paula Radcliffe are the only two women to have run a marathon quicker, having done so in mixed gender races.

Keitany said the COVID-19 pandemic had denied her the chance to receive treatment for a back injury sustained in 2019.

"I'm sad to say, a back injury that I suffered in late 2019 made a decision about my retirement for me," Keitany said in a statement here.

“I couldn’t get the treatment I wanted in Europe because of the pandemic-related travel restrictions last year and every time I thought I had got over the injury and started training hard, it became a problem again.

“So now is the time to say goodbye -- if only as an elite runner - to the sport I love so much.”

Keitany won the New York Marathon four times, including three consecutive victories between 2014-16, and the world half marathon title in 2009. She finished fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. - Hritika Sharma, Reuters

About IEA Media Ltd

Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.

To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.

We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.

Get in touch

Our Offices

London, UK
+44 7886 544135
editor (@) informereastafrica.com
Slough, UK
+44 7957 636854
info (@) informereastafrica.com

Latest News

Woman condemns Vietnamese husband’s deportation to South Sudan

Woman condemns Vietn...

A woman in Pierce County, Washington state, has expressed outrage after her husband was unexpectedly...

Kenya targets Sh10bn annual earnings from Macadamia as govt commits to sector growth

Kenya targets Sh10bn...

Kindiki outlined the government’s vision to transform the macadamia sub-sector into a major contribu...

Bill Gates to give most of his $200bn fortune to Africa

Bill Gates to give m...

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says that most of his fortune will be spent on improving health and edu...

Let views on Finance Bill count, ex-Senator Billow Kerrow tells government

Let views on Finance...

Former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow. [Screengrab] Political economist, Billow Kerrow, has urged th...

For Advertisement

Big Reach

Informer East Africa is one platform for all people. It is a platform where you find so many professionals under one umbrella serving the African communities together.

Very Flexible

We exist to inform you, hear from you and connect you with what is happening around you. We do this professionally and timely as we endeavour to capture all that you should never miss. Informer East Africa is simply news for right now and the future.

Quality News

We only bring to you news that is verified, checked and follows strict journalistic guidelines and standards. We believe in 1. Objective coverage, 2. Impartiality and 3. Fair play.

Banner & Video Ads

A banner & video advertisement from our sponsors will show up every once in a while. It keeps us and our writers coffee replenished.