Martha Komu (born March 23, 1983, in

Gathanji Gathanji is a settlement in Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , ...

Laikipia District Laikipia County is one of the 47 Counties of Kenya, located on the Equator in the former Rift Valley Province of the Country. Laikipia is a cosmopolitan County and is Listed as County number 31. The county has two major urban centres: Nanyuki t ...

) is a Kenyan runner who specialises in a

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. She won the

Paris Marathon The Paris Marathon (french: Marathon de Paris) is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Paris, France. It is the marathon with the second-most finishers in the world, behind the New York City Marathon. The marathon begins along the Champs ...

in 2008 and finished fifth at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

Career

Komu started her education at Nyakiambi and Lariak primary schools. In 1997 she went to Laikipia High School, where she started running. In her early career she took part in various

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...

and

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

competitions, but without major success. In 2003, she moved her base to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where she represents the Clermont Athlétisme Auvergne athletics club. After a maternity break in 2005, she returned to competition in 2006 and won the

Mont Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is ...

marathon, her debut marathon. She also won the Rheims marathon in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, she won the

, setting a personal record of 2:25.33 hours. This performance earned her a place in the Kenyan Olympics team. Her husband Simon Munyutu finished 11th in the men's race at the 2008 Paris Marathon; their combined time of 4:34:57 hours, according to marathon statistician Marty Post, is the best achieved by a married couple in the same marathon.

Personal life

Komu was the sixth born of twelve children. Her father used to be a runner and her elder brother Francis Komu is a road running competitor. She is married to Simon Munyutu, a Kenyan-born runner who represents France. They both competed at the 2008 Olympics, but for different countries. They have a daughter born in 2005.

Achievements

*2006 Mont-Saint-Michel Marathon - 1st *2007 Rotterdam Marathon - 8th *2008

- 1st

References

External links

* *
Marta Komu
at Marathoninfo.free.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Komu, Martha 1983 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics Kenyan female long-distance runners Olympic athletes for Kenya Paris Marathon female winners 21st-century Kenyan women 21st-century Kenyan people