Mary Wacera Ngugi (born 17 December 1988) is a Kenyan

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who competes in road running events. She holds personal bests of 66:29 minutes for the half marathon, 30:50 minutes for the

10K run 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

, and 2:27:36 for the

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 ...

. As a junior, she was a

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

bronze medallist at the

2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Centre in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. ...

and the 2007 African junior champion. She is the widow of Samuel Wanjiru, the 2008 Olympic champion in the marathon, and had a daughter with him in 2010.

Biography

Early career

Her first major international appearance was in the

at the

. In a strong field featuring future world champions

Florence Kiplagat Florence Jebet Kiplagat (born 27 February, 1987) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships ...

and Bai Xue, she took the bronze medal. She topped the 5000 m podium at the

2007 African Junior Athletics Championships The 2007 African Junior Athletics Championships was the eighth edition of the biennial, continental athletics tournament for African athletes aged 19 years or younger. It was held in Ouagadougou Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest ...

, seeing off a challenge from the reigning world junior cross country champion

Pauline Korikwiang Pauline Chemning Korikwiang (born 1 March 1988) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and field, track and cross country running competitions. She rose in the youth ranks in 2005, taking a 3000 metres silver medal a ...

. She made her debut on the major European track circuit in 2008, running at the Golden Gala, but was some way off the winner.Mercy Wacera
Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2014-04-03. She won the Kenya Police title in the 5000 m that year. In 2009, she ran track bests of 8:55.89 minutes for the

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...

and 15:20.30 minutes for the 5000 m. She defended her Kenyan Police Championship title and also had some success in cross country running, placing at the

Lotto Cross Cup de Hannut The Lotto Cross Cup de Hannut is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Hannut in the Belgium, Belgian province of Liège (province), Liège. It holds permit meeting status from the European Athletic Association and attract ...

and winning the Le Mans Cross Country.

Marriage to Samuel Wanjiru

It was in 2009 that Wacera met Samuel Wanjiru, the 2008 Olympic marathon champion. The two ran at the same track in Nyahururu and soon bonded, with the pair legally marrying in December 2009. This caused relationship issues as Wanjiru already had two children by Terezah Njeri, whom he had married in a traditional ceremony, but not a legal one. Wacera, Njeri and Wanjiru's mother all lived on the same street and frequently argued with Wanjiru, who began drinking in excess and ceased his training.Epstein, David (2012-04-16)
To Run In Kenya, To Run In The World: The Mercurial Life and Mysterious Death of Sammy Wanjiru
'' Sports Illustrated''. Retrieved on 2014-04-03. Wacera had a child with Wanjiru around August 2010 called Ann, after Wanjiru's mother. On

St. Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

in 2011 Njeri and Wanjiru publicly reconciled on television and the runner swore that Njeri was his official wife, rather than Wacera. Wanjiru had relationships with further women and on 15 May 2011 he returned to his residence with Jane Nduta, a waitress he was dating. Njeri arrived soon after and the women began arguing, resulting in Njeri leaving the residence in anger after locking Wanjiru and Nduta in the bedroom. Wanjiru fell off the upstairs balcony of his house and subsequently died due to the injuries he sustained in the fall. His death was ruled as suicide, although many family members suggested he was murdered and police did not properly conduct a forensic investigation of the scene. Wacera, Njeri and Wanjiru's mother were in dispute of the funeral arrangements and management of the estate, with Njeri claiming to be Wanjiru's legal wife at time of death and Wacera and Wanjiru's mother claiming that Wacera had that position, legally.

Return to running

Wacera began competing in road running competitions towards the end of 2012, including a

best of 31:28 minutes and a win at the

Semi Marathon Saint Denis SEMI is an industry association comprising companies involved in the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. They provide equipment, materials and services for the manufacture of semiconductors, photovoltaic panels, LED and flat pane ...

in a time of 70:54 minutes. The former mark ranked her 11th in the world that year for the event. She made three outing ver the half marathon distance in 2013: she was third at the

Nice Half Marathon The Nice Half Marathon (french: Semi-marathon international de Nice) is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance (21.1 km) held in April in the city of Nice, France. It is organised by the Azur Sport Organisation, wh ...

and the

Mardi Gras Half Marathon The Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is an annual international road running marathon hosted by New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, since 1965. It is part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series organized by Advance ...

, but came only fifth at the

Luanda Half Marathon Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport, ...

. She also had success in her track specialty, coming second in the 5000 m at the Police Championships, before winning at the

Kenyan Athletics Championships The Kenyan Athletics Championships is an annual track and field meeting which serves as Kenya's national championships for the sport. Athletics Kenya, the country's governing body for athletics organises the event. The championships is usually hel ...

. She failed to finish at the trial event for the

2013 World Championships in Athletics The 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Moscow 2013) () was an international athletics competition held in Moscow, Russia, from 10–18 August 2013. Initially, Russia won the most gold medals to top the table for the first time since 200 ...

, however. At the start of 2014 she established herself among the top road runners by winning the

World's Best 10K The World's Best 10K (WB10K) is a road race of 10 kilometers celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico every year. It is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the International Amateur Athletic Federati ...

, defeating

Gladys Cherono Gladys Cherono Kiprono (born 12 May 1983) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and road running events. She became the first woman to win both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres at the African Championships in 2012. ...

Linet Masai Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (born 5 December 1989) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. She won her first world title in the 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. ...

and 2013 champion Joyce Chepkirui. Her first senior international medal followed in March at the

2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships took place on March 29, 2014. The races were held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The essentially flat one-loop course was beginning and ending in the city centre by Christiansborg Castle. Detailed repo ...

. Part of a strong Kenyan women's team that won the team gold by taking all top five positions, Wacera ran a personal best of 67:44 minutes for second place behind Gladys Cherono. 17 January 2016 - Mary Wacera won Houston Half Marathon in 66:29. Mary's time is a United States soil record. 11 October 2021 - Finished second in the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

in 2:25:20

Personal bests

– 8:55.89 (2009) *

– 15:20.30 (2009) *

– 30:50 (2021) * Half marathon – 66:29 (2016) *

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 ...

– 2:25:20 (2021)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wacera Ngugi, Mary Living people 1988 births Kenyan female long-distance runners 21st-century Kenyan women