Sarah Kiptoo Cheriwoi (born 1989) is a Kenyan-born

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 is the winner of the 2014 Casablanca International Marathon as well as the 2013 and 2016

Grandma's Marathon Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The ...

, the 2017

Philadelphia Marathon The Philadelphia Marathon (aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon) is an annual marathon sporting event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the third Sunday of November each year since 1954. The Philadelphia Marathon ranks among the top te ...

and several other American road races.

Professional career

Before winning the Grandma's Marathon in June 2013 (and setting a new course record), Kiptoo ran and won several half marathons (as well as 5K and 10K road races) in the Netherlands, Finland, France, and England, while also finishing third at the Helsinki Marathon and top-10 in the

Reims à Toutes Jambes Reims à Toutes Jambes (''English: Reims at Full Speed'') is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km ha ...

, Madrid Half Marathon,

Prague Half Marathon The Prague Half Marathon (known as the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Spring on the city streets of Prague, Czech Republic, first held in 1999. It ...

and Great Bristol Half Marathon. She took the 30,000-runner Indianapolis Half Marathon woman's win in 2013 as well, clocking a 1:12:26. In May 2013, she was in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, for the Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon. With a time of 2:33:42, Kiptoo won the race while lowering her personal record by more than 10 minutes. She won the race again in 2014. Her first

in 2013 showed her aggressive running style and characteristic fast start. She had trained in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

, and arrived at the shores of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

ready to push the pace. She left Everlyne Lagat and clocked 1:11:31 at the half marathon mark, then kept the speed high to break Firiya Sultanova's course-record time from 2003. Kiptoo finished in 2:26:32 and won $20,000 along with a new

Toyota Corolla The is a series of compact cars (formerly subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in ...

. She returned to the race in 2014, finishing third. In 2015, she was leading, but

Jane Kibii Jane Kibii (born March 10, 1985) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon races and other road running events. She is from Moiben. Kibii has won the California International Marathon, the Twin Cities Marathon (twice), and Grandma's ...

passed her in the last mile. But when she arrived on a humid June day in 2016, things were different. She drank fluids copiously and kept looking over her shoulder to find Clara Santucci and Serkalem Biset Abrha. They wouldn't catch her—she broke the tape in first place with a 2:33:28 finish. She also ran the

California International Marathon The California International Marathon (CIM) is an annual road marathon () held in Northern California since 1983. The net downhill course starts at Folsom Dam and ends at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The race is organized by the Sacrament ...

in 2013 after the

Houston Marathon The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently wi ...

canceled due to inclement weather. In the

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

race, she dueled with Paige Siemers, Jeannette Faber and Pasca Cheruiyot to finish second in 2:31:23, as Rebecca Wade finished first with a course record of 2:29:21. In 2016, she returned to the race in top form. She started in the lead pack and continued to pull ahead of some of the top runners in the nation by winning in 2:31:20, outpacing

Stephanie Bruce Stephanie Bruce ( Rothstein; born January 14, 1984) is an American long-distance runner. Running career NCAA Stephanie Bruce smashed Katie Apenrodt's 10,000 meter UCSB school record by over a minute and a half in 2006 with her then 10 km P ...

and Lauren Jimison. She raced the Big Sur Half Marathon and won back-to-back victories in 2013 and 2014, clocking her personal best half marathon time (1:11:21) in the first win. In 2014, she was a top competitor at the

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

Half Marathon Championships. In 2016, Kiptoo was making headlines in her hometown. She took first in the Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon, winning in 1:15:52 (she had finished second in 2013 and 2014). In 2017, Kiptoo arrived in Philadelphia with another New Mexican runner, Boniface Kongin. The two would lead men and women in the chilly, windy morning at the

, with Kiptoo finishing in 2:38:13. She returned in 2018 to finish third as Serkalem Biset Abrha set a course record. In October 2019, Kiptoo and hundreds of other runners had great conditions at the start of the Duke City Marathon in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. Wearing her purple Grandma's Marathon T-shirt, she won the race and set her sights on returning to the Philadelphia Marathon. Kiptoo was back in Kenya after the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

hit, but returned to Duluth for the 2021 Grandma's Marathon. She faded out though, and did not finish. Kiptoo has finished 1st in over 25 races domestically and internationally, winning more than $150,000 in prize money.

Personal life

Kiptoo has 10 siblings. She is the only elite runner in her family. She has two children (as of 2014). Kiptoo lives and trains in New Mexico with th
AmeriKenyan Running Club
In the mid-2010s, she worked with agent Scott Robinson.

Achievements

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiptoo, Sarah 1989 births Living people