Sport
Landmark
Brigid Kosgei
born 1994
Broke a marathon world record that had stood for sixteen years
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the Kenya Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
At Chicago in 2019 she ran 2:14:04 and took eighty-one seconds off Paula Radcliffe's world record, which had stood since 2003 and was widely assumed to be out of reach.
Brigid Jepchirchir Kosgei grew up in Elgeyo-Marakwet and came to the marathon young, winning Chicago in 2018 and London in 2019.
In Chicago in October 2019, at twenty-five, she ran two hours, fourteen minutes and four seconds. Paula Radcliffe's record of 2:15:25 had stood for sixteen years and had come to be treated as a barrier rather than a target; Kosgei took eighty-one seconds off it, running the second half faster than the first.
She won London again in 2020 and took the silver medal in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. Her record stood until 2023. She is among the group of Kenyan women who have reset what the distance is thought to be worth.
In Chicago in October 2019, at twenty-five, she ran two hours, fourteen minutes and four seconds. Paula Radcliffe's record of 2:15:25 had stood for sixteen years and had come to be treated as a barrier rather than a target; Kosgei took eighty-one seconds off it, running the second half faster than the first.
She won London again in 2020 and took the silver medal in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. Her record stood until 2023. She is among the group of Kenyan women who have reset what the distance is thought to be worth.
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