Olympic marathon runner hospitalised after boyfriend ‘set her on fire’ leaving her with 75% burns in petrol attack at her house

Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei is receiving treatment in hospital for 75 per cent burns after allegedly being set on fire by her boyfriend.

Cheptegei had recently returned to Kenya following the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she represented Uganda in the marathon.

Police have confirmed Cheptegei was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County, where she had been training.

Cheptegei had allegedly been set on fire by her former boyfriend Dickson Ndiema.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said her former partner had bought a can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement on Sunday.

Rebecca Cheptegei is receiving treatment in hospital after receiving 75 per burns in an attack

Cheptegei, pictured, finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics

‘The boyfriend is believed to have sneaked into the compound at around 2pm on Sunday while the wife and the children were in Church,’ Kosiom said, as per the Kenyan newspaper The Standard.

‘Upon returning, Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before he set her ablaze.

‘The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her. 

‘The suspect was also caught by the fire and sustained serious burns.’

Cheptegei is currently being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.

Ndiema, who also sustained burns, is being treated at the same hospital.

The Ugandan Athletics Federation confirmed the attack on social media. 

‘We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalised at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. 

‘This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her.’

Neighbours helped to extinguish the flames, according to local reports, with both being admitted to hospital with extensive burns.

Cheptegei won the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand in 2022

Police discovered a five-litre jerry can, a bag, and a burned phone at the scene of the incident, according to Kenyan newspaper The Nation.

The local police chief stated that the couple had been heard fighting over the land where the house was built before the fire was started.

Cheptegei was reported to have bought the land in Trans Nzoia county, located close to the Uganadan border, and built a house.

The house is close to several training centres in Kenya. 

Cheptegei finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last month.

The 33-year-old had also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner and steeplechaser Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds.

In 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was found dead with a postmortem report stating that she was strangled in the town of Iten.

Muthee’s death came months after two-time World Championship medallist Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in the same town.