Olympic Marathon Runner Severely Burned After Being Set On Fire By Boyfriend

An Olympic marathon runner was allegedly set on fire by her disgruntled boyfriend following a domestic dispute that turned violent.

According to TMZ Sports, on Sunday (Sept. 1), Rebecca Cheptegei, who represented Uganda at the 2024 Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns to her body during an alleged altercation with her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, at her home in Kenya.

The couple reportedly got into an argument over personal property, which turned physical, leading to Ndiema setting Cheptegei ablaze in a fit of rage.

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“During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Jeremiah ole Kosiom, Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, said in his report.

The Uganda Athletics Federation has confirmed petrol as the liquid Nidiema is alleged to have doused Cheptegei with prior to lighting her on fire.

Cheptegei reportedly suffered burns to 75% of her body and is currently receiving medical treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.

Rebecca Cheptegei of Team Uganda leads the field in the Women’s Marathon during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 on August 26, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.

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Ndiema, who also sustained injuries during the incident and is being treated at the same hospital as Cheptegei, has not been charged in connection to the incident.

Cheptegei placed 44th as a distance runner in Paris earlier this summer and previously won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. According to her parents, she moved from Uganda to Kenya after purchasing property there in order to be closer to Ndiema.