Catherine Nyambura Ndereba (born 21 July 1972) is a retired Kenyan marathon runner. Between 2003 and 2008, she finished in the top two in five successive global championship marathons. Ndereba has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, becoming Kenya's first female multi-medalist. She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a two-time winner of the Chicago Marathon. It was at the latter in 2001 that she broke the women's marathon world record with a time of 2:18:47.

She retired in 2012 having been described by the Chicago Tribune as the greatest women's marathoner of all time.

Career Ndereba comes from Gatunganga in Nyeri District, and went to Ngorano Secondary School where she pursued her running career. In 1994, she was recruited into its athletics program by the Kenya Prisons Service.The Standard, 28 October 2007: Ndereba was awarded the 2004 and 2005 Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year awards.IAAF, 2 March 2006: Athletes dominate Kenyan Sports Awards She was awarded the Order of the Golden Warrior by President Mwai Kibaki in 2005.Daily Nation, Lifestyle Magazine, 15 November 2008: Fitting tribute to Marathon Queen

Ndereba is a four time Boston Marathon winner between 2000 and 2005.

Ndereba finished seventh at the 2009 London Marathon, equalling Katrin Dorre's record of 21 sub-2:30 hours marathons.IAAF, 27 April 2009: Ndereba matches Dorre’s record total of 21 sub-2:30 marathons She placed third at the Yokohama Women's Marathon later that year, finishing the course in a time of 2:29:13 hours.Catherine Ndereba. Marathon Info. Retrieved on 17 October 2011. She did not finish another marathon race until October 2011, when she crossed the line in 2:30:14 hours for third at the Beijing Marathon.Jalava, Mirko (16 October 2011). Kiprop and Wei Xiaojie triumph in Beijing. IAAF. Retrieved on 17 October 2011.

Ndereba decided to retire quietly in 2012. She had problems with the ligaments in her right ankle and she was told that it could be improved by surgery but she wanted to recover naturally. She later made the analogy of a car that needs too many repairs. She retired as the "greatest womens marathoner".Chicago Tribune, 8 October 2008: Ranking the Top 10 women marathoners

Ndereba, whose nickname is "Catherine the Great",Marathon Great Catherine Ndereba Retires. Runner's World (2014-05-28). Retrieved 2020-05-25. lives in Nairobi with her husband Anthony Maina and daughter Jane.Hersh, Philip (2002-10-10). World record-holder Catherine Ndereba trains with her husband and sister, but it's her 5-year-old daughter who best motivates mom. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-25. Her brother Samuel and sister Anastasia are also marathon runners.Catherine Ndereba. Time. Retrieved 2020-05-25.

Achievements

1995 Represented Kenya internationally for the first time at a women's relay race in Seoul, Korea 1996 Ranked No. 2 in USA Track and Field's World Road Running Rankings; named Road Runner of the Year by Runner's World magazine and Road Racer of the Year by Running Times 1997 Did not race Gave birth to daughter, Jane. 1998 Named Road Runner of the Year by Runner's World and Road Racer of the Year by Running Times Won individual bronze and team gold at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Palermo, Italy Ran the world's fastest times for the year at 5 kilometres (15:09), 12 kilometres (38:37), 15 kilometres (48:52), and 10 miles (53:07). Made her marathon debut at the Boston Marathon, finishing sixth in 2:28:27 hours Finished second at the New York City Marathon 2000 Boston Marathon winner Chicago Marathon winner Named AIMS World Athlete of the Year by the Association of International Marathons and Distance RacesAIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Awards 2001 City-Pier-City Loop (half marathon) winner. Boston Marathon winner Chicago Marathon winner in a world record time 2002 Finished second at the Boston Marathon. Also finished second at the Chicago Marathon 2003 World Championships gold medalist in the marathon Sapporo half-marathon winner Finished second at both the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon 2004 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens - silver medalist in the marathon Boston Marathon winner 2005 Boston Marathon winner (the first four-time woman's winner) World Championships silver medalist 2006 Osaka International Ladies Marathon winner Bogota Half Marathon winnerIAAF website, 31 July 2008: Joseph and Ndereba win at the Bogota Half Marathon Finished third at the New York City Marathon 2007 World Championships gold medalist Finished fifth at the New York City Marathon 2008 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing - silver medalist in the marathon Finished fifth at the New York City Marathon 2009 Finished sixth at the London Marathon 2011 Finished third at the Beijing International Marathon

Bibliography Catherine Ndereba: The Marathon Queen, by Ng’ang’a Mbugua. Sasa Sema Publications, 2008

References

External links

"Catherine Ndereba", n°38 on Time’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch" "Catherine Ndereba" documentary project Famous People from Kenya