Mary Moraa (born 15 June 2000) is a Kenyan athlete who specialises in the 800 metres. She won the gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, a bronze medal in the event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and a gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Moraa is the Kenyan record holder for the 400 metres. She was the 2022 Diamond League 800 m champion. She also holds the world best in the 600 metres.
Background Moraa was orphaned at age 2 after the death of her father and then her mother. She grew up with her grandparents, in Kisii in western Kenya. She won an education bursary through running.
Career Moraa specialized in the 400 metres distance until 2021. She made her international debut at the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi and won the silver medal in the event with a personal best time of 53.31 seconds. The following year, the 18-year-old placed fifth over the same distance at the World U20 Championships held in Tampere, Finland, clocking new best of 52.85 s in the heats.
In 2019, she won in the 400 m the African U20 title, Kenyan senior title, and placed fourth at the African Games held in Rabat, Morocco. She reached the semi-finals in her individual event at the Doha World Championships. Her season's best was 51.75 s. She made her debut in the 800 metres that year.
Moraa transitioned to the 800 metres in 2020, and represented Kenya at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021 competing in the event, where she was eliminated in the semi-finals with a time of 2:00.47.
In July 2022, Moraa won the bronze medal in the 800 m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, clocking a personal best of 1:56.71 behind Athing Mu (1:56.30) and Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.38). The following month, she won a gold in the event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games after storming through to beat Hodgkinson in the final. She went from first to last and back to first in that race. In September, Moraa became the Diamond League 800 m champion after she won final in Zürich.
Personal life She is the cousin of Kenyan runner Sarah Moraa. Mary Moraa has described her as her "kid sister" on social media.
Achievements Personal bests 400 metres – 50.38 (Nairobi 2023) 800 metres – 1:56.03 (Budapest 2023) 800 metres indoor – 2:00.61 (Liévin 2023)
International competitions 2017World U18 ChampionshipsNairobi, Kenya22nd (h)200 m25.482nd400 m53.31 4th4 × 400 m mixed3:24.922018World U20 ChampionshipsTampere, Finland5th400 m52.942019African U20 ChampionshipsAbidjan, Ivory Coast1st400 m53.57African GamesAbidjan, Ivory Coast4th400 m51.974th4 × 400 m relay3:32.93World ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar18th (sf)400 m52.1111th (h)4 × 400 m mixed3:17.092021World RelaysChorzów, Poland13th (h)4 × 400 m relay3:39.34 –4 × 400 m mixedOlympic GamesTokyo, Japan15th (sf)800 m2:00.472022World ChampionshipsEugene, OR, United States3rd800 m1:56.71Commonwealth GamesBirmingham, United Kingdom29th (h)400 m59.511st800 m1:57.075th4 × 400 m relay3:32.282023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary1st800 m1:56.03 2024African GamesAccra, Ghana1st400 m50.57Olympic GamesParis, France3rd800 m1:57.422025World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan7th800 m1:57.10
Circuit performances
Wins and titles Diamond League 800 metres champion: 2022 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses 2022: Stockholm Bauhaus-galan, Zürich Weltklasse 2023: Rabat Meeting International ()
National titles Kenyan Athletics Championships 400 metres: 2019
References
External links