Martha Komu
Encyclopedia
Martha Komu is a Kenya
n runner who specialises in a marathon
. She won the Paris Marathon
in 2008 and finished 5th at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
and cross country running
competitions, but without major success. In 2003 she moved her base to France
, where she represents the Clermont Athlétisme Auvergne athletics club.
After a maternity break in 2005, she returned to competition in 2006 and won the Mont Saint-Michel
marathon, her debut marathon. She also won the Rheims marathon in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 she won the Paris Marathon
, setting a personal record of 2:25.33 hours. This performance earned her a place in the Kenyan Olympics team. Her husband Simon Munyutu
finished 11th in the men's race at the 2008 Paris Marathon; their combined time of 4:34:57 hours, according to marathon statistician Marty Post, is the best achieved by a married couple in the same marathon.
She is married to Simon Munyutu, a Kenyan-born runner who represents France. They both competed at the 2008 Olympics, but for different countries. They have a daughter born in 2005.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n runner who specialises in a marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. She won the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
in 2008 and finished 5th at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
Career
Komu started her education at Nyakiambi and Lariak primary schools. In 1997 she went to Laikipia High School, where she started running. In her early career she took part in various road runningRoad running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
and cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competitions, but without major success. In 2003 she moved her base to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where she represents the Clermont Athlétisme Auvergne athletics club.
After a maternity break in 2005, she returned to competition in 2006 and won the Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches...
marathon, her debut marathon. She also won the Rheims marathon in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 she won the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
, setting a personal record of 2:25.33 hours. This performance earned her a place in the Kenyan Olympics team. Her husband Simon Munyutu
Simon Munyutu
Simon Munyutu is a French athlete who specialises in the men's marathon. Munyutu competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics....
finished 11th in the men's race at the 2008 Paris Marathon; their combined time of 4:34:57 hours, according to marathon statistician Marty Post, is the best achieved by a married couple in the same marathon.
Personal life
Komu was the sixth born of twelve children. Her father used to be a runner and her elder brother Francis Komu is a road running competitor.She is married to Simon Munyutu, a Kenyan-born runner who represents France. They both competed at the 2008 Olympics, but for different countries. They have a daughter born in 2005.
Achievements
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Reims Marathon Reims Marathon Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller... |
Reims, France | 1st | Marathon | 2:32:45 |
| Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale The Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale is an annual half marathon which follows a course from Marseille to Cassis in France during the last weekend in October. First organised by the SCO Sainte-Marguerite sports club in 1979, the event has grown into a large international competition, with... |
Marseille, France | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:12:34 | |
| 2007 | Reims Marathon Reims Marathon Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller... |
Reims, France | 1st | Marathon | 2:32:48 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , PR China |
5th | Marathon | 2:27:23 Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's marathon The Women's Marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17 around an urban circuit specifically designed for the competition at Beijing, and finished in the Beijing National Stadium. The qualifying standards were 2:37.00 and 2:42.00... |
- 2006 Mont-Saint-Michel Marathon - 1st
- 2007 Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam MarathonThe Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
- 8th - 2008 Paris MarathonParis MarathonThe Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
- 1st