Brigid Kosgei
Brigid Jepchirchir Kosgei (born 20 February 1994) is a Kenyan marathoner whose aggressive front-running has re-shaped women’s distance running. Raised in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, she began competitive training at 17 and debuted over 42 km in 2015. Kosgei’s breakthrough came with back-to-back major titles at the 2019 London Marathon (2:18:20) and the 2019 Chicago Marathon, where she obliterated Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year world record by clocking 2:14:04—still the fastest mixed-sex women’s marathon ever run and the second-fastest mark in history after Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa lowered the absolute record to 2:11:53 in Berlin in 2023.
Kosgei followed up with victories at the 2020 London Marathon (pandemic loop edition) and the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Marathon (held March 2022), where her 2:16:02 smashed the Japanese all-comers’ record and became the third-quickest time ever.
On the championship stage she earned Olympic silver in Sapporo (Tokyo 2020 Games) behind compatriot Peres Jepchirchir despite searing heat and humidity.
Recurring hamstring and knee injuries forced late withdrawals from the 2022 and 2023 London Marathons, but Kosgei remains intent on regaining top form for a Paris 2024 Olympic tilt.
Beyond racing she supports girls’ education in Kenya’s high-altitude running communities and advocates for clean sport, proving that resilience and record-breaking ambition still drives one of the marathon’s most influential figures.