Marthe Yankurije (born 5 July 1994) is a Rwandan long-distance runner. In 2018, she won her country's 10,000 metres and Cross-Country Championships. She also won the half marathon race at the 2021 Kigali International Peace Marathon, and competed in the 5,000 metres event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 5 July 1994[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Home town | Nyamasheke District, Rwanda | ||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2014–present | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country |  Rwanda | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||
| Events | |||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Regional finals | 2019 | ||||||||||||||
| National finals | 2018 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career edit
Yankurije competes for the APR Athletics Club; prior to 2016, she competed at Nyamasheke Athletics Club.[2] She started athletics at the age of 11.[2] She debuted at the 2014 Kigali half marathon, finishing fifth, and later in the year, she competed at the 2014 African Cross Country Championships, finishing 35th.[2] She came fourth in the half marathon event at the 2017 Kigali International Peace Marathon[2] and won the 20 kilometres (12 mi) event in Bugesera.[3] Yankurije won the 10,000 metres event at the 2018 Rwandan National Championships.[4] In the same year, she won the Rwandan national Cross-Country Championships,[5] and came third in the half marathon event at the 2018 Kigali International Peace Marathon,[6] and the Dar Marathon in Tanzania.[7]
In 2019, she came second in that year's Kigali International Peace Marathon half marathon race,[8] and won the 20 kilometres (12 mi) event in Bugesera again.[3] In the same year, she competed in the 10,000 metres event at the 2019 African Games; she was one of only two Rwandan athletes at the Games.[2] In 2020, she won the Huye Half Marathon in a time of 1:15:15.[9] She also finished third in a virtual Trier 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) race.[10]
In May 2021, she competed in the Zambian Track and Field Championships in Lusaka, a qualification event for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[11] In June, she won the Kigali International Peace Marathon half marathon race. As a result, she was given the Rwandan wildcard place to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[12] She competed in the 5,000 metres event;[13] she finished 17th in her heat, and did not progress.[14]
Personal life edit
Yankurije was born in July 1994.[2] She is from Nyamasheke District, Rwanda.[2] At school, she played association football and handball.[2] She left school early, during her fourth year of secondary school in 2012.[2]
References edit
- ^ "Marthe Yankurije". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Marthe Yankurije's journey from school dropout to athletics stardom". The New Times. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Athletics: APR runners dominate Bugesera 20km race". The New Times. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Rwanda championship, Kigali 1/07/2018". Africatle. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Hitimana, Yankurije are national cross-country champions". The New Times. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Kenyans sweep medals at Kigali International Peace Marathon". Daijiworld Media. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "RAF hails duo after Dar Marathon heroics". The New Times. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Rwandan Marthe Yankurije Wins Silver Medal in Kigali International Peace Marathon". Inyarwanda. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Muhitira na Yankurije ni bo begukanye Huye Half Marathon 2020". Imvaho Nshya (in Kinyarwanda). 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Vielerorts für statt in Trier unterwegs". Runner's World (in German). 10 January 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ "JO Tokyo 2020 (TQO) :Les rwandaises Marthe Yankurije et Honorine Iribagiza en Zambie pour une ultime chance de qualification". Africa Foot United (in French). 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Martha Yankurije turns focus to Olympic Games". The New Times. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Tokyo 2020 Games: Are Rwandan athletes ready?". The New Times. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Athletics - Round 1 - Heat 2 Results". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
