Joseph Chebet, renowned for his achievements in the 1999 New York and Boston marathons, which earned his home country of Kenya international acclaim, died at 52 on Friday.
Chebet passed away after being hospitalized for three days following a short illness, his brother Ben Chebet told Kenya’s Daily Nation.
“We have lost an icon,” Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei said following Chebet’s death. “He was one of the legends who brought fame to our country. I want to send my condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and athletics fraternity for their loss.”
Fellow Kenyan runner Moses Tenui, who won Boston in 1996 and 1998, offered condolences and memories of Chebet as a competitor. “Chebet was a good athlete, and he would fight to the finish line,” he told the Daily Nation. “I remember in Boston Marathon in 1998, I ran with him to the finish line where I managed to beat him with 3 seconds. It’s sad that we have lost him, and I want to send my condolences to the family and friends during this difficult moment. It’s not easy to lose a loved one.”
The loss at Boston would be the first of two significant losses in 1998, both by a mere 3 seconds—Chebet also lost to fellow Kenyan John Kagwe at the 1998 New York City Marathon.
Chebet would return in 1999 to avenge the narrow misses in both races, claiming the top spot in Boston and New York City the following year. He also won the Amsterdam Marathon in 1996 and Vienna Marathon in 2003.
Also offering condolences was Kenyan Senator Allan Chesang, who praised Chebet for helping to shine a light on the country with his running. “We will always remember his victories. He was a blessing to our Nation during his life. He served diligently and with humility as an officer in the Police force. His contribution to our nation will endure forever in our Hearts,” Chesang tweeted Friday.
After retiring from running, Chebet started farming in his hometown of Kapyego and mentored many younger members of his Marakwet tribe.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
