Kenyan sprinter and middle-distance runner (born 2000)
Mary Moraa (born 15 June 2000)[ 2] 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.[ 3]
Career
Mary 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.[ 2] 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.[ 2]
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.[ 2] She reached the semi-finals in her individual event at the Doha World Championships .[ 2] Her season's best was 51.75 s.[ 2] She made her debut in the 800 metres that year.[ 4]
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 .[ 2] [ 5]
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).[ 6] The following month, she won a gold in the event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games after storming through to beat Hodgkinson in the final.[ 7] She went from first to last and back to first in that race.[ 8] 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 .[ 9] [ 10] Mary Moraa has described her as her "kid sister" on social media.[ 11]
Achievements
Personal bests
International competitions
Representing Kenya
Year
Competition
Venue
Position
Event
Time
2017
World U18 Championships
Nairobi , Kenya
22nd (h)
200 m
25.48
2nd
400 m
53.31 PB
4th
4 × 400 m mixed
3:24.92
2018
World U20 Championships
Tampere , Finland
5th
400 m
52.94
2019
African U20 Championships
Abidjan , Ivory Coast
1st
400 m
53.57
African Games
Abidjan , Ivory Coast
4th
400 m
51.97
4th
4 × 400 m relay
3:32.93
World Championships
Doha , Qatar
18th (sf)
400 m
52.11
11th (h)
4 × 400 m mixed
3:17.09
2021
World Relays
Chorzów , Poland
13th (h)
4 × 400 m relay
3:39.34 SB
–
4 × 400 m mixed
DQ
Olympic Games
Tokyo , Japan
15th (sf)
800 m
2:00.47
2022
World Championships
Eugene, OR , United States
3rd
800 m
1:56.71
PB
Commonwealth Games
Birmingham , United Kingdom
29th (h)
400 m
59.51
1st
800 m
1:57.07
5th
4 × 400 m relay
3:32.28
2023
World Championships
Budapest , Hungary
1st
800 m
1:56.03 PB
2024
African Games
Accra, Ghana
1st
400 m
50.57
Olympic Games
Paris , France
3rd
800 m
1:57.42
Circuit wins and titles, National titles
800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Mary Moraa .
880 yards (1934, 1962–1966) 800 metres (1970–present)