Edith Chewanjel Masai (born 4 April 1967) is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who specialised in cross country and track races, then road races in her late career. She represented Kenya at the 2004 Summer Olympics.Edith Masai . Sports Reference. Retrieved 7 November 2011. Her best achievements are three individual gold medals in the short race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships between 2002 and 2004.
She is also known for reaching global top at the age of 35. On the track she was the bronze medallist over 5000 metres at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and was the 2006 African Champion over 10,000 metres. She has also won silver medals over 10,000 m at the 2007 All-Africa Games and 5000 m at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Her track best of 8:23.23 minutes for the 3000 metres, set in 2002, remains the African record for the event. Over the marathon distance, she ran her career best of 2:27:06 hours to win the 2005 Hamburg Marathon.
Career Early life Masai was born in Chepkoya village, Mount Elgon District. She is the third born from a family of four. She competed during her high school days while at Kibuk Secondary School. She graduated in 1988. She joined Kenya Prisons Service in 1990, known for recruiting many talented athletes. Masai did not, however, achieve anything until 1999, when she became the national cross-country champion, at the age of 32. Consequently, she started training more seriously. She won the Lotto Cross Cup Brussels in 2001 and went on to take bronze in the short race at the World Cross Country Championships that year. She improved upon this the following year, taking the gold at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
International career Masai holds the 3000 metres African record set in July 2002 in MonacoIAAF: African record in Athletics
She won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships. In 2004, she failed at the Kenyan trials for the Olympics, but since she was one of only three Kenyans who had beaten the Olympic "A"-qualifying time in women's 5000 metres that year, she was offered a place on the team. Masai herself initially rejected the offer, but joined the team after lengthy negotiations. At the Olympics she dropped out after suffering a hamstring injury. She made her marathon debut at the age of 38, but gave a confident first performance, clocking 2:27:06 to win the 2005 Hamburg Marathon.(24 April 2005) Masai wins debut and Rey is just short of course record – Hamburg Marathon. World Athletics. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
She finished fifth at the 10,000 metres race at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Her time, 30:30.26 was a new Kenyan record.Thefinalsprint.com, 22 July 2007: Splendid World Masters 10,000m Record for Masai The record was beaten by Linet Masai at the 2008 Olympics, who run 30:26.50.IAAF, (15 August 2008) Dibaba smashes Olympic 10,000m record as two dip under 30 minutes! World Athletics. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
Masai has since been shifting from track running to marathon. She won Hamburg Marathon in 2005 and participated it also in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, she won Berlin Half Marathon, setting the fastest half marathon run that year, 1:07:16 minutes. It was also a personal best and a course record. She also set a new 5000 metres Kenyan record of 14:33.84 minutes.(28 December 2006) 2006 - End of Year Reviews – Road Running and Race Walks. World Athletics. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
She won 10,000 metres silver medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games. Her time, 31:31.18 is a new World record for women over 40 years old. The previous record was held by Nicole Lévêque of France, who run 32:12.07 in Helsinki in 1994. Masai participated the 2008 World championships marathon in Osaka, Japan, finishing 8th in a race won by her compatriot Catherine Ndereba.
Masai won the 2008 Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.IAAF website, 31 August 2008: Kwambai and Masai win Rock ‘n' Roll Half Marathon. World Athletics. Retrieved 23 May 2026. She won Singapore Marathon in December 2008.(7 December 2008) Kenyan runners rule Singapore Marathon Xinhua News Agency. she broke up with her agent Dorothee Paulmann. in 2007 and worked independently.
She currently lives in Ngong and Kitale. She coaches the Kenya Prisons Cross Country team. She is a divorced mother of one, her son Paul Griffin Sakit born in 1992 who ran for Louisiana Tech University. Masai retired from competitive running in early 2010 because of a knee injury.
Major competition record 2001World XC ChampionshipsOstend, Belgium3rdShort race2ndTeam short raceWorld ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada7th5000 m15:17.67Grand Prix FinalMelbourne, Australia7th3000 m2002World XC ChampionshipsDublin, Ireland1stShort race2ndTeam short raceCommonwealth GamesManchester, England2nd5000 mGrand Prix FinalParis, France4th3000 m2003World XC ChampionshipsLausanne, Switzerland1stShort race1stTeam short raceWorld ChampionshipsParis, France3rd5000 m14:52.30World Athletics FinalMonaco1st3000 m2004World XC ChampionshipsBrussels, Belgium1stShort race2ndTeam short raceWorld Athletics FinalMonaco4th5000 m2005World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 5th10,000 mWorld Athletics FinalMonaco6th3000 m2006African ChampionshipsBambous, Mauritius1st10,000 m World Road Running ChampionshipsDebrecen, Hungary5th1stTeam raceWorld Athletics FinalStuttgart, Germany7th5000 m2007All-Africa GamesAlgiers, Algeria2nd10,000 m World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan8thMarathon
Personal Best DistanceTimeCityDate3000 metres8:23.23Monaco19 July 20025000 metres14:33.84Oslo2 June 200610,000 metres30:30.26Helsinki6 August 200510 kilometres31:13La Courneuve31 March 200215 kilometres47:52Berlin2 April 200620 kilometres1:03:52Berlin2 April 2006Half marathon1:07:16Berlin2 April 200630 kilometres1:42:15Hamburg23 April 2006Marathon2:27:06Hamburg24 April 20055 kilometres14:50Neuss8 June 200210 miles road52:45Zaandam22 September 2002
References
External links
IAAF Focus on Athletes Marathoninfo profile