Rebecca Cheptegei Not Related to Joshua Cheptegei: Merely A Coincidence

September 6, 2026

This article was last updated by Pranaya Poudel on September 6, 2026

Despite sharing the same last name, the late Rebecca Cheptegei is not related to long-distance athlete Joshua Cheptegei.

Key Takeaways

Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei passed away on September 5, 2026, due to an assault from her boyfriend.
Her incident has netizens asking if she was related to another Olympic athlete, Joshua Cheptegei.
However, it is not true; Rebecca and Joshua sharing the same last name is merely a coincidence.

Ugandan long-distance runner and Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei tragically passed away on 5 September after a fire assault by her boyfriend on September 1.

In an X post by Donald Rukare, president of the Ugandan Olympic Committee, he said,

We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei OLY following a vicious attack by her boyfriend. May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a…

— Donald Rukare (@drukare)

Officials of Northern Kenya indicated that Rebecca’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, attacked her while coming back from church with her two daughters.

The 33-year-old marathon runner sustained burns covering more than 80% of her body, after which she was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Unfortunately, Rebecca died due to organ failure on 5 September 2026.

People from all around the globe and multiple media outlets are actively advocating and fighting for the late Rebecca’s justice.

Was Rebecca Cheptegei Related to Joshua Cheptegei?

This horrific incident has some people wondering if she was related to another Ugandan runner, Joshua Cheptegei.

This curiosity particularly stems from Rebecca and Joshua sharing the same last name, Cheptegei.

However, Rebecca is not related to Joshua Cheptegei despite sharing common last names.

Some Reddit users are also confused about whether Rebecca and Joshua are related however user states,

No relation [between Rebecca and Joshua]. Just a common tribal name.

Cheptegei is a unisex surname of the Kalenjin people of Kenya and Uganda.

Interestingly, famous personalities who flaunt the Cheptegei name with pride are all athletes, especially track athletes.

Two of the three athletes are the aforementioned Rebecca and Joshua, with Nancy Cheptegei, also a Ugandan long-distance runner, joining the roster.

Rebecca hails from Cheminy, Uganda, and Joshua was born in Kapsewui, Uganda.

In Case You Didn’t Know

Rebecca Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the 2026 Summer Olympics in Paris and finished in 44th place.
At the 2026 Olympic Games in Paris, Joshua Cheptegei won gold in the 10,000-meter final, in a new Olympic record of 26:43.14.
Rebecca also won the 2026 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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Abhinav Shrestha is a content writer specializing in entertainment and pop culture. With a keen eye for TV and media, Abhinav creates compelling articles that answer the pressing questions and interests of the audience. His insightful writing not only provides compelling narratives but also provides readers with thought-provoking analysis and engaging perspectives.

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