'My boyfriend took everything from me,' marathoner Joan Rotich cries foul after losing fortune
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 07.02.25. | 08:08
Despite accumulating more than Ksh7 million in prize money, Rotich has nothing to show for it
Promising marathoner Joan Rotich is in distress after allegedly losing her hard-earned fortune to a man she trusted.
Rotich who began her career in 2011 inspired by her cousin, legendary runner Paul Tergat, now finds herself in financial ruin.
After completing her studies at Talai High School in Baringo, Rotich quickly rose through the ranks in long-distance running.
She made her debut at the Venlo Venloop Half Marathon in the Netherlands on March 27, 2011, finishing fourth. She later transitioned to full marathons, which offered better financial rewards.
Her breakthrough came in 2012 when she won three major marathons: the Salzburg Marathon in Austria, the Münster Marathon in Germany, and the Metz Marathon in France.
Over the years, she competed in high-profile races, including the 2015 Taipei Marathon, where she won Ksh2.6 million, and the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon, earning Ksh750,000 for a fourth-place finish.
Despite accumulating more than Ksh7 million in prize money, Rotich has nothing to show for it. She alleges that her boyfriend squandered her earnings, leaving her in financial despair.
"I pocketed more than Ksh7 million from all these races, but I have nothing to show for it. My boyfriend took everything," she tearfully revealed to Nation Sports.
Rotich met her boyfriend in 2013, oblivious to the trap that lay ahead. She recalls trusting her boyfriend with her finances, even wiring him Ksh2 million in 2015 to purchase a tour van and contributing an additional Ksh650,000 in 2017 for another van.
Additionally, she invested close to a million shillings in a house he promised they would live in together.
However, things took a turn for the worse in 2020 when he stopped communicating after she demanded the logbooks for the vehicles and a visit to the house, she had helped fund. Attempts to reclaim her assets have been futile, pushing her into depression.
"He went quiet on me in 2020 when I demanded to see the motor vehicle logbooks and to be taken home to visit the house he had constructed using my money. That is when I realized everything had gone down the drain," she lamented.
Rotich reported the matter to Ngong Police Station under OB Number 73/31/1/2025 and has sought assistance from Athletics Kenya's gender office and the Athletes Welfare Initiative - Kenya. She fears for her safety after exposing her boyfriend, who has since gone into hiding.
Adding to her woes, she claims that one of her managers, a Kenyan, disappeared with close to Ksh400,000 of her earnings.
Meanwhile, her former German manager parted ways with her in 2016 after setting a condition that she attain a personal best of under 2:30:00, which she fell short of.
Despite her struggles, Rotich remains hopeful that she will reclaim what is rightfully hers.
"I regret trusting my boyfriend blindly. I just want my money back so I can rebuild my life," she concluded.
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