Margaret Wangari Muriuki

Margaret Wangarì Mūriūki (born 21 March 1986) is a Kenyan professional long and middle-distance runner. She won the silver medal in the women's marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Earlier in her career she shared in the team gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and won individual medals at the African Cross Country Championships and the African Championships in Athletics (1500 m) in 2012.

She initially started out as a 1500 metres runner and came seventh in that event at the 2007 All-Africa Games. She was the winner of the 2008 Cross de Atapuerca and went on to finish in eighth place at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships that year. She won the 2009 Lotto Cross Cup de Hannut cross country race in 2009.

Mūriūki placed sixth at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which helped the Kenyan women to the world team title. She was the runner-up at the 2012 African Cross Country Championships behind teammate Joyce Chepkirui, both of whom shared the team title. A week later she took third place at the Lisbon Half Marathon, finishing behind Diana Chepkemoi. Showing her versatility, she went back down to the 1500 m at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics and won the bronze medal for Kenya in a personal best of 4:06.50 min. She ran on the American road circuit in August and won both the Beach to Beacon 10K and the Falmouth Road Race. She was runner-up at that year's Portugal Half Marathon (also held in Lisbon).

Mūriūki secured the Kenyan national title in cross country at the start of 2013, guaranteeing selection for the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

In December 2019, Mūriūki made her marathon debut at the 47th Honolulu Marathon and won the women's race in 2:31:10.

In 2020, amid scares of the disease COVID-19 spreading in California, Mūriūki ran a dominant race in the Los Angeles Marathon, crossing the finish with a 3-minute lead in a time of 2:29:27.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Mūriūki won the silver medal in the women's marathon in 2:28:00, finishing behind Australia's Jessica Stenson (2:27:31) and ahead of Namibia's Helalia Johannes (2:28:39). The medal was Kenya's first of the Birmingham Games and came moments after Michael Gìthae's bronze in the men's marathon.

In May 2023, Muriuki set a marathon personal best of 2:23:52 with a runner-up finish at the Prague Marathon.

Competition record

Personal bests 1500 metres – 4:06.50 min (2012) 3000 metres – 8:37.97 min (2010) 5000 metres – 14:40.48 min (2013) 10K (road) – 31:05 min (2010) Half marathon – 69:21 min (2012) Marathon – 2:23:52 (2023)