Aliphine Tuliamuk Has Come a Long Way to Become One of America's Top Distance Runners

By Adam Kopet

Aishwarya Kumar recently wrote a feature on Aliphine Tuliamuk for ESPNW.

Tuliamuk was one of 32 siblings in Kenya growing up. Her father had four wives with eight children each.

Growing up in a remote village in the Rift Valley, running six to eight miles per day as a young child was normal. She qualified for her first provincial 10,000-meter race at age 12.

In high school, Tuliamuk represented Kenya in the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. But while she found success in her running, she worked just as hard in the classroom.

Colleges in the U.S. took notice and she accepted a full scholarship to Iowa State. Tuliamuk ran for the Cyclones for two years, earning All-America honors in cross country during her sophomore year.

However, Iowa State did not offer Tuliamuk's desired major: public health science. She transferred to Wichita State where she earned eight more All-America honors. She graduated in 2013.

Tuliamuk's first few years as a professional runner were not easy. She nearly quit the sport after the 2015 New York City Half Marathon.

However, Tuliamuk's running turned around in 2016. After gaining American citizenship early in the year, she went on to win three national road titles and was the USATF Running Circuit season champion.

Tuliamuk's success continued in 2017 when she won the USATF Cross Country Championships and qualified for her first U.S. national team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Now Tuliamuk faces possibly her biggest running challenge of her pro career. She will make her marathon debut Nov. 5 at the TCS New York City Marathon. Despite a strong field, Tuliamuk has hopes that she can win, not just for herself, but for her adopted country as well.

Be sure to read the complete feature at ESPNW.