Former Boston Marathon champion Sharon Cherop fights order to surrender 40pc of Sh40m estate to ex-husband

By  Titus Ominde

Contributor

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• The high-stakes legal showdown pits the celebrated long-distance runner against her former husband, Mathew Bowen.
• At the centre of the dispute is a portfolio of prime real estate and commercial assets estimated to be worth Sh40 million.

Retired international athletics star and former Boston Marathon champion Sharon Jemutai Cherop has launched a legal counter-offensive, vowing to challenge an Eldoret High Court ruling that ordered her to surrender 40 per cent of her multi-million-shilling estate to her ex-husband.

The high-stakes legal showdown pits the celebrated long-distance runner against her former husband, Mathew Bowen, a retired runner who later served as her manager and pacesetter, barely three years after their marriage was officially dissolved.

At the centre of the dispute is an expansive portfolio of prime real estate and commercial assets estimated to be worth Sh40 million across Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties.

The properties include their matrimonial home in Kaptagat, a student hostel block along the Eldoret-Iten Highway in Kimumu comprising 52 bedsitters, a property in Tambach and disputed parcels held in joint names.

Cherop has already initiated the appeal process, making it clear that she will fight the judgment all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

"I cannot allow my hard-earned estate to be shared with someone who did not contribute anything," Cherop said, signalling her determination to protect the fortune she built through years of competing on the global running circuit.

In documents filed in court, Cherop maintains that the properties were acquired and developed exclusively through her efforts, with most of the money coming from prize earnings in elite international marathons.

The court heard evidence of Cherop's career earnings, backed by race-by-race statements from international management agency Volare Sports of the Netherlands.

Her financial records detailed earnings from global races, including the Boston, Hamburg, Toronto and Turin marathons, as well as a first-place finish at the Singapore Marathon that earned her $50,000. She also cited lucrative endorsement contracts with Adidas.

The athlete argued that while Bowen's name appeared on some title deeds, this was done out of "love, affection, and to soothe his ego as the head of the family."

She insisted that she single-handedly financed the multi-million-shilling investments.

She further accused him of domestic cruelty, violence and infidelity. The marriage ended in divorce proceedings at the Eldoret Chief Magistrate’s Court, where a decree absolute was issued in September 2023.

In response, Bowen argued that he played an indispensable, hands-on role in building the family's wealth. His legal submissions maintained that the funds remitted to him during the marriage were standard compensation for his work as Cherop's manager and pacesetter.

Bowen contended that he spearheaded the physical acquisition and development of the properties, including overseeing the construction of the multi-storey student hostel block in Kisumu and handling utility installations.

He further accused his ex-wife of sidelining him, locking him out of rental collections from University of Eldoret students and attempting to dispose of family business assets to defeat the course of justice.

The ruling underscores the judicial scrutiny applied under the Matrimonial Property Act, 2013, and Article 45(3) of the Constitution. While the law guarantees equal rights upon dissolution of marriage, court decisions have established that property division must reflect proven individual contributions rather than an automatic 50-50 split.

As Cherop’s legal team pursues the appeal, the high-profile case has drawn attention in the North Rift region to the intersection of sports wealth, family law and property rights.

Cherop maintains that her former husband is not entitled to any share of the estate.

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