Profile Facts in Hellen Obiri Biography

15 Profile Facts in Hellen Obiri Biography, Family, and Sports Career

Hellen Obiri is a record-breaking Kenyan middle-distance runner, business lady, and member of the Defence Forces. She is both a silver and gold medalist at the peak of a highly decorated marathon career. Inside Hellen Obiri biography is a breakdown of an intense life story worth retelling.

The sharp-looking Hellen Obiri is currently champion of 5,000 metres with a legacy of finishing ahead of the rest in racetracks. She is all about maintaining her fitness and rewarding speeds. Obiri’s career journey is no doubt an example for all upcoming marathoners and supporters.

15 Profile facts in Hellen Obiri biography

Obiri travels the world without fear of conquering and defending previous titles.

She is certainly a part of why the Kenyan flag is a trademark in international marathons. Who is Hellen Obiri?

1. Hellen Obiri age is 35 years as of 2024

Born on December 13, 1989, Hellen Obiri age is 35 years as of 2024. Therefore, her zodiac sign is Sagittarius.

The youthful marathoner, real names Hellen Onsando Obiri, is a new energy in athletics.

Hellen’s father Mzee Isaac Obiri is happy about his daughter winning international medals in quick succession.

2. Olympian Obiri’s ethnicity is Kisii

Marathoner Hellen Obiri belongs to the Kisii tribe which resides in the western parts of Kenya.

She is, therefore, a fluent Ekegusii language speaker. Besides, Obiri is well versed in Swahili and English languages.

3. Runner Hellen Obiri home is in Bobasi Constituency

Hellen Onsando Obiri is from Bogichoncho Village, Riontweka sub-location, Nyangusu, Nyamache Sub County in Bobasi Constituency.

The Kenyan Olympian originates in the banana plentiful Kisii County within the vicinity of Nyangusu market.

4. The education history of Hellen Obiri revealed

Obiri Hellen started schooling at Ekeonga Primary School. She later joined Riruta Central Secondary School in Nairobi for high school studies.

Sources indicate that she was above average in both KCPE and KCSE national examinations.

In 2009, Obiri graduated from the Kenya Defence Forces Recruit Training School (RTS) in Eldoret.

5. She started sprinting at Ekeonga Primary School

The charismatic Obiri has kept a deep love for marathons since childhood.

She would remain an active marathoner throughout her primary and high school years. Thereafter, Obiri gave up on her talent only to return four years later.

Obiri eventually rose to prominence in 2011 after emerging 11th in the 2011 IAAF World Championships held at Daegu, South Korea.

6. Obiri started engaging in major competitions at age 14

Hellen Obiri qualified into the Nairobi held national athletics at the age of 14 years. She mainly represented her school in 200 meters and 400 meters competitions.

The 2003/4 marathons ended with Obiri demonstrating exceptional performance. Then came a season of concentrating on academics between 2007 and 2010.

7. Obiri joining KDF in 2010 revived her talent

Hellen Obiri recalled athletics when an opportunity to join KDF came knocking.

She finally qualified into the Kenya Air Force in 2010 and has since been raising the Kenyan flag higher by the year.

8. Olympics champion Noah Ngeny helped Obiri

KDF Cross Country Championships exposed Obiri’s talent to Noah Ngeny, a former Sydney 2000 Olympics Champion.

The impressed Noah rewarded Obiri with a direct link to PACE Sports Management Company, run by directors Briton Ricky Simms, Marion Steininger, and Duncan Gaskell.

The retired Olympian (Noah) who is head of the PACE Service Office in Kenya nurtured Obiri into a firebrand athlete.

PACE Management training bases in Ngong, Kaptagat, and Iten are home to Obiri’s unforgettable sprinting label. In between her career is a lovely family.

8. Hellen Obiri husband Tom Simon Nyaundi is a colleague soldier

The handsome Tom Nyaundi is husband to Hellen Obiri. The duo is a lovely couple in the Forces.

Obiri’s lover Tom Nyaundi is a former local marathoner and a backbone in her running career.

Even so, Sergeant Hellen Obiri is serving at the Laikipia Airbase in Kenya.

9. She delivered firstborn daughter Tania Mocheche in 2015

Mr Tom Nyaundi and his wife Hellen Obiri welcomed their firstborn child Tania Blessing Mocheche in 2015.

The gorgeous Tania is about 9 years old as of 2024 with no further information about her brothers and sisters.

10. She started racing after 7 months of a caesarean operation

Giving birth to Tania involved a normally painful cesarean section operation. Surprisingly, Hellen Obiri recovered fast and was ready to face competitors within seven months.

She went straight from labor pains to the second position at the 5,000m Olympic Games held in Brazil.

11. Hellen Obiri is a female World Championship holder in 5,000 meters

The reputation of Hellen Obiri finishing a 5,000 meters race in 14:26.72 at Doha, Qatar has remained unbroken since 2019.

Obiri was 8.14 seconds faster in 2019 compared to 2017 London World Championship.

On the other hand, Eliud Kipchoge is a 5,000 meters World Athletics Championships record holder in the men category.

Kipchoge’s record of 12:52.79 minutes in 2003 remains unbroken about two decades later.

12. She taps mentorship from Vivian Cheruiyot 

Apart from Noah Ngeny of KDF, Hellen Obiri looks up to fellow marathoner Vivian Cheruiyot.

The two enjoy good chemistry being family friends and training pals at Vapour Athletics Club in Ngong Hills.

On top of that, Vivian Cheruiyot and Hellen Obiri are both running under PACE Management.

13. Onsando Hellen Obiri is a successful brand ambassador

Speeds have continually favoured Obiri in claiming lucrative endorsements and skyline deals.

For instance, she landed a multi-million deal with Nike, an American multinational dealership corporation.

14. She is likewise a hard-working large scale farmer

Hellen Obiri has confirmed that farming is an important routine when she is tired of winning gold medals.

Obiri is mainly a livestock farmer in Kisii County and the Transmara section of Narok County. On her farm are hundreds of cattle, goats, and pigs.

She is on record for encouraging other athletes to invest in business instead of monthly paychecks.

Obiri says livestock farming saved her from going broke even at the peak of Covid-19.

15. Hellen Obiri in the list top 100 most influential Africans

The London based New African magazine 2017 listed Hellen Obiri in the category of 100 most influential Africans.

Obiri is equally notable for maintaining balance in her busy schedule of training, gym work, KDF job, and most importantly motherhood roles.

Onsando Hellen Obiri biography on initiatives and charities

Hellen Obiri profile shows that she has been advocating for more training camps to accommodate upcoming athletics talents in Gusii land. 

The only one at Keroka is far below her expectations for a county that initiated the glory of Kenya in overseas championships.

Obiri believes that a lack of capacity building is why Rift Valley is producing more athletes than Kisii and Nyamira Counties combined.

Abagusii Female Runners welfare group

The Kisii runner Hellen Obiri is a member of the Abagusii Female Runners welfare group. Other members include;

  • Grace Momanyi – 2010 Commonwealth 10,000m champion
  • Isabella Ochichi – Athens 2004 Olympics 5,000m silver medalist

The female-only charity group aims at giving back to the community as is the case with neighbouring Rift Valley sprinters.

Hellen Obiri net worth and salary

Obiri who has been running for wealth and fame since 2010 is recently a tycoon in town.

Athletics aside,, she bags her salary from brand endorsements, farming, and direct deals.

All said, Hellen Onsando Obiri net worth is about Ksh. 300 million as of 2024. She can only be richer.

Hellen Obiri contacts

Obiri is under PACE Management which is accessible through the following contacts.

  • Instagram: @pacesportsmanagement
  • Email: info@pacesportsmanagement.com
  • Website: https://pacesportsmanagement.com

Onsando Hellen Obiri biography is a beautiful story written to impress generations. Her fame and pride in World Athletics Championships remain unchallenged.