The man who set fire to Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei last Sunday has also died from injuries, it has been confirmed. Dickson Ndiema's death comes days after his fatal attack on his ex-girlfriend, Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, 33. She died after suffering multiple organ failure last week. Cheptegei sustained 80% burns all over her body when Ndiema threw petrol on her and set her alight after a bitter argument. The Olympic runner tragically passed away in a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya a few days later.

Ndiema also received considerable burns after his brazen attack and was rushed to the same hospital as his ex-girlfriend. He would have been charged with murder had he survived. But officials at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital confirmed this morning that Ndiema also succumbed to his injuries late last night. "Dickson Ndiema Marangach has died from 30 per cent burns he sustained when he set his girlfriend Rebecca Cheptegei ablaze last week," the statement read. "The police believe he was burnt by the same petrol he used in setting Rebecca ablaze following a dispute over ownership of land one of them had bought."

Ndiema's cruel and savage attack on Cheptegei took place on Sunday, September 1. The pair were heard by neighbours arguing loudly at Cheptegei's home in Kenya, where the athlete recently moved to be closer to high end training facilities. Ndiema is said to have snapped and doused her with petrol from a jerry can before setting her alight.

Neighbours who heard the commotion ran to try and extinguish the blaze that swept up the Olympian - but sadly it was to no avail. Agnes Barbara, who lives adjacent to Cheptegei's home, told the BBC: "When I came out, I saw Rebecca running towards my house on fire, shouting, 'help me.' As I went to look for water and started calling out for help, her assailant appeared again and doused more petrol on her." A shaken Barbara revealed she could not eat for days after witnessing the attack, solemnly stating that she had never seen anyone "burned alive."

Cheptegei leaves behind two children, aged nine and 11, who are fathered by a different man living in Uganda. One of Cheptegei's daughters is said to have witnessed the tragic attack at her mother's home last Sunday. She told Kenya's The Standard that Ndiema stopped her from trying to help her mother. "He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother. I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible," said the girl who has not been named.

Cheptegei displayed a talent for endurance running and trained hard to compete in marathons and other long distance events at the highest level. In 2022, she won gold in the up and downhill mountain race at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. Cheptegei also won the Padova marathon in Italy earlier that year, before finishing second in the Abu Dhabi marathon in 2hr 22min 47sec – the second fastest time by a female Ugandan. A statement from the Ugandan Athletics Federation on social media read: "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace."

World Athletics president Lord Sebastian Coe pledged to look at ways to better protect female athletes. He said: "Our sport has lost a talented athlete in the most tragic and unthinkable circumstances. 'Rebecca was an incredibly versatile runner who still had lots left to give on the roads, mountains and cross country trails. 'I have been in touch with our council members in Africa to see how we can help, not only in our capacity as governing body of the sport Rebecca competed in, but to assess how our safeguarding policies might be enhanced to include abuse outside of the sport, and bringing together stakeholders from all areas of athletics to combine forces to protect our female athletes to the best of our abilities from abuse of all kinds."