Ngoizi

Most runners have stories about pushing through pain. Esther Gohole aka Ngoizi ran her first marathon with stomach ulcers. But the runs that define her happened when she was five months pregnant, navigating Nairobi's streets with her unborn daughter along for every stride.

"People thought I was crazy," she says matter-of-factly. "But running kept me happy."

At home now, her two daughters copy her morning stretches, giggling as they attempt squats beside her yoga mat. Her running club teammates call her "lioness"—partly for her grit, partly because everything she does seems to revolve around her cubs. On Instagram, she uses #fitmomof2, though some days it feels more like #tiredmomwhorunstostaysane.

What makes Ngoizi remarkable isn't just that she runs. It's that she refused to let pregnancy, motherhood, or anyone else's opinions stop her from running. Her story began in the most ordinary way: YouTube workouts in her living room.

From living room to long runs

In 2019, Ngoizi was a new mom feeling stuck. "I was the biggest one among my friends," she says. "I just wanted to lose weight. That's how I started."

She followed fitness videos at home, learning to plank between diaper changes. When COVID hit and the city locked down, she started taking long walks to clear her head. The walks became short jogs, though her knees paid the price.

"I used to run with rubber shoes, and my knees really suffered. But I kept going."

By 2021, running had become necessary. "Motherhood, young marriage... it was a lot. I would come back home calmer, ready to face the day."

Sometimes she ran to think through problems. Sometimes she ran to stop thinking entirely.

The racing bug

Ngoizi's first official race was the 2022 Nairobi Expressway Half Marathon. Standing at the start line with thousands of other runners changed something. This wasn't just exercise anymore.

She met fellow runner Dee, who became her training partner and the person who suggested she try a full marathon. For someone who had completed exactly one official half marathon, 42 kilometers sounded impossible.

But Ngoizi signed up anyway. Early morning runs became routine. Speed sessions replaced some of her comfortable jogs. She started talking about split times and hydration strategies.

When everything went wrong

By October 2023, Ngoizi felt ready for the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon. She had trained consistently, logged the kilometers, and felt strong. Then her stomach started acting up.

"I started getting ulcers and stomach pains. That week, we went for speed work with a friend, and after one lap I just couldn't. The pain was too much. Then I started having bad diarrhea."

Most people would have deferred to the next year. Ngoizi had a different calculation.

"I told myself, I've trained so much, I can't quit now. It's like when you study for an exam, then wake up with a toothache—you still sit the exam."

She ran all 42 kilometers in pain. "I was just hoping I wouldn't faint. But I made it. After that I thought—if I can do this, my pain tolerance is serious."

Running for two

When Ngoizi got pregnant with her second daughter, stopping never occurred to her. She kept running until about five months along, adjusting her pace but not her commitment.

The reactions were predictable. Strangers stared. Friends worried. "People thought I was crazy. But running kept me happy. Even when I was heavy, I just did what I could."

Her favorite memory from those months happened during a group run when a friend joked that her unborn baby was already outrunning him. "I wasn't worried about speed anymore," she says. "I just needed to keep being myself, even as everything was changing."

The decision wasn't reckless—she listened to her body and consulted her doctor. But she also knew that running wasn't just exercise for her. It was identity, stability, joy. Giving it up felt like giving up part of herself.

Eight weeks after giving birth, she was back on the road. Her first post-baby run was on Mother's Day 2024 with the Chasers celebrating alongside her. She managed 12 kilometers and felt like herself again.

The real reasons

Ngoizi runs about 100 kilometers a month now, mixing group runs with the Chasers and solo sessions. She loves the monthly meetups and shared accountability, but she also needs the quiet miles alone.

Her husband notices the difference when she comes back from long runs. "He says I'm calmer, less angry. He sees what running does for me—as a mom, an employee, and a wife."

She's honest about what motivates her. Yes, she wants to model persistence for her daughters. Yes, she feels stronger and more confident. But sometimes she just needs an hour where nobody needs anything from her except to keep moving forward.

"Running makes me happy," she says. "That's the main reason I keep doing it."

What comes next

Ngoizi doesn't have elite ambitions or times that would impress serious runners. She wants to complete more marathons, keep up with her kids at the playground, and maintain this space that belongs only to her.

Her story challenges assumptions about what pregnant women should or shouldn't do, what new mothers are capable of, and how fitness fits into a full life. From YouTube workouts to marathon finisher, it's not about dramatic transformation. It's about refusing to shrink your world when other people think you should.

Her daughters still copy her morning stretches, attempting squats beside her yoga mat. Soon they might be old enough to ride bikes alongside her easy runs. For now, they watch their mother lace up her shoes and head out the door, carrying the lesson that being a mother doesn't mean disappearing.

Because for Ngoizi, running is how she stays herself—whether she's running alone or running for two.