Nana Serwa Wiafe, a 53-year-old athlete, is the first Ghanaian six-star marathon finisher. This means that she has already run all six major world marathons.
Serwa has participated in 17 marathons and 34 half-marathons. She ran her first half marathon at the age of 43 and completed her first full marathon at 45.
In an interview with CNN, Serwa revealed that she began running ten years ago after her divorce from her husband.
“It was right after my divorce in 2011 that I began running. I joined Black Girls Run in Austin and ran my first half marathon at 43, then my first full marathon at 45. So, this marks my 10th year of running,” Wiafe said.
“When I started this journey 10 years ago (2013), I would’ve never imagined that closing one relationship chapter would open up the door for a new love of my life – running.”
Nana Serwa Wiafe Completing 6 Major Marathons
She became the first Ghanaian-born runner to complete all six major marathons in London, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York, and Tokyo.
“I am the first six-star major marathon finisher at age 53. These medals include Chicago, New York, the oldest marathon in Boston, Berlin, and Tokyo 2024, where I acquired my six-star. Running is the community that I have formed,” she said.
Nana Serwa Wiafe began her win with the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2017, completing the Chicago Marathon. This marked the start of her quest to participate in all six major marathons.
In 2018, she completed the Berlin Marathon, followed by the London Marathon in April 2019, and the New York Marathon in November of the same year.
She also secured a medal in the 2023 Boston Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon in March 2024.
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As the only Ghanaian to ever pursue the Abbott World Major Marathons, Serwa said she embarked on a quest to conquer each of the six races.
In a past interview, she shared that one day she met two African American girls who are still her friends today. They told her that they belonged to a group called Black Girls Run, and they meet every Saturday.
“I’ve triumphed five out of the six races, leaving only Tokyo in March 2024. Running is my escape. During my morning run, I plan my day,” she said.
“Marathons and everything else—it’s a community I’ve built since joining this small but elite group. Only one percent of the world’s population has run a marathon.”
The athlete said the journey is about more than personal accomplishment; it symbolizes breaking barriers, proving that determination knows no bounds, and inspiring others to take charge of their health and well-being.
At the same time, she called on West African countries to focus on investing in athletics, especially running, in addition to soccer to groom more talents.
“It’s kind of sad when I come to runs like this. One thing I can always count on is not to see a Ghanaian flag anywhere on the course but like yesterday [Sunday], I saw a lot of South Africans, and Kenyans on the course, and then I felt like I was the only one though I had my running jersey and big Ghana flag in front with the black star but it was just me,” she said.
“I have my Ghana flag where strangers call out ‘Go Ghana.’ In West Africa, especially Ghana, we are more of a soccer culture, but I really would like us to emerge into a running culture and get into big races”
Nana’s Early Life
Nana was born in Kumasi, Ghana but moved to the United States in the 1980s to join her parents who were living in Chicago, Illinois.
She mentioned that she used to run shorter distances in her elementary school in Ghana before transitioning to long-distance running.
The 53-year-old participated in the 100 meters, 4×100 meters, and 200 meters, often serving as the anchor for the 4×100 relay team.
To celebrate her 53rd birthday in January, she participated in her 39th half marathon, the USAA Fit Resolution Half Marathon. She has run in over 30 U.S. states and is determined to complete races in all 50 states.
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