By Paul Gains
It says a lot about a marathon when its podium finishers are eager to return. A year ago Dominic Ngeno crossed the finish line second at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Now, from his home in Iten, Kenya, he announces he will return for this year’s edition set for October 19.
“It was an amazing race last year and I learned a lot,” he says with a grin. “The race was good. I am coming now to combat.
“I was so happy that the fans were cheering us all the way in the streets. It was so amazing.”
There have been lots of positive developments in Ngeno’s career in the past few months. He left the training camp he had been at in Kaptagat to return to his home in Iten, 2,400m above sea level. He says that Iten, the ‘Home of Champions’, is better suited to him. He is happier there.
As evidence he can point to April’s Paris Marathon where he finished 5th in a new personal best of 2:06:37.
“I ran 2:06:37 in Paris and it is a hard course,” he explains. “It is not like Toronto. When I came to Toronto (last year) I was fearing it was a hard course because for two or three years the guys were running 2:09, 210. So, I was fearing it was not like going to be fast. But when I finished the race, I saw it was good. Paris compared to Toronto? Toronto is a nice course.”
As he speaks via WhatsApp video he excitedly details how well his training is going and credits his ‘team’ of six fellow athletes with pushing him.
The night before this conversation he had run 20 kilometres and, this morning, another 10km. An evening track session, in which he will run a kilometre hard on the track fifteen times with a short rest, is to follow his interview. He has also put in some 40km runs every couple of weeks. It’s an exhausting schedule which leaves little time for anything else.
“When I am not training, I am resting in the compound – just sleeping,” he reveals with a smile. “Sleeping is part of the training part of the program. After lunch I sleep for a period of time then go for training. When I come back, I take tea and wait for dinner.”
Like many Kenyan runners he does, however, find time to watch English Premier League football.
“Yeah, I am a big fan of English Premier League. I am a big fan of Chelsea. The blues,” Ngeno says smiling. “I have a favourite Chelsea player, before it was [Ivory Coast’s] Didier Drogba for now my favourite is [English international] Cole Palmer.”
Ngeno turns 28 on September 3rd but he is still relatively new to the marathon. After high school where he enjoyed soccer, he went to college in Eldoret, Kenya for two years where he met some of the leading Kenyan runners. But it was a chance meeting with 2022 London Marathon champion – and 2019 world championship bronze medalist – Amos Kipruto at a 2021 cross country meet that opened his eyes.
“We had some small interactions,” Ngeno remembers. “He really inspired me because he didn’t run so many half marathons, and his dream came through after he started running marathons. That kept me inspired. I ran only two half marathons. I decided to be a marathoner full time.”
Ngeno recognizes that earning money as a professional runner can pave the way to a bright future. He has a contract with Asics which helps a great deal. And, he has his sight on the TCS Toronto Waterfront marathon first place prize of $25,000CDN. That sum goes a long way in Kenya.
“There is life after running so you need to invest whatever you get,” he says. “You need to do some business. Like now I have a small business – I have electronics stores also I am doing farming – and after running I will work with my family and work on that.
“I have shops and there are some guys who are working for me in the shops. Whenever somebody needs something like a television, anything, they can go to buy there.”
Some of the greatest marathoners have run well at ages once considered beyond prime. Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge all come to mind. So Ngeno could have another decade in front of him. It is something he has pondered.
“First I love running and because I love running, I want to run my best and so my life will not remain the same,” he declares. “I want to be the best. I have that dream (running for Kenya).
“This year when they were selecting the team I was not far from selection. I believe soon I will run for Team Kenya. I have love for my country, and I believe I will represent my country in years to come, maybe at the World Championships or Olympic Games.”
Now his focus is on the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon where he intends to combat a world class field.
