We are part of The Trust Project.
DULUTH — Nearly three years ago, Dominic Ondoro won the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon, but injuries have prevented Ondoro from even completing a marathon since that day.
Until now.
Ondoro returned to Duluth on Saturday and won his second Grandma’s Marathon in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 34 seconds — the second-best time in the race's history. The only better finish was in 2014, when Ondoro won the race with a time of 2:09:06.
For much of the last three years, the elite Kenyan runner has been dealing with knee and Achilles tendon injuries. He had attempted some marathons but had not finished until Grandma’s.
While he’s happy with the finish, Ondoro, 34, is still looking to improve over his next few races.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I was out of competition, so I was very happy, but I think the next race I will do better than this,” Ondoro said.
He’s hoping to get his marathon time under 2:07 in his coming races.
Saturday's race start was sunny and cool, with runners starting out on a 2:09 pace according to fourth-place finisher and four-time winner Elisha Barno.
“The weather was nice when we started the race,” Barno said. “The start of the race was very good and C.J. Albertson was very strong and pushing the pace.”
Barno’s time of 2:10:22 was 30 seconds better than Albertson’s fifth-place finish.
There was a large pack of leaders until about the 20-mile mark, but then Sammy Rotich, who won the Austin Marathon in February, and Ondoro broke away from the pack.
“I knew they were very strong guys, so I was hoping if I hung on until 30 to 35 kilometers, then something will happen,” Rotich said. “That’s actually what happened, because at 35 kilometers Ondoro pulled away with me, but after the hill I couldn’t maintain that pace and I let him go.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Rotich, 35, ultimately finished second with a personal best of 2:10:07, the time nearly two minutes better than his previous best at the 2008 Enschede Marathon in Netherlands.
That “hill” was Lemon Drop Hill, near 26th Avenue East, something Ondoro was prepared for but something Rotich — making his Grandma’s debut — had not experienced.
Rotich, running in just his fourth full marathon, said the second-place finish was a “big deal” for his career.
“I had done a lot of good long runs,” Rotich said. “So I told myself the only thing I need to do is maintain my own pace so that I can finish the race and watch my back. I kept watching my back a lot to make sure Elisha and none of the runners got close. I kept watching back a lot for the next 4 kilometers until we finished.”
Rotich said he and his coach are happy with his progress and hope he can go under 2:10 in one of his next races.
