Ongori eyeing victory in Germany as compensation for missing Olympics

By Omulo Okoth

The Berlin Half-Marathon champion, Philes Ongori, has set her eyes on the Berlin Marathon in September, if only to compensate her absence at the London Olympics.

“I would have loved to be in the Olympics, but I was injured towards the end of last season and I failed to make the qualifying time,” said the runner who won Rotterdam Marathon (2:24:20) on her debut last year.

Ongori was selected for the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, last year, but withdrew after being injured.

She has been training in Iten’s high altitude area under her coach Gabriele Nicole, also to attend to physiotherapy. Also watching keenly on her progress is her husband John Ondari, a masters student at KwaZulu Natal University in South Africa.

Ongori, 26, took silver behind Mary Keitany, in the World Half Marathon championships in 2009 in Birmingham, UK.

She had the previous year ran the best time over half-marathon (1:07:57) in Marugame, Japan.

She only resumed training in January this year and could not be eligible for the Olympics. But she used her comeback to win Berlin half (1:08:25), Yangzou Half (71:07) and Jakarta International 10K (33:12).

“I just want to better my time in Berlin. Winning is not in my sight yet, but if it comes, well and good. After all, that will only be my second full marathon,” says the former student of Yamanashi High School in Japan, where she was taken by the late Joseph Otwori.

She is aiming at 2:20, so that next year, she can improve it further and make the team for World Championships in Moscow.

Ongori stayed in japan for eight years (2002-2010). She studied Japanese and is a fluent speaker now.

Born Philes Moraa, the soft-spoken road runner was born in Chironge in Kisii.