'Baby Police' Rono raring to arrest rivals in Toronto

Former Kenya National Cross Country champions Philemon Rono. [Courtesy]

It's a riddle, but it has to be answered. Not now but soon - at least in a different fashion.

Although he boasts a rich CV in 42km running, he still longs to go one better. And Philemon Rono, a three-time Toronto Marathon winner, has trained his sights on the prize at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16.

In three editions, he has crossed the finish line of this World Athletics Elite Label race victorious, most recently in 2019 when he set a new Canadian All Comers' record of 2:05:00. Three other men finished within thirteen seconds of him in what was arguably the most exciting race in North American history.

He ran his second fastest time in Valencia 2:05:37 in 2020 and then finished sixth in the 2022 Seoul Marathon (2:07:03) in April.

"I have prepared well. I hope to perform well in the race. It only depends on how we will handle the race. I have picked a lot of experience training with top marathoners among them Eliud Kipchoge in our camp in Kaptagat," he said.

While a student at Kapcherop Secondary School in Elgeyo Marakwet, Rono drew inspiration from Ethiopia's multiple Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, the second fastest marathoner in history, and who trained under Jose Hermens of Global Sports Communications based in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The diminutive Rono is nicknamed 'Baby Police' partly due to his dimunitive stature and youthful face and the fact he is also a policeman in good standing with the Kenya Police Service.

During the off season - which, given the fact he will run both a spring and autumn marathon, constitutes only November and May - he reports to his work station.

Rono is a police constable attached to Kenya Airports Police Unit in Mombasa. Under coach Patrick Sang, the 1992 Olympic steeplechase silver medalist, Rono has made impressive strides.

Sang's training group includes elite marathoners like Eliud Kipchoge.

They are also members of the NN Running Team, a unique professional group sponsored by NN, an insurance and asset management company.

Rono has been a Chelsea FC fan since they had African superstar Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) on their roster for a great part of the early 2000's. So, does he still support them?

"Of course, of course! I will not leave Chelsea," he declares laughing. "Eliud supports Tottenham. Three-time World Half Marathon Champion Geoffrey Kamworor is supporting Manchester United. That is when everybody is supporting these teams and we say, 'My team will win'."

Rono, who is married with one child, loves farming. "I have cows and sheep. I grow maize and potatoes. Sometimes we go out but usually when I am around (the farm), I go and feed the cows and stay around there and play with the kids. I have one boy," he said.

Rono's plans for a post-athletics future are quite apparent, but he has perhaps at least another five years of active running.