2-time Grandma's Marathon champion killed in Kenya

Derek Montgomery, Duluth News Tribune, via AP

Wesly Ngetich crosses the finish line in the 31st annual Grandma's Marathon,June 16, 2007.

By CURT BROWN, Star Tribune

Last update: January 22, 2008 - 11:05 AM

It's roughly 8,000 miles from the violence in Kenya to the peaceful city of Duluth, but tragedy narrowed that distance Monday.

The longtime director of Grandma's Marathon was stunned when word filtered back that two-time champion Wesly Ngetich had been killed by an arrow during fighting in his home region of Trans Mara in western Kenya.

"I was just shocked when I saw the e-mail; I couldn't believe it," said Scott Keenan, Grandma's director since the race started 32 years ago.

"It's extremely sad news," Keenan said. "He had become a quick friend of our organization and the citizens of Duluth."

When Ngetich won the 26.2-mile race between Two Harbors and Duluth's Canal Park in June -- in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 55 seconds -- it was his second triumph in three years.

He led for 21 miles in 2006, before faltering at Lemon Drop Hill to finish sixth.

This year, he vowed through his Swahili interpreter, he would "hang back" before making his move to win.

When reporters asked whether he'd be back this June to try to eclipse the other two-time winners -- Dick Beardsley, Garry Bjorkland and Doug Kurtis -- the shy and humble Ngetich smiled and said: "If I'm invited."

'Sort of bracing for ... this'

Since a disputed presidential election Dec. 27, more than 500 Kenyans have been killed in clashes between political factions, including at least one other track star.

"I think everyone in the elite running community knew that bad things were going on in Kenya," said Charlie Mahler, a former Carleton College track coach who writes a running blog at downthebackstretch. blogspot.com. "We were sort of bracing for something like this to happen."

Mahler's website includes a story from a running insiders' journal, Race Results Weekly, with comments from Ngetich's agent, Hussein Makke. He had received word from the runner's sister-in-law that Ngetich, 30, had been taken to the hospital with chest wounds and died. He was married with three children, ages 8, 6 and 1, and worked as a grain farmer.

Ngetich had hoped to run a marathon in Phoenix this month, but was unable to leave Kenya when fighting began.

"We are extremely sad for this terrible news and send our deepest sympathies to his family for their loss," Makke told Race Results Weekly. "We hope and pray this fighting will come to an end very soon."

Keenan said the two-time champion was quiet, caring, confident and always friendly, smiling every time he visited the office. He'd run Grandma's eight times.

"He loved coming here more than anything," Keenan said. "Maybe because he had so much success, but he loved the city and the community and was a gracious champion."

Curt Brown • 612-673-4767