Kenyan marathoner loses race after being attacked by dog

In marathon running, athletes often face unexpected challenges; from extreme weather to cramping, some things are just beyond your control. For Kenyan athlete Robert Kimutai Ngeno, it was a canine curveball that turned his recent Buenos Aires Marathon into heartbreak. 

Ngeno was leading the Sept. 24 marathon from 25 km to the 38 km; he came through halfway in an impressive 63 minutes, and seemed poised for victory. But of nowhere, a dog started chasing him, forcing him to veer off course.

Robert Kimutai Ngeno, a Kenyan runner, was attacked by a stray dog during the Buenos Aires Marathon in Argentina on Sunday.

The runner led the race from the 25km mark to the 38km mark, but the dog's chase disrupted his concentration, causing him to drop to the third position.😢… pic.twitter.com/4KNFD9LNH5

— GTV SPORTS+ (@mygtvsports) September 28, 2023

Luckily, the 29-year-old marathoner was not bitten, but he said his concentration was shattered as he dodged and weaved, desperately trying to outpace his four-legged competitor. Fortunately, some spectators came to his rescue, and shooed the pup away. But Ngeno couldn’t regain the ground he lost, and he ended up finishing third, with a time of 2:10:16–a three-minute personal best.

The top two podium spots were claimed by his Kenyan compatriots, Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat and 2016 Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Paul Tanui.

¡Ellos son los ganadores de los 42k de #BuenosAires! 🇦🇷

🥇 Kibet Kiplagat 02:08:29
🥈Paul Kipngetich Tanui 02:09:00
🥉 Robert Kimutai Ngeno 02:10:00#ESPNRun pic.twitter.com/N0bhQJ0pS4

— ESPN Run (@ESPNRun) September 24, 2023

The dog attack ended up being quite costly for the Kenyan, who missed out on the top prize of over USD $10,000. According to Pulse Sports Kenya, Ngeno reportedly asked Athletics Kenya to protest the result, but they declined. He took home the third-place prize money of around $3,000.