Toronto’s Ehab El-Sandali goes pro, signing with Puma Running

On Nov. 20, a Canadian distance runner from Toronto, Ehab El-Sandali, announced on his Instagram that he has turned pro, signing a contract with Puma Running and joining the Puma Elite Running Team in North Carolina. 

El-Sandali, 25, has represented Team Canada twice at the senior level—once at the 2022 World Indoor Championships, and also at the 2019 World Cross-Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. 

Earlier this year, El-Sandali graduated from a six-year stint with Iona College in the NCAA, where he led them to six straight MAAC conference titles in cross country.  

“I am extremely excited to be a part of the Puma Running family,” says El-Sandali. “It has been a longtime dream of mine to run professionally and compete at the highest level.”

El-Sandali will be coached by two-time U.S. Olympian Amy Cragg, who placed ninth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and her husband, Irish Olympian Alistair Cragg, with the Puma Elite Running Team.

“I enjoy the coaching styles of the Craggs—I feel that they complement each other and always look to get the best out of me,” says El-Sandali. “At first, it was tough to adjust to some of the workouts for the first couple of weeks, but my teammates have done a great job of making sure we feed off each other.”

El-Sandali said he’ll miss a few things about Toronto, like the parks and his friends and family, but not the winters. “The location could not be any better. I am looking forward to training in favourable weather.”

Something that excited El-Sandali about Puma is the innovation and performance of its products. “My favourite shoe to train in has been the Puma Deviate Nitro 2,” says El-Sandali. “It’s got a great cushioning and long-lasting grip that results in many weeks of solid miles. I’m also a fan of the built-in carbon plate. It gives the shoe a nice pop for an everyday trainer.”

El-Sandali has personal bests of 13:25.01 over 5,000m (indoors) and 7:48.0 for 3,000m (indoors) from February 2022.