Wesly Ngetich, Two-Time and Defending Grandma's Champ, Killed in Kenyan Violence

(Race Results Weekly's David Monti generously gave DtB permission to re-print his story reporting the death of two-time Grandma's Marathon champion Wesly Ngetich.)

ATHLETE NGETICH PERISHES IN ONGOING KENYAN VIOLENCE
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

The ongoing violence in Kenya has claimed the life of marathoner Wesly Ngetich, according to his manager Hussein Makke. The 34 year-old athlete was shot in the chest with an arrow today during fighting in his hometown of Trans Mara, not far from Masai Mara.

"They spoke to his sister-in-law who said they took him to the hospital and he passed away," Makke explained in an e-mail message to Race Results Weekly. "I don't have any further information at the moment."

Makke got the news of Ngetich's death from his on-site manager in Kenya, Francis Kamau.

Ngetich had hoped to run the P.F. Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in Phoenix two Sunday's ago, but could not get out of Kenya due to the fighting. He set his personal best time of 2:12:10 when he finished second at the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2006. He was also a two-time champion of Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn., winning in 2005 and 2007.

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

Also ... The Duluth News-Tribune is reporting the story, HERE, and includes a photo remembrance of Ngetich, HERE.

And ... Grandma's Marathon executive director Scott Keenan said in a media release:

“Words cannot express our feelings at this moment. Our sympathies go out to Wesly’s family and friends and our thoughts and prayers will remain with them during this extremely sad and difficult time. We loved having Wesly here at Grandma’s and he enjoyed coming here. It is difficult to imagine that he is gone.”

Photo by Jeff Frey & Associates, courtesy of Grandma's Marathon.