Philes OngoriHome: Kisii, KenyaBib: #F15 Pronunciation: Fill-iss On-gor-ee Birthdate: 19 July 1986 Personal Best: 2:24:20 (Rotterdam, 2011) |
| 17Nov13 | Yokohama Women's Marathon | 5th | 2:31:21 |
| 12May13 | Prague International Marathon | 2nd | 2:28:53 |
| 10Apr11 | Rotterdam Marathon | 1st | 2:24:20 |
Philes Ongori returns to competition intent on improving her marathon best, which was achieved in 2011 at her marathon debut in Rotterdam. Last year she finished second at the Berlin Half Marathon in 1:08:01 and second at the Prague Marathon. In the fall, she finished fifth at the Yokohama Women’s Marathon. In 2012 she won the Berlin Half Marathon and finished runner-up in the Nairobi Half Marathon. A member of Kenya’s competitive World Championship Teams, Ongori won the silver medal at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1:07:38 and helped Kenya earn the team gold medal. She also competed at the 2007 IAAF World Championships 10,000m and finished eighth.
Ongori grew up in the same village as Boston Marathon course-record-holder Margaret Okayo. She was selected to move to Japan and run for the Yamanashi Gakuin High School. She then joined the Hokuren Women’s Running Club and found success with that corporate team. Ongori is married to a high school teacher, John Ondari Mochama, and she is a farmer when not training and tends chickens and cows and grows corn, onions and vegetables. Ongori has helped construct churches nearby and helps her relatives pay school fees. She likes watching soccer and her favorite team is Liverpool.