Philes Moora Ongori (born 19 July 1986 in Chironge,

Kiamokama Kiamokama is a small farming community in Kisii County in the south west of Kenya. People Most of the people in Kiamokama are Abagusii. They speak Ekegusii (native language), Swahili (Kenya's national language) and English. Other tribal languag ...

, in Kisii District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

and

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

events. Her early career was based in Japan and she won a number of All-Japan Corporate titles for the Hokuren team. She ran the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

for Kenya at the

2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, () under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007. 200 of the IAAF's 212 member federat ...

, but came to prominence in the half marathon in 2008 when she won the

Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon The is an annual road running competition which takes place in early February in Marugame, Japan. It currently holds IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and the professional races attract over 1000 entries each year,Ota, Shigenobu (2009-02-02)Mar ...

in the fastest time of the year. At the

2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 11 October 2009. It was the final event of the International Association of Athletics Federations' 2009 World Athletics Series. Organisation The city of B ...

she won the

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

. Ongori won on her marathon debut at the

Rotterdam Marathon The Rotterdam Marathon, currently branded NN Rotterdam Marathon, is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April every year since the third edition in 1984 and attracts many top athletes. ...

in 2011, setting a time of 2:24:20 hours.

Career

Philes Ongori grew up in the same village as another great female long distance runner

Margaret Okayo Margaret Okayo (born May 30, 1976 in Masaba, Kisii District) is a professional marathon runner from Kenya. She has won a number of major marathons, including the New York City Marathon (two times), the Boston Marathon, and the London Marathon. Sh ...

, who is a twice winner of the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...

. Ongori moved to Japan as a teenager and ran for Yamanashi Gakuin High School. She joined the Hokuren Women's Running Club in 2005 and won five All-Japan corporate titles on the track for the team, over distances from

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

. She formed part of Kenya's team for the

Chiba Ekiden The International Chiba Ekiden was an annual team road running competition held in Chiba, Japan in late November. The marathon relay race, or ekiden as it is known in Japan, is one of the prominent annual races of its kind. The competition is split ...

in November 2005 and she ran the fastest opening leg and Kenya went on to win the race. She made her

debut in March 2006 and won on her first attempt, taking the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon title. Ongori claimed third place at the

Sapporo Half Marathon The was an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance which took place each July in Sapporo, Japan. First held in 1958, the race began as a full marathon competition for men under the moniker of the Hokkai Times Marathon. Th ...

later that year. She set a personal best of 31:18.85 minutes for the 10,000 m in September in Oita. She had her first sub 1:10 clocking in the half marathon at the

All-Japan Corporate Half Marathon is a name given to championships or governing bodies that are based in Japan. It may also refer to: Combat sport *All Japan Pro Wrestling *All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling *All Japan Kendo Federation * All Japan Ju-Jitsu International Federation ...

in 2007, which she won in a time of 1:09:50 hours. She was selected for the

race at the 2007 World Championships and she finished eighth. The following year she won the

; her time of 1:07:57 was the second fastest win recorded on the circuit. This time was the fastest run for the distance by any athlete that year. She was expected to perform well at the All-Japan Corporate Half Marathon, but it was

Yukiko Akaba is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, half marathon and marathon events. Career She won the silver medal in half marathon at the 1999 Summer Universiade. At the 2001 Summer Universiade she finished eighth in th ...

who took the title while Ongori ended the race in third. She came within a second of her best in the 10,000 m at the Hyogo Relays in

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, edging out

Yoko Shibui is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes. Shibui is one of only a handful of wome ...

. Her opening race of the 2009 season came at the

Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. History The first event, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the world record, but Wanjiru himself set a new world record only a month later in ...

and she improved her best time to 1:07:50 to take third place. In May she won at the Sotokoto Safari Half Marathon in Kenya, defeating Helena Kiprop in the process. At the Kenyan Track and Field Championships she was third over 10,000 m, behind

Linet Masai Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (born 5 December 1989) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. She won her first world title in the 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. ...

and

Lineth Chepkurui Lineth Chepkurui (born 23 February 1988 in Bomet) is a Kenyan long distance runner. At the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, 2008 World Cross Country Championships Chepkurui finished eleventh in the individual race, however this was not ...

. Her performances gained her selection for the

and although

Mary Keitany Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (born 18 January 1982) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She is the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she plac ...

went on to take a clear victory, Ongori beat

Aberu Kebede Aberu Kebede Shewaye (born 12 September 1989) is an Ethiopian long distance runner who specializes in road running competitions. Her half marathon best of 1:07:39 is one of the fastest ever by an Ethiopian woman. She gained a bronze at the 2009 ...

in a sprint finish for the

. This helped Kenya to the women's team title at the event. The

Abu Dhabi Half Marathon The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The inaugural edition of the half marathon race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,

was her major race in 2010 and she was the runner-up behind teammate Keitany. In March the following year Ongori she ran at the

Paris Half Marathon Paris Half Marathon (''French: Semi-marathon de Paris''), known as the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris for sponsorship reasons, is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France since 1993. Kenya's Stanley Biwott is the men's course ...

, but was again second-best behind a fellow Kenyan, this time

Peninah Arusei Peninah Arusei Jerop (born 1 January 1979) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specialises in road running competitions, especially the half marathon. She has represented Kenya at the Olympics, having competed in the 10,000 metres ra ...

. Ongori made her

debut in April 2011 at the

and she outran the more experienced

Hilda Kibet Hilda Kibet (born 27 March 1981 in Keiyo District) is a Dutch runner of Kenyan birth. She is the sister of Sylvia Kibet and the niece of Lornah Kiplagat. She obtained Dutch nationality in October 2007. Kibet's longtime partner is Dutch marathon ...

in the final stages to win the race in a quick first-time run of 2:24:20 hours. She was the first Kenyan finisher at the

World 10K Bangalore The World 10K Bengaluru (known as the TCS World 10K Bengaluru for sponsorship reasons by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)) is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which takes place in Bangalore, India. The competition was first ...

, taking fifth place behind Ethiopian women. She won the

Berlin Half Marathon The Berlin Half Marathon is a major endurance event held annually in early spring in Berlin, Germany. Besides the runner's main race, the event includes a race for inline skaters, wheelchair athletes and handbikers. All athletes use the same co ...

in April 2012, beating

Helah Kiprop Helah Kiprop Jelagat (born 7 April 1985) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in the half marathon and marathon. Her personal bests for the events are 1:07:39 minutes and 2:21:27 hours, respectively. She has won the Berli ...

by one second at the line, then won the

Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon The Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon (Chinese: 扬州鉴真国际半程马拉松赛) is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance which takes place in April in Yangzhou, People's Republic of China. The event ...

at the end of the month. She was second at the Sotokoto Safari Half Marathon in June, but missed the rest of the season.Philes Ongori
Tilastopaja. Retrieved 13 May 2013. She opened 2013 with runner-up finishes at Berlin Half Marathon and the

Prague Marathon The Prague Marathon (also known as Prague International Marathon (PIM) and Volkswagen Prague Marathon) is an annual road marathon held in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to become a si ...

. She was fifth at the Yokohama Women's Marathon. Her elder brother Peter Isaboke Mogere was also a runner. On 19 March 2010 he collapsed and died after finishing a 5000 metres heat at Ruring'u Stadium,

Nyeri Nyeri is a town situated in the Central Highlands of Kenya. It is the county headquarters of Nyeri County. The town was the central administrative headquarters of the country's former Central Province. Following the dissolution of the former pr ...

.Daily Nation, 20 March 2010
Athlete dies after Ruring’u heat
Retrieved 21 March 2010.

Achievements

*8th 2007 World Championships, 10,000m * 2009

* 2009 World Half Marathon Championships (1st in team race) * 2011

Personal bests

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...

– 2:05.56 min (2004) *

– 4:11.86 min (2004) *

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...

– 8:47.88 min (2007) *

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

– 14:50.15 min (2007) *

– 31:18.85 min (2006) *

Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

– 1:07:38 hrs (2009) *

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

– 2:24:20 (2011)

References

External links

*
Marathon info profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ongori, Philes 1986 births Living people People from Kisii County Kenyan female long-distance runners Kenyan female marathon runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games competitors for Kenya