Kenyan runner Robert Kimutai Ngeno was poised to win the first position at the 38th edition of the Buenos Aires Marathon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. However, he ended up placing third after an unforeseen stray dog suddenly appeared and began chasing him, disrupting his concentration and diverting his focus from the race.
The marathoner displayed a remarkable performance as he clocked 1:03.21 at the halfway mark, taking the lead from the 25km mark up to the 38km point.
Ngeno’s harrowing encounter with the stray dog was eventually resolved when some spectators stepped in to help. Unfortunately, it was too late to maintain his lead, as reported by Sports Lifestyle Africa.
He was competing alongside fellow Kenyan athletes Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat and Paul Kipngetich Tanui, a silver medalist in the 10,000m event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite the dog incident, Ngeno showed remarkable resilience and composure, securing a commendable third-place finish with a time of 2:10.16.
Edwin Kibet Kiptoo, a fellow Kenyan, finished just five seconds behind Ngeno, securing the fourth position in the race. The race’s overall winner was Kiplagat, who completed the marathon in 2:08.29 while Tanui achieved second place with a new personal best time of 2:09.57.