Samuel Ndungu

Ndungu became interested in athletics at a young age and joined a club at age twelve. He attended Kagondo High School, near Nyahururu in Kenya's Rift Valley Province.[http://www.aichi-steel.co.jp/sp_info/track02/samuel.html Samuel Ndungu サムエル ドゥング] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202193524/http://www.aichi-steel.co.jp/sp_info/track02/samuel.html |date=2013-02-02 }} {{in lang|ja}}. Aichi Steel. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. His first successes in running came through competing in cross country races in his region. Starting from the age of fifteen,Okoth, Omulo (2004-11-27). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/qatari-success-again-in-kenyan-cross-series Qatari success again in Kenyan Cross series]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. he came fifth in the junior race at the Eastern Africa Region Cross Country Championships in 2005,Okoth, Omulo (2005-02-26). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/limo-leads-kenyan-triumph-in-regional-champio Limo leads Kenyan triumph in regional championships]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. then won the junior competition the following year.Ssenfamu, Daniel (2006-02-18). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/isaac-kiprop-the-hero-for-uganda-at-the-easte Isaac Kiprop, the hero for Uganda at the Eastern Africa Cross Country Champs]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. In April 2007, the nineteen-year-old Ndungu joined the Japanese corporate running team at Aichi Steel.

After moving to Japan, he began to focus on track running and set bests of 13:30.29 and 27:48.03 minutes for the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, respectively. He knocked his best down to 13:28.44 in the shorter event in 2008 and also started doing road races for Aichi. He came third at the Kosa 10 Mile Road Race and second at the Nagoya Half Marathon.[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/kenya/samuel-ndungu-wanjiku#personal-bests Samuel Ndungu]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. He continued running half marathons in 2009 and again placed top three in Nagoya and was fourth in Sapporo. The 2010 brought his first major accomplishments. After a strong performance as pacemaker at the Lake Biwa Marathon,Nakamura, Ken (2010-03-07). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/tsegay-takes-lake-biwa-crown Tsegay takes Lake Biwa crown]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. he won the title at the All Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships with a personal best of 61:19 minutes.Nakamura, Ken (2010-03-21). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/ndungu-and-cheyech-win-all-japan-corporate-te Ndungu and Cheyech win All Japan Corporate team Half Marathon titles ]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. He also reached the top three of the Sapporo Half Marathon that year.Nakamura, Ken (2010-07-04). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/njui-and-kano-take-sapporo-half-marathon-titl Njui and Kano take Sapporo Half Marathon titles ]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. He improved further in 2010, helping pace Wilson Kipsang to a course record at the Lake Biwa race and winning the Marugame Half Marathon with a best of 60:55 minutes.Nakamura, Ken (2011-02-06). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/ndungu-and-fukushi-take-victories-at-marugame Ndungu and Fukushi take victories at Marugame Half Marathon ]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06.Nakamura, Ken (2011-03-06). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/20613-course-record-for-kipsang-at-lake-biwa 2:06:13 course record for Kipsang at Lake Biwa]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06.

Moving beyond his pacing days, he entered the 2011 Lake Biwa Marathon as a competitive runner. He made the second-fastest ever marathon debut in Japan (after Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru) with his time of 2:07:04 hours, which was enough to win on his first outing, as he was half a minute ahead of Henryk Szost, who ran a Polish record.Nakamura, Ken (2012-03-04). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/with-fast-debut-ndungu-takes-lake-biwa-title With fast debut, Ndungu takes Lake Biwa title]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. Turning back to the shorter distance, he came runner-up to Martin Mathathi at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon in May.Larner, Brett (2012-05-20). [http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/mathathi-wins-second-straight-gifu.html Mathathi Wins Second-Straight Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon, Kalmer Sets Women's Course Record ]. Japan Running News. Retrieved on 2013-02-06. Building on his debut success, he was invited to the 2012 Chicago Marathon and he came close to his best with a run of 2:07:26 hours for seventh place at the World Marathon Major race.[http://results.public.chicagomarathon.com/2012/ 2012 Chicago Marathon results]. Chicago Marathon. Retrieved on 2013-02-02.

• 5000 metres – 13:28.44 (2008)
• 10,000 metres – 27:48.03 (2007)
• 15 kilometres – 42:57 (2009)
• 20 kilometres – 57:47 (2011)
• Half Marathon – 1:00:55 (2011)
• 25 kilometres – 1:14:35 (2012)
• 30 kilometres – 1:29:04 (2012)
• Marathon – 2:07:04 (2012)

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Category:Living people

Category:1988 births

Category:Kenyan male long-distance runners

Category:Kenyan male marathon runners

Category:People from Rift Valley Province

Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen