Kenyan Panuel Mkungo was a relieved man after he won the men’s half-marathon at the Miami Marathon on Sunday, a victory that came with a $1,500 (KSh150,000) cash reward.
Mkungo, 23, won the race in 1:04:11 — the second fastest half-marathon time in the event’s history- to take home the monies that he was in dire need of.
Mkungo, who lives in Elkton, Maryland, USA is the oldest of six children and uses prize winnings in races to support his family in Kenya, after his father died several years ago.
“Two weeks ago the family was asking for money and he was very stressed and broke down in tears,’’ Jason Rita, his coach, told the Miami Herald. “He was looking forward to this race.”
The men’s full marathon was won by American Christopher Zablocki, 28, who crossed the tape in 2:18:15 . Zablocki broke away at the 23-mile mark to defeat Kenyan men’s runner-up Hillary Too (2:19:42) and two-time Miami Marathon winner Luis Carlos Rivero Gonzalez (2:20:01) of Guatemala.