Gold Coast Marathon 2019: Kenneth Mungara says ‘I know I have won’ fourth victory

Distance runner Kenneth Mungara doesn’t need luck to cross the finish line first at this Sunday’s Gold Coast Marathon — he believes he’s already won.

IT’S all about belief. Distance runner Kenneth Mungara doesn’t need luck to cross the finish line first at this Sunday’s Gold Coast Marathon — he believes he’s already won.

The famed international marathon runner from Kenya, 45, has placed first in the city’s 42km race three times now.

And Mr Mungara says that this Sunday, he “will be winning” his fourth title in record time, thanks to his positive mentality.

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Gold Coast Marathon 2018 Race winner Kenneth Mungara. Photo: Richard Gosling

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Asked if he thought he would be successful this year, he said: “I don’t think, I know I will win!

“That’s how I feel. If you don’t believe it, you won’t. You have to believe so you can make it.”

Mr Mungara started running about 20 years ago — something he said was all part of a joke.

“I started as a joke. I was grown up. I had a barber shop,” he said.

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Kenneth Mungara and Mercy Kibarus. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Kenneth Mungara and Mercy Kibarus. Picture: Glenn Hampson

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“I would go and cut people’s hair and then someone, a friend of mine, came in and we started joking.

“He said ‘You can’t beat me, you can’t defeat me’. So we kept joking. And I won. Because I believed.”

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He has since been competing two to three times a year for the past 20 or so years, but is not thinking about retiring any time soon.

“Why (retire)? I have a strength. That’s my secret with God,” he said.

Gold Coast Marathon 2018: Race winner Kenneth Mungara (middle) with Kento Murayama 2nd place (L) and Jo Fukuda 3rd. Photo: Richard Gosling

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This will be Mr Mungara’s fifth year competing on the Gold Coast and he said he did not think about any of the other competitors.

He placed first in 2015, 2016 and last year, crossing the line in 2hr 9min 47 sec. Another year he placed fourth.

Mr Mungara said liked the Gold Coast.

“The city is simple. Relaxed. No violence. (The) people here are good.”

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Kenneth Mungara and Mercy Kibarus. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Mercy Kibarus, 34, also from Kenya, will be competing in the Gold Coast Marathon for her second time, first competing in 2017 when she came second.

The mother of three said she did not know how she would go this year, but said she “hopes for the best’’.

Marathon and tourism leaders expect more than 28,000 marathon participants, supporters and visitors on the Gold Coast for the two days of competition this weekend.