David Mutai, the winner of the Men’s Open category at the 2019 Mississauga Marathon was born in the high-altitude Rift Valley region of Kenya, where he grew up and attended school. He was an active child and was always encouraged by his parents to participate in various sports. Like every one of his friends, David loved soccer and is a die-hard fan of Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Coming from a family of athletes, David notes that it is his two older brothers who inspired him to take running seriously. Wanting to compete with his older siblings, David acknowledges them as one of the reasons for his success. Another source of inspiration for David has been his parents. Having been encouraged to be active by his parents for his whole life, it came as no surprise to him when he found out that both were athletes during their time in school. It’s safe to say that athletics is in the Mutai family’s DNA.
David has been running half marathons and road races for over 9 years and follows a strict training routine that includes; running an average of 6 days per week. When asked about the number of races he has participated in, David says, “I have participated in no less than 50 half marathons and 10K events. As for full marathons, I tried one in 2011 and it wasn’t good for me, so I stopped because I felt I wasn’t mature enough. In 2015, I did another other one and I did well, this encouraged me to go and train for it.”
Beginning his running career in Kenya, David has gained 9+ years of experience that has seen him travel across the globe. Between 2010 and 2017, David was running his races in Asia before deciding in 2018 to make the switch to North America. The first race that David participated in when he came overseas was the Half at the Mississauga Marathon. This was a special moment for David. Not only was this his first North American race, but he finished in an incredible 2nd place.
Today, David travels between Canada and Kenya to split his time between participating in races and spending time with his family. He has run various marathons, across Canada, and was the Men’s Open winner of the 2019 Mississauga Marathon. The victory was a huge success for David because he had run and won the Waterloo Marathon the previous weekend. When asked about this impressive accomplishment; a cheerful David said, “I take every race as a challenge and preparation for the next race. It was only one week after I ran the Waterloo marathon and to run marathons one week apart and win is not that easy and so I was very happy.”
Throughout his career, David has inspired lots of people. He currently runs and trains with his group of friends, all of whom were inspired to take up running after seeing the success that David has had. You can see David in action at the 2020 Mississauga Marathon, May 1-3 and the 2020 Brampton Half Marathon, June 13-14!
About the Mississauga Marathon
The annual Mississauga Marathon is back for its 17th year. Choose to run or walk in the full marathon, Pandora Square One Half Marathon, 10K, Novo Nordisk “Hazel” 5K, Timbits 2K Fun Run or our full or 10K relays. Join us May 1-3, 2020 for a weekend of live music, food, drinks, games, free shuttles and parking and your fastest run yet. For more info, visit www.mississaugamarathon.com.
About the Brampton Half
The inaugural Brampton Half is taking place June 13-14, 2020. This half marathon and 10K event provides an opportunity for new and experienced runners to be a part of history. The festivities take place at Mount Pleasant Village, home to the start and finish line accompanied with music, food, drinks and games! To learn more or to register, visit www.bramptonhalfmarathon.com.
Pictures by FinisherPix.
