David Kiptum Kipkogei’s marathon debut at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics unfolded under some of the harshest conditions the event had seen. What was expected to be a celebratory first outing quickly turned into a true test of resilience as the 46-year-old faced freezing temperatures, thick fog, and unrelenting rain.
The Deaflympics, held every four years since their launch in 1924 in Paris, bring together elite athletes with hearing impairments from across the globe. For Kipkogei, lining up for his first marathon on such a stage was already a milestone—but Tokyo had other plans.
The cold along the Tokyo Expressway loop was punishing. Kipkogei recalled barely feeling his toes as he pushed over the hard, rocky course.
“At one point, I genuinely thought I had frostbite. I kept trying to feel my toes, but my legs had gone completely numb,” he said after the race.
Despite the biting cold and the loneliness that followed after his Kenyan teammate dropped out, Kipkogei refused to surrender. His resolve held strong even as visibility deteriorated and rain continued to pour. The conditions proved so severe that Kenya’s women’s entrants, Sarah Wangari Kimani and Grancy Kandagor—both tackling their first marathon—were forced to withdraw at the 10km and 30km marks.
Kipkogei pushed through to finish in 2:17:30, earning a well-deserved silver medal. He crossed the line behind Sweden’s Otto Kingstedt, who won gold in 2:16:10, while Colombia’s José Libardo secured bronze with 2:23:50.
After the medal ceremony, Kipkogei reflected on the unexpected nature of the race. He admitted he had assumed conditions typical of summer games and never imagined competing in such winter-like weather. Still, he remains optimistic and hungry for more, saying he plans to return stronger in pursuit of gold at the 2029 Deaflympics in Greece.
He also shared his plans to invest his Sh4 million prize money in launching a business and expanding into livestock farming—an accomplishment he hopes will inspire others back home.
