2013 Bali Marathon 1. K. Kaptila [Ken] 01:03:252. L. Kibet [Ken] 01:03:253. J. Mwangi [Ken] 01:03:584. D. Disi [Rwa] 01:05:55 Rwanda’s veteran long distance runner, Dieudonne Disi revived his career after he finished in fourth position in the 2013 BII Maybank Bali Marathon in Indonesia. Disi clocked one hour, five minutes and fifty five seconds in a race that was dominated by Kenyans Kennedy Kaptila, Luke Kibet and Joseph Ngare Mwangi, who took the first three positions. Ever since Disi left his administrative role in the Rwanda Athletics Federation last year, the country’s most successful athlete has been holding intensive preparations in Kenya. Last year, he was hoping to compete in Lille Marathon where he was targeting to clinch an Olympic slot but things didn’t go his way as he missed out on qualifying. Disi last participated in an international competition in 2010 during the Delhi Commonwealth games. He bowed out of the Berlin Marathon race after running 21km and spent the whole of 2011 engaged in administration with the local athletics federation before his team was kicked out of office late August on allegations of financial mismanagement. He, however, had a successful stint in 2009 where he dominated the spot light with a series of top notch displays in Europe and Asia. Disi pulled out of the World Cross Country Championship in Amman, Jordan to concentrate on the 33rd Paris Marathon, where he finished 18th. He claimed his first major silverware during September’s 32nd Paris-Versailles race (16 km) in France after finishing second (48minutes and one second). A few weeks later, he scooped gold in the Francophone Games in Beirut. For his heroics, he was later named athlete of the Games and consequently awarded the “Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie” medal by Lebanese first lady Wafaa Sleiman during the closing ceremony. On top of the medal, Disi also pocketed Euros 9000 (Rwf7.5m) and was given free air-tickets for the following two years. Disi won another gold medal in the Reims Half marathon race in France. He set the fastest time of the event after clocking one hour, one minute and thirteen seconds.
