歪歪漫画

DULUTH 鈥� Boniface Kongin, a world-class marathoner from Kenya, has found a new art during his prolonged stay in Duluth: painting.

Next up for the 2019 Grandma鈥檚 Marathon champion? Yard work.

Kongin, known as 鈥淏ones鈥� to his friends, has been stuck in the Duluth area for more than a month, sitting out the coronavirus pandemic like everyone else.

So hosts Brian and Tina Nelson have found something to keep him occupied such as painting their bedrooms.

鈥淗e鈥檚 an amazing painter, he doesn鈥檛 even get a splotch on anything,鈥� Tina Nelson, a financial counselor at St. Luke鈥檚 hospital, said Tuesday. 鈥淎nd he loves yard work, too, that鈥檚 his thing.鈥�

Kongin arrived in Duluth on March 10 after pulling out of the Los Angeles Marathon five days earlier. He expected to stay with the Nelsons until March 30 before returning to Kenya to train in warmer weather in anticipation of defending his Grandma鈥檚 title.

But Kongin鈥檚 plans changed once COVID-19 forced Minnesota and other states to shut down.

鈥淭hen flights were getting canceled,鈥� Tina Nelson said. 鈥淭hen we were getting scared about sending him because he was going to go through London and then London was getting bombarded by the (pandemic). We all decided it was in his best interest to stay here rather than in Kenya.鈥�

Now everything is up in the air.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know when I am going back,鈥� Kongin said.

Kongin first came to Duluth last April 19 and stayed through his first Grandma鈥檚 Marathon. He surprised onlookers 鈥� most of whom didn鈥檛 know who he was because he ran as a citizen and not an elite runner 鈥� by cruising to win in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 56 seconds.

Tina Nelson had first met Kongin at the 2018 Twin Cities Marathon, where he was runner-up, and offered him a place to stay if he ran in Duluth.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a real delight. He speaks really good English and knows how to joke,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淗e loves Duluth.鈥�

The 30-year-old from Iten, Kenya, even has a tattoo of Minnesota with Duluth starred on his arm. He鈥檚 noticed by neighbors when he runs in town and enjoys going on police ride-alongs and meeting new people.

鈥淚 like being in Duluth,鈥� the affable runner said. 鈥淒uluth is beautiful, but now I am not meeting anyone because you have to stay at home.鈥�

The nagging injury to his left hamstring also is keeping Kongin from any serious training. He had his latest rehabilitation appointment Tuesday.

鈥淚 want to run just to stay in shape,鈥� he said.

Lacking the ability to make any income since marathoning is shut down, Kongin is worried about his family back in Kenya. He typically sends a share of his earnings to help his parents, six siblings and his 98-year-old grandmother.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like when you get fired or lose your job,鈥� said Kongin, who calls his family twice a week. Another brother is based with the U.S. military in Iraq.

While Kongin has an airline ticket to fly home whenever the time comes, friends have set up a GoFundMe account to help with his lost income that he supplies to his family. The intended goal is to collect $10,000 before Kongin leaves, and nearly $3,200 had been pledged as of mid-Tuesday.

Those willing to donate can visit gofundme.com/f/helping-support-bones-boniface-kongin.

In the meantime, Kongin will continue to paint and clean up outdoors while also learning to play Yahtzee, Uno and Jenga, among other games.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get into poker pretty soon,鈥� Nelson said.