From six-time struggler to champion: Shadrack Ngumbao's journey

Shadrack Ngumbao’s journey to victory at the 2025 Prisons Cross Country Image source: The Star

Shadrack Ngumbao overcame years of setbacks to claim his first victory at the 2025 Athletics Kenya Prisons Cross Country Championships.

Most athletes have to endure some of the toughest tests to make it to the sport and that is no different for Shadrack Ngumbao, the winner of the 2025 Athletics Kenya Prisons Cross Country Championships.

The event was held at the Ruiru Prisons Staff Training College last weekend and Ngumbao was making his seventh appearance hoping that this time around, things would be different.

He has been very unlucky in his previous visits, with his best performance prior to the 2025 edition of the event being the sixth-place finish he achieved in 2023.

After stunning Ruth Chepng’etich, Loice Chemnung fires warning to Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet & Co

Going into the edition in 2025, Shadrack Ngumbao did not know what to expect since it had now become a norm that he would always finish outside the podium bracket. However, things turned out differently and he managed to claim his first victory after years of trying his luck.

Now, you might be asking yourself what he was doing wrong in the six times he had competed there. Ngumbao admitted that he had to work on being smarter than he was before and also step up on his training ahead of grueling task.

“This is almost my seventh time competing here and I have never won…my best performance before this win was finishing sixth in 2023. I have done enough build up and managed to train in hilly areas,” Ngumbao said in an interview after the race.

“I have also worked on my mindset because cross country also requires one to be very smart. I have been training in Ngong under coach Muteti. I competed in Bomet and finished 20th and I was also in action in Machakos where I finished fifth.”

He believes that winning the cross country has set him up for a great and interesting 2025 season where he plans to focus on road running and maybe the 10,000m.

The 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan are also in the cards and Ngumbao will also be contesting for a slot in the national team.

‘It’s my first time seeing snow’- Kishane Thompson admits to culture shock in Astana as he enters new territory

“I have prepared well for this season and my fans should expect the best from me. I will be focusing on the half marathon and the 10,000m race,” he shared.