“The marathon brought me back to my roots”
After over 20 years living abroad in Canada, the Congolese Canadian Merveille Mukoko returned to the DRC to participate in the Congo River Half Marathon in 2022. Read more about his story and how sport brings people together.
What Motivated you to run the 2022 Half Marathon in Kinshasa?
In 2022 I had set out the goal of committing to my most difficult resolution - running a marathon. For a long time I was an athlete growing up, playing various sports like football, basketball, track etc. & due to injury & illness I had a long period where I was unable to improve my physical fitness. I told myself that year that I would complete a full marathon & signed up for the 2022 Toronto Marathon in May. In March of 2022, whilst on a work trip to Los Angeles, I met Rolly & the Congo River Marathon team at the L.A. Marathon who mentioned this amazing race back in my native country of the D.R.C. I had not been back home in 22 years & this served me as the best opportunity to go back & give back.
How did you feel being back in Congo after 20 years.
This was the most amazing experience of my life. Being able to come back to my roots & see my country that I left as a child was very fulfilling & to be able to couple that with completing my newest physical challenge made it all the more sweeter. Loved seeing family & connecting back with my roots/culture & being in the middle of vibrant Kinshasa.
What was your best memory during your visit?
My favourite memory during the visit was going to spend time in the different quarters of Kin to see family & probably visiting the safari in N’Sele. My favourite memory from the race was at the end when all the runners gathered together, saw performances & received their gifts. It was beautiful to share such moments together.
What is your weekly running/ training routine?
My weekly routine consists of a 3 days a week run schedule in which I progressively increase the load. I start off by doing 5KM every Tuesday, then 10KM on Thursday then I reserve Saturday as my long run which increases based on the race I am doing. Since it was for the Half Marathon, I started Saturday with 10KM then increased it by 1km each week until the week before the run where I ran 18KM.
How do I prepare for running a marathon physically and mentally?
On the physical side, I couple my 3 days a week training program with lots of recovery days & workouts in between. Mentally, I prepare myself my trying to do long runs on a scenic route. I want to mentally get myself to a place where running is enjoyable, almost therapeutic. I find that running near water helps with that, you get lost in the scenery.
