Name: Tom Van Ongeval
Nationality: Belgium
Category: M50-54
Fastest Major: 2:25:38 (London 2022)
Total AbbottWMM Stars: 5
The cycling-obsessed nation of Belgium is usually feted more for its heroes on two-wheels than its runners.
Eddie Mercx’s five overall victories and 34 stage wins on the Tour de France cement cycling as the No.1 sport when it comes to feats of endurance and the Benelux country.
So it’s no surprise that it was in the saddle where reigning M45-49 champion Tom Van Ongeval found his love for long distance sport. As a younger man, he was logging 200km per weekend on the roads around his home town of Leuven.
Transitioning to the marathon with an engine built on the bike was a relatively easy switch – as a 2:47 debut during his student career demonstrated . But with family life taking precedence as ten years had passed without pursuing a distance for which he had an obvious talent.
When did you get back into marathon running?
“My wife said I should do something about my condition, so I wanted to run to get into shape. That was 2015. I started from scratch and the initial idea was to get close to 2:47 again at 45 years old. But anything sub-three would be a great achievement. And I failed. I ran 3:07.”
How did you get faster?
“I knew I could go below three hours, and I wanted to do things differently and train properly, because until then I wasn’t following a plan. A year later I ran 2:55 and then, in 2017, I was back down to 2:47. For me, that was great, the same as when I was 20 years old.”
Then the Age Group World Rankings began in 2018. Was that your next source of motivation?
“Yes. I was 45, I ran New York City and came fifth in my age group and my goal was to be at the first World Championship in 2020. In 2019 I came second in Chicago and thought I should be aiming for the podium in London. I finished fifth. Then my goal was set. Maybe I could become World Champion if I could improve a bit, especially going into next category. (moving into the 50-54 group.)”
How did the 2022 race go?
It went really smooth. I was in a small group and we caught the reigning champion, Jonathan Walton. I knew there must not have been too many people ahead of the world champion, so thought I would be on the podium, but you never know. My brother was also in London, and I saw him at 36km and he shouted to me I was first. Then I knew. I ran 2:25:38, which was also a Belgian national age group record.”
What are your hopes for the 2023 race in Chicago?
“They say it’s harder to defend a world title than it is to win it for the first time, so I feel a lot more pressure! I have seen who is around the top of the rankings, but I haven’t run a marathon this year so I’m not there.
Any further ambitions after the World Championships?
I would like to complete Tokyo for the Six Star Medal, and in my head I would like to win all the Majors in my age group, but that means I would have to re-do them all!
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