Professional runner from Kenya outruns two black bears in wood

Professional runner from Kenya outpaces two black bears in wood
Professional runner from Kenya outpaces two black bears in wood

A professional runner from Kenya has told how he had to literally run for his life when he came across two black bears while training on a nature trail in the woods of Maine.

Moninda Marube was out running early on Wednesday on the trail near his home in Auburn when he ran into the bears six miles into his session near Auburn Lake.

See also: Bear breaks into family home and 'plays piano'

See also: Whale watching tour end up spotting swimming bear

The bears were likely heading to the lake for a drink. According to the Telegraph, Marube said the bears were around 20 yards away, and there was a vacant house 20 yards away in the opposite direction.

Marube says he froze as he came face-to-face with the animals and decided his only option was to run.

Speaking to the Sun Journal, he said: "I had to think very fast.

"In my head, I know I can't swim. I fear swimming. I fear water. Secondly, I knew I could not climb up a tree because bears can climb a tree.

"The only solution I had at that time was to be able to run."

The moment he turned his back to them, both bears started to charge in his direction. He said he had been told that you should stand still and hold your ground but that the instinct to run took over.

He ran towards the house and, by the time he reached the screened door on the porch, the bears had closed the distance between them and were 10 yards away.

He said they got to the screen and started sniffing. They could both see each other clearly and he was well aware the bears could break through the screen.

However, after around 10 minutes of sniffing around the porch and the house, the bears ran off into the woods.

When he felt sure they had disappeared, Marube emerged from the porch and ran in the opposite direction to where the bears had disappeared and made it home in an hour.

He added that if the vacant house had been further away, the bears would have caught up with him "for sure".

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