Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu: To Chase a Dream

Words by Laura Markwardt. Photography by Simon Almers.

Watch the short documentary of Lokinyomo Lobalu’s story, To Chase a Dream, above. The film is part of the Dream Together series. Discover the other stories, and more, at on.com/dreamtogether.

“When I put my shoes on to run, there is one thing I think about: How is my story going to end?” says Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu. At just 25 years old, the distance runner’s life is a tapestry of stories, still with many crescendos, track records and finish tapes yet to break. 

Lobalu was born in South Sudan. He was just nine years old when he lost his parents in the Sudanese Civil War. He escaped by fleeing just over the border to Kakuma, Kenya, where he grew up. 

Lobalu talks of his early years in the context of running. “I began running when I used to look after animals. When my animals got onto someone else's farm, the farmer would chase me,” he says. Today, Lobalu chases down every opportunity on the track, “I see more possibilities, the more chances I have to race on an international stage.”

At age 15, Lobalu began running for the Athlete Refugee Team (ART) in Kenya. In 2019, after a race in Geneva, he sought asylum in Switzerland. The process was slow – Lobalu continued to train throughout his struggle to be recognized as an official competitor, seeking Swiss citizenship.

A life-changing victory at the Stockholm Diamond League 3,000 meters in 2022 meant Lobalu’s athletic status rose to that of an international champion. After the gun fired, the commentator called out the pacing, with Lobalu set for a 7:30:00 finish – “a slightly ambitious target.” 

True to form, Lobalu exceeded ambitious expectations. He took the win in an electrifying time of 7:29:48 – the fastest time in the world that year. Lobalu wore an On singlet, yet he was stateless, still racing with the letters ‘ART’ next to his name on the leaderboard.

When asked about that moment of triumph, Lobalu doesn’t dwell on it, “It motivates me to repeat it one day. But my focus is always on the next race.” 

Lobalu has been based in Switzerland training with his coach and mentor, Markus Hagmann, for the last five years, “I feel like I am in my homeland,” he says. In September 2023, Lobalu's change of nation was approved by World Athletics. This meant that Lobalu became eligible for Swiss and European records. At the same time, it was announced that there would be a three-year waiting period before Lobalu could gain the right to start as a Swiss athlete at international championships. 

Straight off that new start line, Lobalu again showcased the scope of his ambition: By the end of the year, he equaled the European records for the road 5K (13:12 in Barcelona) and road 10K (27:13 in Valencia). In February 2024, Lobalu dominated the 3000m at the Swiss Indoor Championships – taking his first national title with a time of 7:50:24 minutes, and lapping most of the field in the process. 

Bureaucratic barriers are part of Lobalu’s story. Overcoming adversity through hard work and strength of will are part of his story too. “Trust the journey and never lose hope,” he reflects. “Even when you face setbacks, they will make you stronger.” 

A slow-burn stoicism, tempered with a relentless drive to keep that winning momentum going, defines Lobalu’s elegant but gritty approach to the top. He knows that an athlete’s career is short, and now is his time to shine. “Running is in my blood,” he says, “I came here as an athlete. So I always say time is against me.” 

It’s poetic justice then, that Lobalu feels his inner ticking clock fall away when he’s in motion. No numbers, just a synchronization of body and mind, “When you enter a race, you leave the watch behind. I use my heart and my feelings. I can control my body from there,” he says.

That boundless running style was the first thing Lobalu’s coach noticed when they met, “…the way he put his foot down – it was like flying on the track,” explains Hagmann. “He has something special. Sport is a connecting thing…there’s a team that’s behind him, that says ‘ok, he wants to run, let’s make it possible.’” 

Of Hagmann, Lobalu says, “…he’s always there when I need him.” Lobalu also nods to a “whole team that helped me since I came to Switzerland, five years ago. Everyone supports me in a specific area. I call it ‘Team Dominic.’ They look after me and give me peace of mind so that I can focus on running.”

When we talk in March 2024, Lobalu has just returned from a training camp in South Africa with some of the On Athletic Club (OAC) Europe team. The trip was arranged between Hagmann and OAC Europe head coach, Thomas Dreissigacker. “Training together makes it fun – on and off the track,” he says. “I did some good sessions with them, especially with Tom Elmer and George Mills.” 

Running alongside the OAC gives Lobalu insights into the way other elites stack their pre-season training blocks, “The camp with the middle-distance specialists was supposed to make me faster, but I have never done more mileage before,” he says. “I now understand why and how they run 200 kilometers per week. Training with George, for instance, is easier than training alone. I like his mentality: Train hard, win easy. That’s something we share.”

Lobalu’s growth through an ecosystem of strong relationships has brought him closer to both his contemporaries and his ultimate goal – reaching the highest echelon of elite runners, with the medals to prove it. 

In May 2024, Lobalu’s three-year waiting period was reviewed by Swiss Athletics, and he was presented with the Swiss Athletics jersey for the National team. It was the green light he needed to run for Switzerland at the European Championships in Rome in June. 

The performance Lobalu delivered in Rome – winning the 10,000m, with a time of 28:00:32, made him the first refugee in history to win gold at a European Championships. “I wanted to win for the whole community,” says Lobalu.

That win also brought Lobalu one step closer to the eligibility he needed to compete this summer 2024, on the world stage as a Swiss athlete. 

“I will chase my dream until I win,” says Lobalu – and at the beginning of July, that opportunity was granted. Lobalu was officially given permission to run at the highest level for the Athlete Refugee Team this summer – competing at the Olympics, the culmination of his dreams. 

Training partner, supporter and friend, Swiss middle distance runner, Tom Elmer, calls Lobalu, “clearly one of the best runners we have in the world.” The chance to reach your potential, in any discipline, should have no gatekeepers. “Team Dominic” continues to support Lobalu’s race beyond the boundaries of what’s possible.

Does Lobalu ever think about the next generation of athletes, with big ambitions, who have to pass through adversity to meet their goals? “There are always challenges,” he says. “Challenges help you to overcome yourself. You learn from mistakes and will make it better next time. The next generation will have better shoes and will run faster. My advice: Don’t only sleep and think that technology will help fulfill your dreams – 95 percent of success is still about focus and hard work.”  

Like Lobalu’s transcendent running style, his dedication and self-belief will fuel his finest racing hours, still yet to come, “If I compare the life I came from, and this one. I see everything is possible,” he says. The advice he would’ve given a younger Lobalu, at that border – that start line – so many years ago? “Just focus and believe in what you’re doing. And: Everything takes time.” Elite athlete, or amateur: In some sense, we all spend our days racing the clock. Lobalu runs to leave time behind. “I am free,” he says, and “I am still in the race to get it done.”

A race against time, a search for freedom, a place to call home: the cinematic turns of Lobalu’s life can be romanticized. And yet, for its protagonist, the stakes are incredibly real. Lobalu’s focus is always ahead. “I love running so much,” he says. “I want my legacy to tell generations who have yet to be born, that there was someone [like me] who raced to victory.”

With Lobalu’s Olympic medal-winning dreams now within reach, he’s ready to chase them down on the home straight, “Inside, I know I’m good enough.”