Background
Pat Dengis was born in Swansea, Wales.
Pat Dengis was born in Swansea, Wales.
Dengis worked as a seaman until his emigration to the United States in 1926. He settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he became a steel mill worker Later, he worked as a toolmaker and airplane mechanic for the Glenn L. Martin Company, a job he held until his death.
Dengis took up running in Baltimore.
He placed fifth at the Portuguese Chester Marathon in 1932 and fourth in 1933 before scoring his first victory in 1934. In the 1938 he placed second behind Les Pawson.
In 1939 he caught a cold before the race and placed fourth as Ellison "Tarzan" Brown broke the course record. Dengis died in an airplane crash near Baltimore on December 17, 1939.