John Stephen Akhwari: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Tanzanian marathon runner}} |
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| ⚫ | '''John Stephen Akhwari''' (born 1938<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Petit Futé Tanzanie: Zanzibar |page=91}}</ref> in [[Mbulu]], [[Tanganyika Territory|Tanganyika]]) is a |
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{{Infobox person |
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| name =John Stephen Akhwari |
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| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> |
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| birth_date ={{Birth year and age|1938}} |
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| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> |
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| nationality =[[File:Flag_of_Tanzania.svg|23px]] [[Tanzanian]] |
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| known_for =[[Tanzanian]] former marathon runner |
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}} |
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| ⚫ | '''John Stephen Akhwari''' (born 1938<ref>{{cite book |title=Le Petit Futé Tanzanie: Zanzibar |page=91}}</ref> in [[Mbulu]], [[Tanganyika Territory|Tanganyika]]) is a Tanzanian former marathon runner from the [[Iraqw people|Iraqw]] tribe. He represented Tanzania in the [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|marathon]] at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] in [[Mexico City]]. |
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==1968 Olympic marathon== |
==1968 Olympic marathon== |
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While competing in the marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari cramped up due to the high altitude of the city. He had not trained at such an altitude back in his country. At the 19 kilometer point during the 42 km race, there was jockeying for position between some runners and he was hit. He fell badly wounding his knee and dislocating that joint plus his shoulder hit hard against the pavement. He however continued running, finishing last among the 57 competitors who completed the race (75 had started). The winner of the marathon, [[Mamo Wolde]] of [[Ethiopia]], finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari finished in 3:25:27,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/ATH/mens-marathon.html |title=Athletics at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Men's Marathon |accessdate=2011-08-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002193752/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/ATH/mens-marathon.html |archivedate=2011-10-02 }}</ref> when there were only a few thousand people left in the stadium, and the sun had set. A television crew was sent out from the medal ceremony when word was received that there was one more runner about to finish. |
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As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Newsday]] |date=November 5, 1991 |title=Bud's Olympiads Are Worth Their Weight in Gold |author=Stan Isaacs |page=109}}</ref> |
As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Newsday]] |date=November 5, 1991 |title=Bud's Olympiads Are Worth Their Weight in Gold |author=Stan Isaacs |page=109}}</ref> |
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Akhwari competed for many years before and after the 1968 Olympics. He finished first in the African Marathon Championships before the Olympics. He finished fifth in the marathon at the [[1970 Commonwealth Games]] where he ran a 2:15:05 time. The winner had run 2:09:28. In those same Games he ran a 28:44 in the 10,000 meter race and was only about 30 seconds behind the leaders. He ran marathons in the 2:20 range on a regular basis both before and after the 1968 Olympics. He was a world class runner for most of the 1960s and 1970s. |
Akhwari competed for many years before and after the 1968 Olympics. He finished first in the African Marathon Championships before the Olympics. He finished fifth in the marathon at the [[1970 Commonwealth Games]] where he ran a 2:15:05 time. The winner had run 2:09:28. In those same Games he ran a 28:44 in the 10,000 meter race and was only about 30 seconds behind the leaders. He ran marathons in the 2:20 range on a regular basis both before and after the 1968 Olympics. He was a world class runner for most of the 1960s and 1970s. |
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==Post-Athletic |
==Post-Athletic career== |
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Akhwari has lived for many years in his village with his wife and |
Akhwari has lived for many years in his village with his wife and children. They are farmers and work very hard in the fields. He was awarded a National Hero Medal of Honor in 1983. He lent his name to the John Stephen Akhwari Athletic Foundation, an organization which supports Tanzanian athletes training for the [[Olympic Games]]. He was invited to the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]] in [[Sydney]], Australia. He later appeared in [[Beijing]] as a goodwill ambassador in preparation for the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Games]]. He was a torchbearer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 13, 2008, for the Olympic torch relay through his country. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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<references /> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]] |
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]] |
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[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]] |
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]] |
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[[Category:Olympic athletes |
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Tanzania]] |
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[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanganyika]] |
[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanganyika]] |
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[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanzania]] |
[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanzania]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:49, 13 December 2024
John Stephen Akhwari | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 (age 86–87) |
| Nationality |  Tanzanian |
| Known for | Tanzanian former marathon runner |
John Stephen Akhwari (born 1938[1] in Mbulu, Tanganyika) is a Tanzanian former marathon runner from the Iraqw tribe. He represented Tanzania in the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
1968 Olympic marathon
[edit]While competing in the marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari cramped up due to the high altitude of the city. He had not trained at such an altitude back in his country. At the 19 kilometer point during the 42 km race, there was jockeying for position between some runners and he was hit. He fell badly wounding his knee and dislocating that joint plus his shoulder hit hard against the pavement. He however continued running, finishing last among the 57 competitors who completed the race (75 had started). The winner of the marathon, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari finished in 3:25:27,[2] when there were only a few thousand people left in the stadium, and the sun had set. A television crew was sent out from the medal ceremony when word was received that there was one more runner about to finish.
As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. When interviewed later and asked why he continued running, he said, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."[3]
Athletic career
[edit]Akhwari competed for many years before and after the 1968 Olympics. He finished first in the African Marathon Championships before the Olympics. He finished fifth in the marathon at the 1970 Commonwealth Games where he ran a 2:15:05 time. The winner had run 2:09:28. In those same Games he ran a 28:44 in the 10,000 meter race and was only about 30 seconds behind the leaders. He ran marathons in the 2:20 range on a regular basis both before and after the 1968 Olympics. He was a world class runner for most of the 1960s and 1970s.
Post-Athletic career
[edit]Akhwari has lived for many years in his village with his wife and children. They are farmers and work very hard in the fields. He was awarded a National Hero Medal of Honor in 1983. He lent his name to the John Stephen Akhwari Athletic Foundation, an organization which supports Tanzanian athletes training for the Olympic Games. He was invited to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He later appeared in Beijing as a goodwill ambassador in preparation for the 2008 Games. He was a torchbearer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 13, 2008, for the Olympic torch relay through his country.
References
[edit]- ^ Le Petit Futé Tanzanie: Zanzibar. p. 91.
- ^ "Athletics at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Men's Marathon". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
- ^ Stan Isaacs (November 5, 1991). "Bud's Olympiads Are Worth Their Weight in Gold". Newsday. p. 109.
External links
[edit]- Article on Akhwari at the Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
- 1938 births
- Living people
- People from Manyara Region
- Tanzanian male marathon runners
- Tanzanian male long-distance runners
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
- Olympic athletes for Tanzania
- Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanganyika
- Commonwealth Games competitors for Tanzania