John Stephen Akhwari

John Stephen Akhwari was a Tanzanian distance runner who ran the marathon at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He is best remembered as a subject in a Bud Greenspan film of those Olympics. Akhwari was hobbled by a leg injury, and ran with his knee fully bandaged, but he refused to quit, walking some, and limping many of the final miles. Greenspan’s cameras focused on Akhwari’s efforts to finish the race, long after the other finishers, and in the dark, quoting him as saying, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

Akhwari, however, was actually a very good distance runner. He placed fifth in the marathon at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, and was ninth in the 10,000 metres at those Games. Akhwari also competed at the 1962 Commonwealth Games, placing sixth in the marathon. In Tanzania Akhwari was awarded the National Hero Medal of Honor in 1983, and started the John Stephen Akhwari Athletic Foundation that supports Tanzanian athletes training for the Olympics.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-15:05 (1970).