Battle of Honey Springs

Wakiihuri (on the left) with Samuel Wanjiru (center) and Raila Odinga at the Japanese Embassy in Kenya in March 2011

Douglas Wakiihuri (born September 26, 1963, in Mombasa) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome.

No other male Kenyan runner had ever won the marathon at World Championships or Olympic Games until 2007, when Luke Kibet became a world champion. The following year, Wakiihuri won the silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, finishing behind Gelindo Bordin.

In 1989 Wakiihuri won the London Marathon. In 1990 he won the New York Marathon. Wakiihuri was famous for wearing white gloves during races. He now runs a marathon fitness center and training school.

Competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Kenya
1986 Lake Biwa Marathon Ōtsu, Japan 6th Marathon 2:16:26
1987 Beppu-Oita Marathon Beppu-Ōita, Japan 6th Marathon 2:13:34
World Championships Rome, Italy 1st Marathon 2:11:48
1988 Tokyo Marathon Tokyo, Japan 7th Marathon 2:11:57
Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 2nd Marathon 2:10:47
1989 London Marathon London, United Kingdom 1st Marathon 2:09:03
1990 Commonwealth Games Auckland, New Zealand 1st Marathon 2:10:27
20 km of Brussels Brussels, Belgium 1st 20 km 57:21
New York City Marathon New York, United States 1st Marathon 2:12:39
1991 Boston Marathon Boston, United States 6th Marathon 2:13:30
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 36th Marathon 2:19:38
1995 World Marathon Cup Athens, Greece 1st Marathon 2:12:01

References