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How to Finish a Marathon – 1968 Olympics in Mexico City

July 15, 2007 by Jimson Lee · 6 Comments 

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In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tanzanian runner John Stephen Ahkwari was the last runner in the marathon.

He came in about an hour and a half after the winner, practically carrying his leg, as it was so bloodied and bandaged.

Film Director Bud Greenspan asked him, “Why did you keep going?” He said, “You don’t understand. My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it.”

Here is the video (duration 2min:19sec)


Video thumbnail. Click to play
Tanzania’s John Stephen Ahkwari – Click To Play

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Comments

6 Responses to “How to Finish a Marathon – 1968 Olympics in Mexico City”
  1. 10K Training says:
    August 19, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Ohh, that runner was great. But what was actual reason he completed race where there was no hope for winning anything?

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