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Sport Distinguished

Juma Ikangaa

born 1957

Won the New York City Marathon in a course record, and never once ran to sit in the pack

Distinguished is level 3 of 4 in the Tanzania Hall of Fame: sustained excellence over a career, widely honoured at home. See how the levels work.

Why they are here

Winner of the 1989 New York City Marathon in a course record, three times champion in Tokyo, and the front-running Tanzanian who forced the pace in an era of tactical marathons.

Juma Ikangaa built his reputation on refusing to run cautiously. He won the Tokyo Marathon three years running from 1983, took the Commonwealth Games silver in 1982 and the Melbourne marathon, and was second in Boston twice.

In 1989 he won the New York City Marathon in 2:08:01, a course record that stood for a decade. He ran from the front as a matter of habit, which cost him some races and made him one of the most admired distance runners of his generation.
Sources

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