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Joseph Nzau (born April 14, 1949) is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who represented his country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Nzau won the 1983 Chicago Marathon and the inaugural 1990 Belgrade Marathon.

Running career

Early life

Nzau was a late bloomer who did not take up running until the age of 25. He was subsequently recruited by the University of Wyoming on an athletic scholarship when he was 28, along with a few other Kenyans.

Collegiate

Nzau attended the University of Wyoming under the tutelage of Coach Ron Jones in the late 1970s. At the 1979 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships, he finished in fifth place. At Wyoming, Nzau earned six All-American honors, graduated with a degree in engineering and was inducted into the university's athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.

Post-collegiate

In 1983, Nzau was the first Kenyan to win in a world-class marathon when he won the 1983 Chicago Marathon. A year later, Nzau finished 7th overall in the men's marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In addition to the marathon, Nzau finished 14th of 16 finishers in the men's 10,000 metres at the same competition. He twice won the Bix 7; Davenport, Iowa, in 1983, 7 miles in a time of 33:10, winning again in 1987 in 33:24.In 1990, Nzau won the inaugural Belgrade Marathon.

Personal

Nzau's grandson Elijah Mwangangi Saolo, is a competitive distance and marathon runner.

Notes

• ^1 Nzau's birth date is speculative, as he has reported different ages.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Kenya
1982	Chicago Marathon	Chicago, United States	2nd	Marathon	2:11:40
1983	Chicago Marathon	Chicago, United States	1st	Marathon	2:09:44
1984	Los Angeles Marathon	Los Angeles, United States	2nd	Marathon	2:10:40
	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	14th	10,000 m	28:32.57
			7th	Marathon	2:11:28
1990	Belgrade Marathon	Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia	1st	Marathon	2:19:32

References

1. ^ Don Doxsie (July 15, 2016). "Quad City Times: Nzau blazed a path for Kenyans who followed". Retrieved October 20, 2018.
2. ^ IAAF. "Joseph NZAU - Athlete Profile".
3. PDF: 1979 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships - May 29-June 2, 1979
4. Joseph N. Nzau - University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame
5. "Illinois man unexpectedly wins marathon after 2 leaders take wrong route". USA TODAY.
6. "Elijah SAOLO | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.

External links

• Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Joseph Nzau". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.

• 1952 births
• Living people
• Kenyan male long-distance runners
• Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Olympic athletes for Kenya
• Wyoming Cowboys track and field athletes
• Chicago Marathon male winners
• Kenyan male marathon runners
• People from Marsabit County