John Stephen Akhwari, Oylmpic Marathon Runner

At 7 p.m. on October 20,1968, a few thousand spectator remained in the Mexico City Olympic Stadium. It was cool and dark. The last of the marathon runners, each exhausted, were being carried off to first aid stations. More than an hour earlier, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia-looking as fresh as when he started the race-crossed the finish line, the winner of the 26-mile, 385-yard event.

As the remaining spectators prepared to leave, those sitting near the marathon gates suddenly heard the sound or sirens and police whistles. All eyes turned to the gate. A lone figure wearing the colors of Tanzania enters the stadium. His name was John Stephen Akhwari.

He was the last man to finish the marathon. His leg bloodied and bandaged, severely injured in a fall, he grimaced with each step. He hobbled around the 400-meter track. The spectators rose and applauded him as if he were the winner.

After crossing the finish line, Akhwari slowly walked off the field without turning to the cheering crowd.In view of his injury and having no chance of winning a medal, someone asked him why he had not quit. He replied, “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 mile to finish it.