Joseph Nzau
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Born |
April 4, 1949 Marsabit County, Kenya |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track, Long-distance running |
| Event(s) | 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, Marathon |
| College team | Wyoming |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) |
5000 metres: 13:37.5[1] 10,000 metres: 28:06.63[1] Marathon: 2:09:45[1] |
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. He also won the Bix 7; Davenport, Iowa, in 1983, 7 miles in a time of 33:10. At the 1979 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships, he finished in fifth place.[2] At Wyoming Nzau earned six All-American honors and was inducted into the university's athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.[3]
Post-collegiate
In 1983, Nzau was the first Kenyan to win in a world-class 26-miler, when the US-based runner won the 1983 edition of the 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. In 1990, Nzau won the inaugural Belgrade Marathon.
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 |