Josephat Machuka (born 12 December 1973) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He won IAAF World Cross Country Championships junior bronze medal in 1992 and 1993. In the 1996 IAAF World Cross Country Championships he was 10th and was part of the Kenyan team that won team gold.

At the 1992 World Junior Championships he competed in the 10,000 metres finishing second, but as he was being passed just before the finish, he deliberately punched at the eventual winner Haile Gebrselassie during the final sprint and was disqualified.[1][2] Overshadowed by Gebrselassie his entire career, this early incident is what Machuka is best remembered for.

He competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, finishing fifth in the men's 10,000 metres race, won by Haile Gebrselassie.[3]

He was also fifth in the 1995 World Championships 10,000 metres race.[4] He won the Eurocross meeting in Luxembourg in 1998.[5]

Machuka was also a successful road runner. He won the Bloomsday Run in 1994 and 1995.[6] Machuka won the Steamboat Classic 4-mile race in 1995.[7] In the Netherlands he won the Zevenheuvelenloop (a 15 kilometres race) twice, in 1995 and 1996, just as the Dam tot Damloop, in 1993 and 1996.

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Kenya
1992 World Cross Country Championships Boston, United States 3rd Junior Race (7.8 km) 23:37
African Championships Belle Vue Maurel, Mauritius 3rd 5000 m 13:28.85
1st 10,000 m 27:59.70
World Junior Championships Seoul, South Korea 10,000m DQ
1993 World Cross Country Championships Amorebieta, Spain 3rd Junior Race (7.15 km) 20:23
1995 All-Africa Games Harare, Zimbabwe 1st 5000 m 13:31.11
1st 10,000 m 28:03.6
World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 5th 10,000 m 27:23.72
1996 World Cross Country Championships Stellenbosch, South Africa 10th Long Race (12.15 km) 34:37
1st Team Race 33 pts
Summer Olympics Atlanta, United States 5th 10,000 m 27:35.08

References

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  1. ^ BBC Sports, May 28, 2004: Olympic countdown: 73 days
  2. ^ YouTube video: 1992 World Junior Championships 10000m final sprint Machuka hit Haile
  3. ^ "Athletisme : Actualités Athlétisme depuis 1996". www.athletissimo.net. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  4. ^ Krastev, Todor. "Men 10000m World Championship 1995 Goteborg (SWE) - Tuesday 08.08". www.todor66.com. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
  5. ^ Civai, Franco & Gasparovic, Juraj (2009-02-28). Eurocross 10.2 km (men) + 5.3 km (women). Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-03-01.
  6. ^ Bloomsday Run - Results History Archived 2007-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ 2002 Steamboat Classic Men's 4-mile results Archived 2007-04-17 at the Wayback Machine
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