On this date in Running History:
Stephen Machooka – The First Great Kenyan U.S. College Champion
11-21-61 Steven Machooka-Cornell running in 1-2 inches of snow, slush, and mud wins the 53rd annual
IC4A Cross-Country title over Gerry Norman-Penn State in 26:02.9 at Van Cortlandt Park.
Stephen Machooka Career Highlights:
In fall 1960 he became the first Kenyan distance runner to compete in the United States.
He won the Heptagonal Freshman cross country race in 1960 by a wide margin competing against eight Ivy League schools plus Army and Navy.
As a freshman he set the one mile record for Cornell of 4:10.8 in 1961.
In his sophomore year he won six straight cross-country races and became the first black athlete to earn first team All-Ivy league status in cross country.
Machooka gave up competitive running before his senior year to concentrate on his studies and graduated in 1964.
He returned to Kenyan and began a life of service to grow and promote the development of Africa.
Gary,
I remember reading about Steve in Track and Field News in the early 60s. He was from Machakos Kenya, not the traditional home of great Kenyan distance runners. He was probably from the Kamba tribe, but he could also have been a Kisii as indicated on the trading card above. That may be why that name has never been heard since in Kenyan running circles. When I was in the Peace Corps in Kenya in 1966 and travelling through that area, I always thought I might see him running down the roads but the last sentence of your posting explains why I dd not.
Going through old College Division XC results this week I noticed the name Mike Urio. He was a 1:58 half miler from Tanzania who ran for Valparaiso U. at that time. Nowhere near as good as Machooka. I met him in Tanzania working in the cooperatives on Mt. Kilimanjaro in those days. He was 50th in the NCAA College Division cross country championships in 1963, but could still be the first Tanzanian running in the US.
George Brose
Cornell Cross Country Newsletter from 1960 Interesting Newsletter with some stories of the Freshman from Kenya.
More about Steve can be found at this link to HEPSTRAK.com
Steve Machooka
Cornell Cross Country Newsletter from 1960 Interesting Newsletter with some stories of the Freshman from Kenya.
More about Steve can be found at this link to HEPSTRAK.com
Steve Machooka