Ken Harnden (born 31 March 1973 in Salisbury – now Harare) is a Zimbabwean hurdler who specialized in the 400 metres hurdles.
His personal best time is 48.05 seconds, achieved in July 1998 in Paris. Together with Tawanda Chiwira, Phillip Mukomana and Savieri Ngidhi he holds the Zimbabwean record in 4 x 400 metres relay with 3:00.79 minutes, achieved during the heats at the 1997 World Championships in Athens. Harnden also competed for Zimbabwe in both the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. [1]
Currently coaching for the Florida State's Men's Track Team. Ken Harnden enters his eighth year with the FSU program and his fourth as the assistant sprints, hurdles and relays coach. The 2005 NCAA National and East Region Assistant Sprint Coach of the Year had one of the best seasons of his coaching career in Tallahassee. The 2006 NCAA National Championship win brought the Seminole men the first ever national title for the program as well as a first in Atlantic Coast Conference history. Under his tutelage, sophomore Walter Dix won the NCAA indoor and outdoor 200m National Championships, became a five-time All-American, a two-time NCAA East Region title holder in the 100m and 200m, six-time individual ACC Championship winner, and holds six All-ACC accolades in addition to shattering numerous school, league and world records. Fellow rookie sprinter Ricardo Chambers broke Harnden's longstanding Mike Long Track Record in the 400m while his 4x100m relay earned All-American honors for the second consecutive season. In his first two seasons, his 400m relay squads have finished in the top three on FSU's all-time list. www.seminoles.com
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Zimbabwe | ||||
| 1994 | Commonwealth Games | Victoria, Canada | 6th | 400 m h |
| 1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 6th | 400 m h |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 7th | 4x400 m relay |
| 1998 | Commonwealth Games | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 3rd | 400 m h |
| African Championships | Dakar, Senegal | 2nd | 400 m h | |
| 1999 | All-Africa Games | Johannesburg, South Africa | 2nd | 400 m h |