Josephat Machuka

Josephat Machuka (born December 12, 1973) is a runner from Kenya. 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 Gebreselassie during the final sprint and was disqualified. ^{[1] [2]} Overshadowed by Gebreselassie 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 Gebreselassie.^[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 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.

Achievements

Representing  Kenya
1992	World Cross Country Championships	Boston, United States	3rd	Junior Race
	African Championships	Belle Vue Maurel, Mauritius	3rd	5000 m
			1st	10,000 m
1993	World Cross Country Championships	Amorebieta, Spain	3rd	Junior Race
1995	All-Africa Games	Harare, Zimbabwe	1st	5000 m
			1st	10,000 m
	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	5th	10000 m
1996	World Cross Country Championships	Stellenbosch, South Africa	10th	Long Race
			1st	Team Race
	Summer Olympics	Atlanta, United States	5th	10,000 m

References

Josephat Machuka profile at IAAF

Sporting positions
Preceded by Haile Gebrselassie	Men's Zevenheuvelenloop Winner (15 km) 1995 – 1996	Succeeded by Worku Bikila