Gerard Donakowski (born February 20, 1960) is a retired distance runner. He was especially successful in the 10,000 meter event, finishing as the men's runner-up in the 10,000 meters at the

1986 Goodwill Games The 1986 Goodwill Games was the inaugural edition of the international multi-sport event created by Ted Turner, which was held from 5 – 20 July 1986. The main stadium was the Luzhniki Stadium, Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Sov ...

. He was the men's winner of the 1987 Charlotte Observer Marathon. He is a brother of

Bill Donakowski William Donakowski (June 21, 1956 – October 15, 2017) was an American distance runner. He represented the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1979, 1981, and 1983. He was the men's winner of the 1986 Twin Cities Marath ...

Running career

Collegiate

At the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

as a

cross country runner Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

he was an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

in 1983. He was also an All-American in both indoor and outdoor track and field along with being a 3-time

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...

champion.

Post-collegiate

Donakowski was the runner-up in the men's 10,000 meters at the

. On January 3, 1987, Donakowski won the Charlotte Observer Marathon in 2:20:17 in a close finish over Budd Coates. He got $2,000 in prize money for the win that day. Later that year, he won the men's 10,000 meter winner at the

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...

Championships. This entitled him to compete in the

1987 World Championships in Athletics The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987. Men's results Track 1983 , 1987 , ...

in the 10,000 meters. Although he was listed as a competitor, he was a no-show for the competition. On July 15, 1988, Donakowski finished in fifth place of the first heat in the men's 10,000 meters at the

Olympic Trials, advancing to the finals. The conditions during the first heat race were hot enough that six of 17 runners in the race dropped out, among them being Nike Coast runner

Jay Marden Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...

who was carried off the track in a stretcher. On July 18, 1988, Donakowski finished in 8th in the men's 10,000 meter final in a time of 29:46.04. On May 20, 1990, after leading for the first two miles, he finished in third place at the Trib 10K in 28:28. He got $1,000 in prize money for the performance. The course was downhill and was not eligible for records or rankings.
Association of Road Racing Statisticians - Race profile: ''San Diego Tribune 10 km''. May 20, 1990.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donakowski, Gerard Living people 1960 births American male long-distance runners Michigan Wolverines men's track and field athletes Goodwill Games medalists in athletics Michigan Wolverines men's cross country runners Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games 20th-century American sportsmen