Patrick Ndururi Kinaga (21 January 1969 – 25 October 2009) was a Kenyan

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...

who specialized in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

. On 13 August 1997 he ran a personal best of 1:42.62 minutes at the

Weltklasse Zürich Weltklasse Zürich () is an annual, invitation-only, world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zürich, Switzerland, generally held at the end of August or beginning of September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it ...

meeting. This time ranks him in the top twenty fastest people in history over this distance. His greatest performance on the global stage came at the

1997 World Championships in Athletics The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the World Athletics, International Amateur Athletic Federation, were held at the Olympic Stadium (Athens), Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between 1 and 10 August 1997. In this event ...

, where he finished seventh in the final. He was the

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

bronze medallist at the

1995 Military World Games The 1995 Military World Games, the first edition of the Military World Games, were held in Rome, Italy from 4 September to 16 September. Sports * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Medal table See also *Track and field a ...

. He won three international 800 m medals in his career: silver at the

1997 IAAF Grand Prix Final The 1997 IAAF Grand Prix Final was the thirteenth edition of the season-ending competition for the IAAF Grand Prix track and field circuit, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was held on 13 September at the H ...

, gold at the

1998 Goodwill Games The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition the Goodwill Games, which were created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held ...

, and silver at the

1998 African Championships in Athletics The 11th African Championships in Athletics were held in Dakar, Senegal, from August 18 to August 22 at the Stade Léopold Senghor. Men's results Track Field Women results Track Field Medal table See also *1998 in athletics ( ...

.African Championships
. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-01-12. He was coached and mentored by five times world cross country champion

John Ngugi John Ngugi Kamau (born 10 May 1962) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in Seoul, South Korea. Career Born in Ki ...

at his camp Mt. Kenya High Altitude Training Camp, where athletes like Samuel Kamau Wanjiru the Olympic marathon champion were trained. Ndururi was from the Gatunyu village, Mugomoini sub-location,

Gatanga District The Central Province (, ) was a region in central Kenya until 2013, when Kenya's provinces were replaced by a system of counties. It covered an area of and was located to the north of Nairobi and west of Mount Kenya (''see maps''). The province ...

. His parents were Naftali Kinaga and Joyce Njoki. Ndururi was married to Florence Wanjiru with one child.Daily Nation, October 27, 2009
Transition
/ref> Ndururi died on 25 October 2009 due to a suspected heart attack, and was buried on 3 November in his home town

Thika Thika () is an industrial town and commerce hub in Kiambu County, Kenya, lying on the A2 road , northeast of Nairobi, near the confluence of the Thika and Chania Rivers. Although Thika town is administratively in Kiambu County, the greater ...

Central Kenya Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Achievements

References

1969 births 2009 deaths Kenyan male middle-distance runners Kenyan male sprinters Sportspeople from Kiambu County Sportspeople from Central Province (Kenya) Goodwill Games medalists in athletics Competitors at the 1998 Goodwill Games 20th-century Kenyan sportsmen {{Kenya-athletics-bio-stub