Álvaro Mejía (athlete) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Álvaro Mejía (athlete)

Personal information
Born	(1940-05-15)15 May 1940 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Died	12 January 2021(2021-01-12) (aged 80) Bogotá, Colombia
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Colombia Pan American Games Bronze 1971 Cali 10,000 m Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 1962 Kingston 1,500 metres Gold 1966 San Juan 1,500 metres Gold 1966 San Juan 5,000 metres Gold 1966 San Juan 10,000 metres Bolivarian Games Gold 1965 Quito 1500 m Gold 1965 Quito 5000 m Gold 1965 Quito 10,000 m Silver 1961 Barranquilla 800 m Silver 1961 Barranquilla 1500 m

Álvaro Mejía Florez (born May 15, 1940 – died January 12, 2021) was a famous long-distance runner from Colombia. He became a national hero after competing in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. He ran in the 5,000 meter final at those games.

Mejía also competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. There, he finished tenth in the 10,000 meters race. He later ran the marathon at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1971, Mejía won the famous Boston Marathon. He also earned a bronze medal at the 1971 Pan American Games in the 10,000 meters. In 1966, he won the Saint Silvester Road Race.

Winning the Boston Marathon

In 1971, the Boston Marathon had a very close finish. It was the 75th time this race was held. Mejía ran side-by-side with Pat McMahon for almost the entire race. McMahon was from Ireland and lived in Massachusetts.

Mejía finally pulled ahead of McMahon near the finish line. He won the race in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 45 seconds. He was just five seconds faster than McMahon. Álvaro Mejía was the first runner from South America to win the Boston Marathon.

Life in America

Álvaro Mejía was married to Terri Stickles. Terri was an American swimmer who won a bronze medal. She competed in the 400 meter freestyle swim at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. They met in Cali, Colombia, where Terri was a Peace Corps volunteer.

In 1969, Terri brought Mejía to the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States. From 1969 to 1985, Mejía owned a sports store with Stickles. It was called "Olympic Sports" in San Mateo, California. He gave advice on running and sold running shoes and clothes.

During the 1970s, he was part of the West Valley Track Club (WVTC). This club was very strong in Northern California. Other Colombian runners, like Víctor Mora, came to train with Mejía. Mora even finished second in the 1972 Boston Marathon. Mejía had one son, Christopher Mejia, who was born in 1971.

Major Achievements

Álvaro Mejía won many medals for Colombia. Here are some of his biggest wins:

• In 1961, at the Bolivarian Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, he won two silver medals:
  • 2nd place in the 800 meters
  • 2nd place in the 1500 meters
• In 1965, at the Bolivarian Games in Quito, Ecuador, he won three gold medals:
  • 1st place in the 1500 meters
  • 1st place in the 5000 meters
  • 1st place in the 10,000 meters
• In 1962, he won a gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Kingston.
• In 1966, he won three gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Juan:
  • 1st place in the 1,500 meters
  • 1st place in the 5,000 meters
  • 1st place in the 10,000 meters
• In 1971, he won the Boston Marathon in Boston, United States.
• In 1971, he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali.

Coaching Career

Mejía also coached other athletes from Colombia. One of them was Alirio Carrasco from Bogotá. Carrasco ran the Chicago Marathon in 2003 in a very fast time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 9 seconds.

Later Life and Death

Álvaro Mejía passed away in Bogotá on January 12, 2021. He was 80 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Álvaro Mejía Flórez para niños