Mark Plaatjes
Mark Plaatjes (born June 2, 1962 in Johannesburg ) is a former American long-distance runner of South African origin.
From 1984 on, Plaatjes studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and received a Masters in Physiotherapy in 1987 . In 1981 and 1985 he was South African marathon champion (the second time with his personal best of 2:08:58 h) and in 1983 and 1985 in cross-country running .
In 1988 he applied for political asylum in the USA . In 1991 he won the Los Angeles Marathon . His time, which he scored sixth in the 1993 Boston Marathon , was enough to qualify him for the US selection. At the same time he received the US citizenship, and so he was able to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart in 1993 , where he won the gold medal in the marathon in 2:13:57 h.
He later worked as a trainer and ran several sports shops. He lives in Boulder, Colorado , where he runs a physical rehabilitation clinic. Plaatjes is married and has three daughters.
Web links
- Mark Plaatjes in the database of World Athletics (English)
Footnotes
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Plaatjes, Mark |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American marathon world champion of South African origin |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 2, 1962 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Johannesburg |