Simon Robert Naali

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Simon Robert Naali (born March 9, 1966 ; † August 13, 1994 in Moshi , Tanzania ) was a Tanzanian medium but above all long-distance runner and, among other things, a participant in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona . He died at the age of 28 as a result of a hit and run accident in his Tanzanian homeland. He has four brothers who all competed in running disciplines during their playing days.

The second eldest Thomas Robert Naali , a prison guard, was also successful as a long-distance runner, the third eldest brother Egbert Robert Naali was active in the half marathon discipline. The youngest brother, Francis Robert Naali , who is around six years his junior , is also a long-distance runner and won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games . Mary Naali , born on December 29, 1992, is a descendant of the Naali family who is also deeply integrated into running.

Career

In 1987 Naali won the Dar es Salaam marathon with a time of 2:11:38, but nothing is known about the exact distance of the run. Even before his career as a marathon runner, the young Tanzanian was a middle-distance runner, and in 1989 he was the first African to win the Göteborgsvarvet half marathon , which two of his brothers were able to win in the years that followed. He also won the Mount Meru Marathon, which was held from 1985 to 2004, on March 12, 1989, with a time of 2:14:40. Simon Robert Naali, who worked as a police officer in his home country and has three children, completed his first notable marathon in 1989. He won the Honolulu Marathon with a time of 2:11:47 and is still considered one of the fastest to this day Runner of this event. He barely managed to break a new course record , which Ibrahim Hussein had set three years earlier with a time of 2:11:43. It was not until 2004 that Kenyan Jimmy Muindi set a new record with a time of 2:11:12. From this time on Robert Naali was one of the best marathon runners in the world, which he also demonstrated in the following years. At the Commonwealth Games in 1990 he made it with eleven seconds behind the first place behind Douglas Wakiihuri (1st) and Steve Moneghetti (2nd) only in third place and the associated bronze medal. His 2:10:38 set up should remain his personal best.

On April 16, 1990, he took part, among other things, in the Boston Marathon , where he stayed for a longer period in the top field led by his compatriot Juma Ikangaa , but then fell back and had no prospects of the podium. At the Stockholm Marathon of the same year Robert Naali was able to prevail against the rest of the field and won the race with a time of 2:13:04 in front of José C. Santana and the eventual two-time winner of this competition Åke Eriksson . Only a few days before that he was able to win the half marathon in the Norwegian Sognefjord with a time of 1:01:44. On August 19, 1990, he won the Copenhagen 10K road race with a time of 28:05; at the cross-country run Lidingöloppet on October 7, 1990, Robert Naali also emerged as the winner with a time of 1:37:45. Also this year he was able to prevail at the Honolulu Marathon, where he contested a duel with his younger brother Thomas over the entire distance, which he finally won in the last 500 meters before the finish and with a time of 2:17:29 finished. This was the third head-to-head race in an international race between the two brothers this year; Thomas crossed the finish line 34 seconds after his older brother.

At the Honolulu Marathon of the following year, Robert Naali was unable to defend his title and, after overtaking Steve Jones from Welsh shortly before the finish line, closed the race 19 seconds behind Kenyan Benson Masya , who ran his first marathon second place. In 2000, Simon Robert Naali, who at that time still had the second fastest time in this competition, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Honolulu Marathon. Contrary to expectations, the award was accepted by one of his younger brothers, the former Tanzanian middle-distance and obstacle runner Filbert Bayi . Contrary to some reports claiming that Simon Robert Naali won the Great South Run in 1991, it was his younger brother Thomas who won the run with a time of 47:11. Another success in 1991 was the victory in the Trier city run (half marathon), which he won with a time of 1:04:10. On August 24, 1991, after 1989 and 1990, he won the Stockholmsloppet , the Stockholm half marathon, for the third time in a row . With a time of 46:56 Robert Naali was able to win the 10-mile road race of Zaandam on September 29, 1991; He was able to repeat this success about two years later on September 19, 1993 at the same event when he won with a time of 47:01.

In 1992 the then 26-year-old Tanzanian represented his home country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona . In the final marathon, which took place in Mataró , about 30 kilometers away , Robert Naali could not prevail and was not able to finish the race. In preparation for the Olympic Games, Robert Naali took part in the Boston Marathon again this year. A year later he finished the 1993 Rotterdam Marathon with a time of 2:11:44, 38 seconds behind the Mexican Dionicio Cerón and 14 seconds ahead of the Finn Harri Hänninen in second place. At the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart Simon Robert Naali and his brother Thomas was also involved. While the older of the two brothers finished the race in eleventh place with a time of 2:19:30, the younger brother could not finish the race . With Juma Ikangaa , a third Tanzanian took part in the marathon competition of the world championships this year. Even before the World Championships, Simon Robert Naali took part in the Tilburg Ten Miles , the first edition of this competition, among others , and emerged as the winner with a time of 48:15. In 1993 the Tanzanian won the marathon in Rouen, France with a time of 2:15:43; his last major event this year.

In an accident with a hit and run on August 11, 1994 in Moshi, on the southern slope of Kilimanjaro , Robert Naali suffered head injuries that initially did not seem particularly serious. However, since there is only one doctor for every 10,000 patients in Tanzania, his injury was not treated. Two days later he finally succumbed to the consequences of this injury. Less than three months earlier he was still in action in the 10-mile road race in Tilburg and won the run with a time of 47:10.

In his home country, Simon Robert Naali was considered very generous and a promoter of his sport; He is said to have continuously supported his younger brothers and other local athletes and often given them running shoes.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Brother's prophecy fulfilled (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  2. ↑ Commonwealth Games 2002: Athletics: Poignant Win for Naali Whose Brother Won 1990 Bronze; MEN'S MARATHON: Tanzanian's Time 20 Seconds Slower Than That Recorded by His Late Brother in New Zealand , accessed November 27, 2013
  3. ↑ World Marathon Rankings for 1987 , accessed November 27, 2013
  4. ↑ GöteborgsVarvet Half Marathon 1980–2012 (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  5. ↑ Mount Meru Marathon , accessed November 27, 2013
  6. ^ 1989 Honolulu Marathon , accessed November 27, 2013
  7. ^ The Boston Marathon 1990 (Monday April 16, 1990 ), accessed November 27, 2013
  8. ↑ The history of the Stockholm Marathon 1988 - 1990 ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed November 27, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stockholmmarathon.se
  9. ^ TAN Record Progressions - Road , accessed November 27, 2013
  10. ^ All-Time Performances - 10 kilometers Road (English), accessed November 27, 2013
  11. ↑ Lidingöloppet , accessed November 27, 2013
  12. ↑ Honolulu Marathon 1990 (English), accessed November 27, 2013
  13. ↑ Honolulu Marathon 1991 , accessed November 27, 2013
  14. ↑ Honolulu Marathon Hall of Fame , accessed November 27, 2013
  15. ^ Great South Run 10 mile , accessed November 27, 2013
  16. ↑ Race History , accessed on November 27, 2013
  17. ^ Trier City Run Half Marathon (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  18. ↑ Stockholmsloppet , accessed November 27, 2013
  19. ↑ a b c All-Time Performances - 10 miles Road (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  20. ↑ Hussein in marathon rerun Kenyan wins again at Boston (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  21. ↑ Rotterdam-Marathon-Wall-of-Fame 1991–1995 (English), accessed on November 27, 2013
  22. ↑ History - Tilburg Ten Miles ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Dutch), accessed November 27, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tilburgtenmiles.nl
  23. ^ Marathon List for 1993 , accessed November 27, 2013
personal data
SURNAME Robert Naali, Simon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Tanzanian middle and long distance runner
DATE OF BIRTH March 9, 1966
DATE OF DEATH August 13, 1994
Place of death Moshi , Tanzania