Mathias Kanda

Who is Mathias Kanda?

Mirimi Mathias Kanda was an Zimbabwean track and field athlete who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympic men's marathon, finishing 51st and running 2:41.09 in the marathon. He was then selected to run in the 1968 Olympic team for Rhodesia, along with fellow Zimbabwean, Bernard Dzoma, but this team was not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games since Rhodesia did not allow black Africans to vote in national elections. Kanda running experiences during this time are detailed by his Australian coach, John Cheffers, in his book: "A Wilderness of Spite".

Cheffers felt that Kanda was a medal hope in the Mexican Olympic marathon. In the last weekend in June 1968, Kanda won the Zimbabwe/Rhodesian Olympic Marathon trial in Bulawayo in 2:27:04.7 on a cold windy course that had an 8 kilometre raise at the end of the course. In 4 May 1968 Kanda also won a South African marathon championship at 6000 feet in a 2:27:24.8. Considering that both races were at significant altitude, the Libanon Mine Track run being close to the 7000 feet of Mexico City, Kanda was well conditioned for running at Mexico City. His Bulawayo time would have taken 6th in the Mexico Olympic marathon.