Boughera El Ouafi

Born in Algeria, which was then a French colony, Boughera El Ouafi’s outstanding athletic abilities were noticed when he served with the French military. After winning many military competitions, El Ouafi qualified for the French 1924 Olympic team and finished his first Olympic marathon in seventh place. In the 1928 Olympic marathon he ran behind the leaders for the first 30 km, finally overtaking them some 5 km before the end. He was never caught by any of the other runners and finished first, 26 seconds ahead of second-placed Chilean Manuel Plaza. After his surprise victory El Ouafi toured the United States in 1929-30, but the money he earned on this trip disqualified him as an amateur, causing him to leave the sport, and he opened a café in Paris. El Ouafi was killed while in a café, three days after his 61st birthday, by members of the National Liberation Front after he had refused to support them.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-32:57 (1928).