Gidamis Shahanga

Gidamis Shahanga (born September 4, 1957, in Katesh, Hanang District in Manyara Region), is a retired Tanzanian long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres and the marathon race. His personal best at the marathon was 2:08:32 at the 1990 Berlin Marathon.

Shahanga was an All-American runner for the UTEP Miners track and field team, contributing to their cross country team as well. In May 1983, he set an unofficial 34:13 world record over the road 12 kilometres distance in Portland, Oregon. He thought the race distance would be only 10 kilometres until getting on the bus to the competition. In an attempt on the marathon world record, Shahanga won the 1984 Rotterdam Marathon in a time of 2:11:12 hours. He won the February 1984 Los Angeles International Marathon on the same course as the Olympic marathon he ran later that year.

Gidamis is the brother of fellow UTEP Miners runner Alfredo Shahanga.

Achievements