Pardon Ndhlovu, an Augusta University alumnus, placed 41st out of 155 competitors Sunday during the Olympic Games marathon in Rio.
Ndhlovu represented Zimbabwe and finished with a time of 2:17:48. Eliud Kipchoge, of Kenya, captured the gold medal with a time of 2:08:44. Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) won silver, while Galen Rupp of the United States took bronze.
Prior to leaving for Rio, Augusta University aired an 18-minute documentary on Ndhlovu to honor his Olympic appearance. The film, The Extra Mile, was produced by AU’s communications and marketing division, which began following Ndhlovu’s journey eight months ago.
“This means so much,” Ndhlovu said Aug. 4, after viewing the film. “I’m truly at a loss for words. To see this amount of support is very overwhelming.”
The video drew a standing ovation from the audience, including Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis. Moments after the applause ceased, Davis stated that Aug. 4 will forever be known as Pardon Ndhlovu Day in Augusta.
