Ridouane Harroufi, Morocco (1500m/half-marathon)

Born 30 July 1981, Azrou, Morocco

Began running at school. Advanced through regional championships to nationals in 1995, where he finished 3rd at 1500m. Went on later that year to set Moroccan youth record at 1500m (3:48.0) and was recruited into the National Athletics Institute in Rabat, where he trained alongside such celebrated athletes as Hicham El Guerrouj, Salah Hissou, Khalid Boulami and Khalid Skah. Before long he set a new Moroccan junior 3000m record (7:46.0) and earned selection for the 1999 Junior World Cross (finished 49th) and the 2000 World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile (6th at 1500 in 3:43.34).

Joined Italian club Scotelari de Matéra in 2000 and began concentrating on road racing in Italy, with occasional track appearances, usually at 1500m. On the road, he seems to do best at significantly longer distances. In 2003 he ran four half-marathons, including a PB 61:54 for 4th in Lille and 62:46 for 10th at the World Half Marathon in Portugal, his top performance to date in a major international championship.

He began 2004 with another appearance at the World Cross (63rd in the 12 km) and went on to score two half-marathon victories in Morocco (Casablanca and Marrakech in PB 61:37) in preparation for his second trip to the World Half Marathon Championships, where he hopes to improve on last year’s 10th place.

Personal bests:  1500 – 3:41.15 (2001);  5000 – 13:34.4 (2004);  10 km – 28:28; half-marathon – 61:37.

Prepared by Mohammed Bencherif for the IAAF "Focus on Africans" project. Copyright IAAF 2004.