Đuro Kodžo (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard modern Serbian, th ...

: Ђуро Коџо; born 12 May 1971) is a Bosnian retired

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who specialized in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. He represented

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

and 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He holds a national record in the half-marathon discipline.

Running career

Kodžo began training in

Mrkonjić Grad Mrkonjić Grad ( sr-cyrl, Мркоњић Град, ) is a town and municipality located in the western part of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Bosanska Krajina, between Banja Luka and Jajce. A ...

with Atletski Klub "Petar Mrkonjić". By the end of his career, he would be named "Best Athlete of Mrkonjić Grad", a once-per-year recognition, on nine occasions. In the men's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Kodžo finished in 78th place out of 81 finishers in a time of 2:39:14 (hours:minutes:seconds). In the following year, he finished the men's marathon at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in a personal-best time of 2:35:47. He also won the 2001 Podgorica Marathon in 2:30:11. On June 15, 2003, he ran a personal best time of 1:05:45 in

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

's ''Run Reebok Trophy'' half marathon. However, the course was not approved for record keeping according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Less than a year later, he ran 1:06:18 at the 2004

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

Half Marathon, which was his best half marathon performance on a certified course. On October 5, 2008, Kodžo ran his fastest marathon at the 2008 Zagreb Marathon, recording a personal-best time of 2:16:45. Kodžo qualified for the

2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...

for the marathon, but the selector for Bosnia and Herzegovina's Athletic Federation, Nebojša Matijević, refused to call up Kodžo from unclear reasons, resulting in a controversy.
Mrkonjić Grad Internet - Đuro Kodžo: Matijević glavni krivac 4 August 2009

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kodzo, Duro Bosnia and Herzegovina male long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for Bosnia and Herzegovina Olympic athletes of Bosnia and Herzegovina People from Mrkonjić Grad 1971 births Living people Bosnia and Herzegovina male marathon runners

Running career

See also

References