Đuro Kodžo (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...

: 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 stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who specialized in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), 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 ...

. He represented

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

and

2001 World Championships in Athletics The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 and 12 August 2001 and was the first time the event ...

. 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 in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Bosanska Krajina region, between Banja Luka and Jajce. As of 2013, the municipality has a populatio ...

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 15 June 2003 he ran a personal best time of 1:05:45 in

Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...

'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 is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

Half Marathon, which was his best half marathon performance on a certified course. On 5 October 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 to 23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenbu ...

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 for Bosnia and Herzegovina People from Mrkonjić Grad Sportspeople from Banja Luka Region 1971 births Living people Bosnia and Herzegovina male marathon runners 20th-century Bosnia and Herzegovina sportsmen 21st-century Bosnia and Herzegovina sportsmen

Running career

See also

References