Alejandro Gómez

Alejandro Gómez first showed his potential when finishing second to the Kenyan Peter Chumba in the inaugural World Junior Championships in Athletics at Athens in 1986. Two years later, at the age of 21, Gómez appeared in the first of three Olympics at Seoul, competing in the 5,000 metres. He ran the 10,000 metres in 1992 and 1996. Gómez was also a fine marathon and cross country runner. His finest performance in the marathon was in coming second in the 1997 Rotterdam Marathon in a new Spanish record 2-07:54. It stood for just one year until beaten by Fabián Roncero (2-07:23), also in Rotterdam. Gómez went on to finish fifth and sixth respectively in the marathon at the 1998 and 2002 European Championships. He won a silver medal with the Spanish team at the 1996 World Half Marathon Championship, and finished eighth individually.

At the World Cross Country Championships, Gómez won three bronze medals with the Spanish team in 1990-91, 1995. He was the highest placed Spaniard in 14th place in 1991. He represented his country on 41 occasions and won two national cross country titles (1989, 1995), five 10,000 metre titles (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995-96), and two half marathon titles (1992, 2003). Gómez finished seventh in the 1998 Boston Marathon, and was the highest placed European.

In recent time Gómez turned to Canicross and had his own mushing team of 25 dogs. Shortly before his death, he carried off the Spanish Cup in skate and bicycle. Gómez also helped coach the women’s football team, UD Mos Feminino. Gómez died in 2021, just over seven months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. He was originally given only days to live, but his life was prolonged by a new course of radiotherapy.

In 2001, fellow Spanish marathon runner Diego García collapsed and died in Gómez’s arms during a training run. Gómez vouched that if he ever had a son he won call him Diego, which he did.

Personal Bests: 5000 – 13:20.91 (1989); 10000 – 27:39.38 (1993).