Mike Boit is a Kenyan former middle distance athlete whose career spanned fifteen years.
Education
Boit graduated from Saint Patrick"s High School in Iten in 1969, a school well known for having produced such world class distance runners as Matthew Birir, David Rudisha, Wilson Kipketer, Japheth Kimutai and many others Boit received a Diploma from Kenyatta College (now Kenyatta University) in 1972, a bachelor"s degree from Eastern New Mexico University in 1976, two master"s degrees from Stanford University in 1977 and 1978, and a Doctoral of Degree from the University of Oregon in 1986.
Career
He is a professor at Kenyatta University in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science. Boit joined the Kenyatta University as a full-time faculty member in 1987. From 1990 to 1997, Boit took leave of his position at the University to work as the Kenya Commissioner of Sports.
Boit returned to Kenyatta University in 1998.
The Project helps bright students from under-served regions of Kenya gain admission to elite colleges in the United States. Boit and Manners have currently successfully placed more than 100 students in top American universities, including Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Duke, Wesleyan, Brown, Cornell, Amherst, Yale, Barnard, Carleton, Oberlin, Dartmouth, UPenn, Wellesley, Bates, Colby, Tufts, Middlebury, Brandeis, Williams, and Hamilton.
Boit also earned a fourth-place finish in the 1500 metres behind fellow legendary Kenyan runner Kipchoge Keino. A Kenya boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympics and 1980 Moscow Olympics denied Boit a second chance for Olympic glory.
He finished 2nd at the 1977 IAAF World Cup 800 metres race.
In Sebastian Coe"s record breaking Summer of 81 Boit could often be seen lurking at Coe"s shoulder in 1500 metre and mile races, pushing him all the way to the line as the records tumbled. In 1983 Boit ran a downhill mile in 3:28.36, the then fastest mile in history. This did not count as the world record because of the course"s downhill grade.
Boit ended his athletic career in 1990 breaking the Masters Division Indoor World Record for the mile in Meadowlands, New Jersey.
800 m – 1:43.57 (1976) 1000 m – 2:15.30 (1977) 1500 m – 3:33.67 (1981) mile - 3:49.45 (1981).
Membership
During the 1990s, Boit also stayed active in the athletic community as member of the IAAF Athletes Commission from 1989 to 1999 and the Special Olympics from 1992-1995.