# Bigboy Matlapeng

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{{Short description|Motswana long-distance runner}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox athlete
| name        = Bigboy Matlapeng
| birth_name  = 
| image       =
| caption     =
| nationality = Motswana
| sport       = Long-distance running
| event       = Marathon
| club        = 
| collegeteam =
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1958|2|4|df=yes}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height      =
| weight      =
}}

'''Bigboy Josie Matlapeng''' (born 4 February 1958) is a Motswana [long-distance runner](/source/long-distance_track_event) and sprinter. He competed in the [marathon](/source/marathon) at the [1984 Summer Olympics](/source/1984_Summer_Olympics) and the [1988 Summer Olympics](/source/1988_Summer_Olympics).<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/bigboy-matlapeng-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418095811/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/bigboy-matlapeng-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Bigboy Matlapeng Olympic Results |access-date=14 May 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
Matlapeng had a marathon [personal best](/source/Personal_record) of 2:33:34 hours going into the [1984 Olympic marathon](/source/Athletics_at_the_1984_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_marathon).<ref>{{cite web |title=Men's marathon roster |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-argonaut-mens-marathon-roster/166808483/ |publisher=The Argonaut |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=2 |date=9 Aug 1984}}</ref> He was described sarcastically as a "household name" by commentators, mocking his unusual-sounding name in the "wonderfully monikered" field.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lasting Men's marathon may close Games with historic finish |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-lasting-mens/166808686/ |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=64 |date=12 Aug 1984}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sprint finish in the marathon? Could be |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-sprint-finish-in-the/166808805/ |publisher=Detroit Free Press |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=39 |date=12 Aug 1984}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lopes, 37, was frisky as a colt at end of 26.2-mile trot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-lopes-37-was-frisky-as/166809578/ |publisher=Tampa Bay Times |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=29 |date=13 Aug 1984}}</ref> He started the Olympic marathon, but did not finish the race.<ref name=o>{{Olympedia}}</ref>

By 1986, Matlapang had improved his marathon best to 2:17:47, setting a [Botswanan record](/source/List_of_Botswanan_records_in_athletics) and making him a favorite to break the course record at the 1986 Churchdown 10-mile Beer Race in [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire).<ref>{{cite web |title=ATHLETICS: Bigboy Matlapeng |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-athletics-bigboy-ma/166810579/ |publisher=Western Daily Press |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=33 |date=19 Jul 1986}}</ref> Though he underperformed at the Beer Race, he was selected to represent [Botswana at the 1986 Commonwealth Games](/source/Botswana_at_the_1986_Commonwealth_Games) in the marathon, where he placed 14th.<ref>{{cite web |title=Games pair head for City race |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-citizen-games-pair-head-for-city-rac/166810150/ |publisher=The Citizen |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=20 |date=7 Jul 1986}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bigboy finds the going tough |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-bigboy-finds-the-goi/166810635/ |publisher=Western Daily Press |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=24 |date=21 Jul 1986}}</ref> Surprisingly, Matlapeng moved down in distance by a factor of over 100 times to compete in the [Botswanan 4 × 400 m relay](/source/Athletics_at_the_1986_Commonwealth_Games_%E2%80%93_Men's_4_%C3%97_400_metres_relay) team after the marathon, though his team was disqualified and didn't advance to the finals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Botswana's Bigboy Matlapeng, having finished a creditable 14th in Friday morning's marathon... |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-sun-botswanas-bigboy-matlapeng/166810790/ |publisher=Sunday Sun |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=42 |date=3 Aug 1986}}</ref> Matlapeng's performance in such disparate events led to debate about the seriousness of the Commonwealth Games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Games future in doubt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/horncastle-target-games-future-in-doubt/166810986/ |publisher=Horncastle Target |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=34 |date=7 Aug 1986}}</ref>

Matlapeng qualified for his first World Championships at the [1987 World Championships in Athletics](/source/1987_World_Championships_in_Athletics), where he competed in the marathon. He finished 29th in a time of 2:24:43 and was again lauded for his name.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet Ends With Blazing U.S. Victory |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-meet-ends-with-b/166811191/ |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=23 |date=7 Sep 1987}}</ref><ref name=t>{{Tilastopaja|98648}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=All the Hoopla Without the Hassles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-all-the-hoopla-without-the-hassl/166811656/ |publisher=Newsday |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=95 |date=8 Sep 1987}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A sports market plunge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-a-sports-market-plun/166811730/ |publisher=The Atlanta Journal |access-date=27 February 2025 |page=31 |date=30 Oct 1987}}</ref> At the [1988 Olympic Games](/source/1988_Olympic_Games) marathon, Matlapeng finished 34th in 2:20:51. He competed again at the [1990 Commonwealth Games](/source/1990_Commonwealth_Games) in the marathon, finishing 14th again.<ref name=t />

Matlapeng competed at the [1987](/source/1987_World_Marathon_Cup) and [1989](/source/1987_World_Marathon_Cup) editions of the [World Marathon Cup](/source/World_Marathon_Cup), finishing 66th and 57th respectively.<ref>{{World Athletics}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{sports links}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matlapeng, Bigboy}}
Category:1958 births
Category:Living people
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Category:Botswana men long-distance runners
Category:Botswana men marathon runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Botswana
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Botswana
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Botswana men sprinters
{{Botswana-athletics-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bigboy Matlapeng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigboy_Matlapeng) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigboy_Matlapeng?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.