Prowell holds the Guyana National Track and Field Record in the Marathon with a personal best time of 2:39:11 set on 4 February 1968 in St. Georges, Grenada.[5] He was awarded Guyana's National Sportsman of the Year in 1969[6] and received the Order of Service of Guyana (Grade II) known as the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1970.
Prowell died on 27 June 2000 at age 63 in Success, East Coast Demerara, Guyana.[7]
Early life and career
Harry Prowell was born in La Bonne Intention (LBI) Estate, East Coast Demerara, Guyana to Indo-Guyanese parents. LBI is a village 10 miles east of the capital Georgetown, Guyana.[8] He would often be seen running from LBI to Georgetown and back again. Known to the locals for his notorious barefoot running style, he rose to prominence at St. Mary-Ye-Virgin Anglican School in Beterverwagting, Guyana. At the annual Inter Estate Athletics Championships, which was well organized and held at various Sugar Estate grounds across British Guiana, he became a household name for his success in long distance running.[2] At these early events he would race against his future nemesis, Moses Dwarika, who would later compete alongside him for British Guiana at the British West Indies Championships.
International career
British Guiana
1958 British West Indies Championships
At the age of 22, Prowell qualified and represented British Guiana at the 1958 British West Indies Championships held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.[9] This would be his first international competition. He would go on to win the silver medal in the 5000m and 10,000m, setting personal best times of 15:15:00 and 31:57:03 respectively. This event showcased some of Guyana's greatest long distance runners. Prowell, Moses Dwarika, George de Peana and Ralph Gomes would go on to dominate Caribbean long distance athletics for the next decade.[10]
He finally succeeded his fellow British Guianan, George de Peana, as the dominant long-distance runner by winning Gold in both the 5000m and 10,000m races at the 1960 British West Indies Championships held in Kingston, Jamaica.
The 1965 British West Indies Championships was the sixth and final edition of the track and field competition between British colony nations in the Caribbean. It was held in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Prowell won Gold again in the 5,000m which he had won when he last competed in the 1960 event with a time of 15:30.5. He won the Silver in the 10,000m with a time of 1:14.06 behind fellow countryman Moses Dwarika who also hails from LBI. He won his 3rd Gold in the event with a time of 1:12:38.
Guyana
With British Guiana achieving independence from the United Kingdom in May 1966, Prowell would now represent the independent nation of Guyana.[11]
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Prowell participated in the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 to 13 August. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. He placed 11th out of 14 runners in the Men's 6 mile event with a time of 31:24 on 6 August 1966 at the Independent Park in Kingston, Jamaica. It was the last time that the imperial distance was contested at the Games later being replaced by the 10,000 metres.
At the age of 32, the highlight of Harry Prowell's career came with representing Guyana at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico.[12] The race was held on Sunday 20 October 1968 and started at 15.00h (3PM EST). There were a total number of 75 competitors from 41 countries. Eighteen of them did not finish due to the high altitude of Mexico City.[1] To date he is the only Guyanese ever to compete for Guyana in the Marathon at the Summer Olympic Games.[1]
As Prowell was training for the 1968 Summer Olympics, he set his personal best record of 2:39:11 in a Marathon on 4 February 1968 at a track event in St. George's, Grenada. Leading up to the Olympics he also won a gold medal in the Marathon at the 1968 Texaco Southern Games in San Fernando, Trinidad, followed by a gold medal in the 3000 m race at the annual Inter Estate Athletics Championships in Guyana Notable runners Boyo Changur placed second and Gladstone Hopkinson placing third.[13]
Guyana sent five men to the 1968 Summer Olympics. The West Indies Champion, 32-year-old Harry Prowell was a favorable contender in the Men's Marathon. It was an accomplishment just to finish this race and it was referred to as one of the slowest marathons in Olympic history.[14] With the unfavorable conditions, Prowell placed a respectable 50th place with a time of 2:57:01.4.[1]
1970 British Commonwealth Games
The Edinburgh race stands out as one of his most memorable. After successfully running in the 3-mile, 6-mile and half-marathon with a time of 1 hour and 3 minutes in Trinidad, Prowell was flowing directly to Edinburgh, Scotland the very day to compete in the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in the Men's Marathon event. He also qualified for both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres event at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Guyana National Awards
Harry Prowell was awarded Guyana's National Sportsman of the Year in 1969[6] and received the Order of Service of Guyana (Grade II) known as the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1970.
