View source for Mateo Flores (runner)

{{short description|Guatemalan long-distance runner (1922-2011)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Guamuch|Flores|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|birth_date     = {{birth-date|February 11, 1922}}
|death_date     = {{death date and age|August 11, 2011|February 11, 1922}}
|medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{GUA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1955 Pan American Games|1955 Mexico City]] | Marathon}}
}}

'''Doroteo Guamuch Flores''', also called '''Mateo Flores''' (February 11, 1922 – August 11, 2011),<ref>{{in lang|es}} [http://www.deguate.com/personajes/article_734.shtml "Famous Guatemalan persons: Mateo Flores"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120630135223/http://www.deguate.com/personajes/article_734.shtml |date=2012-06-30 }} - www.deguate.com</ref> was a [[Guatemala]]n [[Long-distance track event|long-distance runner]] who won several international events, including the [[Boston Marathon]] in 1952.

==Career==
Guamuch was born in [[Cotió]], [[Mixco]], a city near [[Guatemala City]]. During his early athletic career, Guamuch worked as a low-paid laborer in a textile factory. He would wake at 4:00 am to run for two hours, and run an additional two hours after returning from work at 6:00 pm.

Guamuch's career spanned from 1941 to 1957; prior to winning the 1952 Boston Marathon, he was the winner of multiple international races, notably the [[marathon]] at the 1946 [[Barranquilla]] Games, the [[half marathon]] at the [[1950 Central American and Caribbean Games]] in Guatemala, and the marathon at the [[1955 Pan American Games]] in Mexico City. He also participated in the [[1952 Summer Olympics]] in [[Helsinki]].

===1952 Boston Marathon===
On April 19, 1952, Guamuch participated in the [[Boston Marathon]], a major international racing event. He took the lead from his countryman [[Luis H. Velasquez]] after the first ten miles, and, against any predictions, finished ahead of U.S. competitor [[Victor Dyrgall]] by almost five minutes, recording a time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 53 seconds. His record remained as a national record for Guatemala for seventeen years, until November 5, 1969, when it was broken by [[Julio Quevedo]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021013111101/http://bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/RaceSummaries.asp?myear=11 Race summaries from the Official Boston Athletic Association and Boston Marathon web site] - www.bostonmarathon.org</ref>

===Honors and awards===
The Boston achievement made Guamuch a sports icon in his country, and the Guatemalan government honored him by renaming the national stadium in [[Guatemala City]] to ''[[Estadio Mateo Flores|Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores]]''. He was treated as a national hero by the Guatemalan government, which also awarded him the [[Order of the Quetzal]], the nation's highest civilian honor.

==Life after retirement==
Guamuch became a professor of [[physical education]] after his retirement. He was also a [[golf]] [[caddie]] working at the [http://www.gcc.com.gt/ Guatemala Country Club] and occasional player. He was a practicing [[Roman Catholic]]. He moved to Los Angeles, CA and lived there for several years. He moved back to Guatemala City prior to his death.

==References and footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.efdeportes.com/efd101/flores.htm Mateo Flores: racismo y nación en Guatemala] - www.efdeportes.com - Biography and career
*{{sports links}}

{{Footer Pan American Champions Marathon Men}}
{{Footer CAC Champions 5000 m Men}}
{{Footer CAC Champions 10000 m Men}}
{{Footer CAC Champions Marathon Men}}
{{Footer Boston Marathon Champions Men}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flores, Mateo}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Guatemala Department]]
[[Category:Guatemalan male long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Guatemalan male marathon runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Guatemala]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1951 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1955 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Order of the Quetzal]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Guatemala]]
[[Category:Pan American Games athletes for Guatemala]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Boston Marathon male winners]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Guatemala]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Guatemalan sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Guatemalan people]]