Harbert Okuti joined the coaching staff for his first season with Vassar in the fall of 2013.
A NCAA Division I Cross Country All-American, Harber Okuti hails from Arua, Uganda. The second oldest of seven and the son of two teachers, Okuti grew up playing soccer before first trying his hand at distance running when he was 16, quickly taking to the sport and recording a time of 14:16 for his first 5K on a short track. Okuti finished second in the Ugandan Junior Cross Country Championships in 2004, and was selected to represent his country at the IAAF Junior Cross Country World Championships in Belgium where he placed 11th.
At the World Championships he was recruited to run for NCAA DI powerhouse Iona, and has been in the United States ever since. During his time at Iona, Okuti placed 21st in the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, helping his team to a 3rd place finish. He graduated with degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice, while working enough to help pay for two homes built on his family’s land in Uganda.
Since graduating from Iona, Okuti has continued to dedicate himself to the sport as a professional runner, training with Mike Barnow of the Westchester Track Club and earning the Ugandan Road 5,000m Record with a time of 13:50.
