Harry Prowell was born in La Bonne Intention Estate, East Coast Demerara, Guyana to Indo-Guyanese parents. LBI is a village 10 miles east of the capital Georgetown, Guyana. 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. 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.
At the age of 22, Prowell was selected to represent British Guiana at the 1958 British West Indies Championships held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. This would be his first international competition. He would go on to win the Silver Medal in the 5000 m and 10,000 m, 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.
In 1967, he was selected to represent his country in the 10,000 metres at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He would finish eighth in the race.
1968 Summer Olympic Games
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. The race was held on Sunday 20 October 1968 and started at 15.00h. There were a total number of 75 competitors from 41 countries. Eighteen of them did not finish. To date he is the only Guyanese ever to compete for Guyana in the Marathon at the Summer Olympic Games. 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. 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. However, the high altitude of Mexico, City affected the race and it was referred to as one of the slowest marathons in Olympic history. With the unfavorable conditions, Prowell placed a respectable 50th place with a time of 2:57:01.4.
His last international event came with his participation in the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Guyana National Awards
Harry Prowell was awarded Guyana's National Sportsman of the Year in 1969 and received the Order of Service of Guyana known as the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1970.
