Filbert Bayi Sanka (born June 23, 1953) is a Tanzanian former middle-distance runner[2] who competed throughout the 1970s.

Born in a small village of Karatu, near Arusha, Tanzania, he had to run eight miles every day to and from school as a boy.

"In 1975, Bayi broke Ryun's eight-year-old mile record by clocking 3:51.0[5] in Kingston, Jamaica on 17 May.

It was hoped that the Bayi-Walker clash would continue but, because Tanzania boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, it never materialized.

[6] However, since Bayi was suffering from a bout of malaria shortly before the Olympics, he may not have been able to challenge Walker even had there been no boycott.