March 9 Birthdays

1920
Franjo Mihalić. Yugoslavian long-distance runner Mihalić won the silver medal in the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic marathon, running 2:26:32. Two years later he became the 1958 Boston Marathon champion. Mihalić returned to the Olympics in 1960 (Rome), where he finished twelfth in the marathon.

1946
Gerry Lindgren. Lindgren's schoolboy running career was outstanding, and many of his high school times from one mile to 10,000m remain in the top ten on the US all-time lists. As a collegian, Lindgren won NCAA cross-country titles in 1966, 1967, and 1969, won six NCAA outdoor titles, won two NCAA indoor titles, and set a world record in the six-mile run (27:11.6).