Birthdays on the Track

May 4 Birthdays

2011-05-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

1949

Pekka Johannes Päivärinta, Finland, distance runner. Päivärinta was the first world cross-country champion, taking the title at the first IAAF championship in that sport in Waregem, Belgium in 1973. Päivärinta also represented his country at the Olympics in 1972 (8th in the Steeplechase) and 1976 (13th in the 5,000m). In 1975 he set a world record in the 25,000m of 1:14:16.8.

August 3 Birthdays

2010-08-03T03:01:00.000-04:00

1950
Waldemar Cierpinski, East Germany, long-distance runner. Cierpinski moved up from the 3,000m steeplechase to the marathon in 1974, and in the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic marathon he took the gold medal, running a career-best and Olympic record of 2:09:55. Four years later Cierpinski repeated, winning the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic marathon in a time of 2:11:03. Cierpinski was also a bronze medalist at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships marathon (2:10:37).

August 2 Birthdays

2010-08-02T03:01:00.000-04:00

1955

Craig Steven Virgin, United States, distance runner. As a high school runner in Illinois, Craig Virgin broke Steve Prefontaine's national record for the high school two mile, setting a new record of 8:40.9. He went on to qualify for three U.S. Olympic teams in the 10,000 meters and finish second at the 1981 Boston Marathon (2:10:26), but his greatest successes were as a cross-country runner. He won the NCAA cross-country championship in 1975 and won the World Cross Country Championships in 1980 (Paris) and 1981 (Madrid). He remains the only American to ever win a world cross-country title.

July 7 Birthdays

2010-07-07T03:01:00.000-04:00

1933
Murray Halberg, New Zealand, middle-distance runner. Halberg represented his native New Zealand in the mile at the 1954 (Vancouver) Commonwealth Games and in the 1,500m at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic Games. In 1958 he became the first New Zealand athlete to break 4:00 in the mile, and won the gold medal in the (Cardiff) Commonwealth Games three mile. Halberg was the gold medalist in the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games 5,000m and also finished fifth in the 10,000m at the Games. He successfully defended his Commonwealth Games three-mile title in 1962 (Perth), and ended his athletic career with a seventh-place finish in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 10,000m. Halberg's years in athletics are chronicled in his biography, A Clean Pair of Heels.

June 30 Birthdays

2010-06-30T03:01:00.000-04:00

1938

Billy Mills, United States, long-distance runner. Mills won the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 10,000m in an Olympic-record time of 28:24.4. He was the first American to ever win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000m. He also ran the marathon at the 1964 Olympic Games, finishing 14th in 2:22:55.4. Mills' athletic career has been dramatized in the 1984 film Running Brave.

June 29 Birthdays

2010-06-29T03:01:00.000-04:00

1958
Rosa Mota, Portuguese long-distance runner. Rosa Mota was the Olympic marathon champion at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, becoming the first Portuguese woman to medal at the Olympics.

June 28 Birthdays

2010-06-28T03:01:00.000-04:00

1962
Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu, Romania, long jumper. Anişoara Cuşmir-Stanciu won the silver medal in the women's long jump at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships in athletics, finishing behind Heike Drechsler of the German Democratic Republic. During the same year Cuşmir set two world records in the women's long jump of 7.21m and 7.43m. In 1984 Cuşmir won the event at the (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, leaping 6.96m to capture the gold medal.

June 18 Birthdays

2010-06-18T03:01:00.000-04:00

1918
Reinaldo Gorno, Argentine long-distance runner. Gorno was the silver medalist in the marathon at the inaugural Pan American Games in 1951, and the silver medalist in the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic marathon.

June 17 Birthdays

2010-06-17T03:01:00.000-04:00

1932

George Derek Ibbotson, Great Britain, middle-distance runner. Running for the United Kingdom, Derek Ibbotson won a bronze medal in the 5,000m at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic Games, running 13:54.4 behind Vladimir Kuts (13:39.6) and Gordon Pirie (13:50.6). In 1957 he set a world record of 3:57.2 for the one-mile run, breaking the previous record of 3:57.9 set by Australian John Landy in 1954. In 1958 Ibbotson became the first athlete to run exactly 4:00.0 for the mile, an athletic curiosity that people should really stop annoying their friends with. Ibbotson has published a memoir of his athletic career, The Four-Minute Smiler.

June 13 Birthdays

2010-06-13T03:01:00.000-04:00

1936

Michael Jazy, France, middle-distance runner. Jazy won the silver medal in the 1,500m at the 19600 (Rome) Olympic Games, finishing behind the great Herb Elliott. Jazy set world records in the 3,000m (7:49.2) in 1962, in the one-mile run (3:53.6) in 1965, in the 3,000m (7:49.0) in 1965, and in the 2,000m (4:56.1) in 1966. He was European Champion at 1,500m in 1962 and at 5,000m in 1966.

1982

Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, distance runner. Bekele is one of the most dominant distance runners of the early twenty-first century. He reigned as World Cross Country Champion from 2002 to 2006 and also in 2008; additionally winning the now-discontinued "short course" title from 2002 to 2006. In Olympic competition he won a silver medal in the 5,000m (13:14.59) and a gold medal in the 10,000m (27:05.10) in 2004 (Athens), and a gold medal in both the 5,000m (12:57.82) and the 10,000m (27:01.17) in 2008 (Beijing). He was the world champion in the 10,000m in 2003 (Paris), 2005 (Helsinki), 2007 (Osaka) and 2009 (Berlin), and holds world records in the 5,000m (12:37.35) and 10,000m (26:17.53).

June 12 Birthdays

2010-06-12T03:01:00.000-04:00

1932
Mamo Wolde, Ethiopia, distance runner. It's true that Wolde ran the 800m, 1,500m, and 4 x 400m relay for Ethiopia at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic games, but it is also true that the Ethiopian government was disappointed with the showing of the team that year and essentially de-funded athletics till 1960. Wolde did distinguish himself in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic games, finishing fourth in the 10,000m (28:31.8). In the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic games, Wolde took the silver medal in the 10,000m (29:27.75), and then a week later won the Olympic marathon (2:20:26.4). Wolde came back four years later, at age 40, to place third in the 1972 (Munich) Olympic marathon, running 2:15:08.4 to win the bronze medal.

June 7 Birthdays

2010-06-07T03:01:00.000-04:00

1888
Clarence DeMar, American long-distance runner. "Mr. DeMarathon" won seven Boston marathon titles, 1911, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1928, and 1930. DeMar was on the United States Olympic marathon team in 1912, 1924, and 1928, winning the bronze medal in the 1924 (Paris) Olympic marathon. His memoir, Marathon, is a classic of running literature.

June 4 Birthdays

2010-06-04T03:01:00.000-04:00

1957
John Treacy, Ireland, distance runner. Treacy had his greatest international success in cross country, winning the World Cross Country Championships in 1978 (Glasgow) and 1979 (Limerick). He was also a four-time Olympian for Ireland from 1980 to 1992, most notably winning the silver medal in the Olympic marathon in the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympics, running 2:09:56.

June 1 Birthdays

2010-06-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

1955
Lorraine Moller, New Zealand, distance runner. Moller won a bronze medals in the 1,500m (4:12:67) and 3,000m (8:55:76) at the 1982 (Brisbane) Commonwealth Games, but it was already clear from her road-racing experiences in America that she was a strong marathon runner. She won her first eight marathons, including a win at the 1984 Boston Marathon (2:29:28). In 1986 she was the silver medalist in the (Edinburgh) Commonwealth Games, running 2:28:17. Her Olympic career was a long one, finishing fifth in 1984 (Los Angeles) in 2:28:34, 33rd in 1988 (Seoul) in 2:37:52, winning the bronze medal in 1992 (Barcelona) with a 2:33:59, and placing 46th in 1996 (Atlanta) with a 2:42:21.

May 26 Birthdays

2010-05-26T03:01:00.000-04:00

1966
Zola Budd, South African distance runner. Zola Budd was a two-time world champion in cross country (1985 and 1986) and set world records in the 5,000 meter run in 1984 (15:01.83) and 1985 (14:48.07).

May 25 Birthdays

2010-05-25T03:01:00.000-04:00

1938
John Davies, New Zealand, middle-distance runner. Born in Wales, when John Llewellyn Davies was 15 his family moved to New Zealand, where he began his athletic career. He was the silver medalist in the 1962 (Perth) Commonwealth Games mile, and the bronze medalist in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 1,500m (3:39.6). In both races he finished behind his countryman, the great Peter Snell. Davies passed away on 21 July 2003.

May 19 Birthdays

2010-05-19T03:01:00.000-04:00

1952
Charles "Charlie" Spedding, Great Britain, long-distance running. Charlie Spedding ran 2:09:57 at the 1984 London Marathon, which earned him a berth on the British Olympic Team. In the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic marathon he ran 2:09:58, finishing third behind Carlos Lopes of Portugal and John Treacy of Ireland. Spedding returned to Olympic marathon competition in 1988 (Seoul), finishing sixth in 2:12:19.

May 16 Birthdays

2010-05-16T03:01:00.000-04:00

1957
Joan Benoit, American long-distance runner. Joan Benoit-Samuelson was the winner of the first Olympic marathon for women at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

May 13 Birthdays

2010-05-13T03:01:00.000-04:00

1940
Kokichi Tsuburaya, Japan, long-distance runner. Tsuburaya ran his first marathon (2:23:31) in 1964 and his second (2:18:20.2) a month later. He finished sixth in the 1960 (Tokyo) Olympic 10,000-meter race, and a week later won the bronze medal in the Olympic marathon, his third race at that distance. Tsuburaya's later career was plagued by injuries. Despondent, he took his own life on 9 January 1968, leaving behind a note reading, "Cannot run any more."

May 12 Birthdays

2010-05-12T03:01:00.000-04:00

1960
Lisa Martin, Australia, distance runner. After a college running career at the University of Oregon where she specialized in the 400-meter hurdles, Lisa Martin moved up to the marathon. Her first major championship was the 1986 (Edinburgh) Commonwealth Games marathon, where 2:26:07 earned her a gold medal. She won a silver medal at the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic marathon, running 2:25:53 behind Rosa Mota of Portugal. Martin was a repeat winner in the 1990 (Auckland) Commonwealth Games marathon, running 2:25:28. She dropped out of the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic marathon, but won the New York marathon later in the year with a world best time of 2:24:40.

May 8 Birthdays

2010-05-08T03:01:00.000-04:00

1986
Galen Rupp, United States, distance runner. In 2004 Rupp set U.S. high school records in the 2,000m (5:18.5), the 3,000m (8:03.67), and the 5,000m (13:37.91). Moving on to the University of Oregon, he won the NCAA cross-country title in 2008, won NCAA indoor track titles in the 3,000m and 5,000m in 2009, and won the 5,000m and 10,000m NCAA outdoor track titles in 2009. Rupp was on the 2008 (Beijing) U.S. Olympic team for the 10,000m and the U.S. teams for the 2007 (Osaka) and 2009 (Berlin) World Championships in Athletics.

April 29 Birthdays

2010-04-29T03:01:00.000-04:00

1947

James Ronald "Jim" Ryun, United States, middle-distance runner. Historians looking for the roots of the American "running boom" of the 1970s and 1980s would do well to look at the inspirational effect of the athletic career of Jim Ryun. Ryun was the first American schoolboy to break 4:00 in the one-mile run, clocking 3:59.0 his junior year (1964) and 3:55.3 as a senior. He also ran 3:58.3 at the 1965 Kansas High School State Track & Field Championships, still the fastest time ever run in purely high school competition. Ryun later set world records in the mile of 3:51.3 (1966) and 3:51.1 (1967), in the half-mile of 1:44.9 (1966), in the 1,500m of 3:33.1 (1967), in the indoor half-mile of 1:48.3 (1967), and in the indoor mile of 3:56.4 (1971). Ryun was a three-time Olympian (1964, 1968, and 1972), winning the silver medal in the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic 1,500m (3:37.8). After the 1972 (Munich) olympics, Ryun left amateur athletics and spent two years running on the openly professional International Track Association circuit. Later in life, Ryun moved into politics, serving as United States Representative of Kansas' second congressional district.

April 27 Birthdays

2010-04-27T03:01:00.000-04:00

1940
Dyrol Burleson, United States, middle-distance runner. Burleson won the 1959 (Chicago) Pan-American Games 1,500m, running 3:49.1. The following year he became an Olympian for the first time, finishing sixth in the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games 1,500m in an American record time of 3:40.9. Burleson also set American records in the one-mile run of 3:58.6 (1960) and 3:57.6 (1961). He returned to the Olympics in 1964 (Tokyo), finishing fifth in the 1,500m (3:40.0).

April 26 Birthdays

2010-04-26T03:01:00.000-04:00

1930

Roger Moens, Belgium, middle-distance runner. In 1955 Roger Moens set a world record of 1:45.7 in the 800m which was eventually broken in 1962 by Peter Snell. Moens won a silver medal at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games, finishing behind Snell in the 800m.

April 17 Birthdays

2010-04-17T03:01:00.000-04:00

1948
Pekka Antero Vasala, Finland, middle-distance runner. Pekka Vasala won the gold medal for 1,500m at the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, running 3:36.33, the world's fastest time for the year.

April 15 Birthdays

2010-04-15T03:01:00.000-04:00

1971
Josiah Thugwane, South Africa, long-distance runner. The pinnacle of Thugwane's athletic career was his victory in the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games marathon (2:12:36). In addition to marathon victories in South Africa, Thugwane also won the 1995 Honolulu marathon (2:16:08) and the 1997 Fukuoka marathon (2:07:28).

April 12 Birthdays

2010-04-12T03:01:00.000-04:00

1930
John Landy, Australian middle-distance runner. Landy was the second man to break 4:00 in the mile and held the world record in the mile (3:58.0). He was a member of the Australian Olympic team in 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne), winning a bronze medal in the 1500 in 1956. He finished second to Roger Bannister in the Empire Games mile in Vancouver on 7 August 1954, the first mile race in which two athletes broke 4:00 (Bannister 3:58.8, Landy 3:59.6).

April 10 Birthdays

2010-04-10T03:01:00.000-04:00

1886
John Joseph "Johnny" Hayes, American long-distance runner. Winner of the inaugural Yonkers Marathon, Hayes won the 1908 Olympic Games marathon in London, the first marathon run over the now-official distance of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.196 km). Following the Olympics, Hayes went professional, competing on a circuit of marathon races inspired by the 1908 Olympic race.

April 4 Birthdays

2010-04-04T03:01:00.000-04:00

1933

Brian Stanford Hewson, Great Britain, middle-distance runner. Brian Hewson won the silver medal for the 880-yard run at the 1954 (Vancouver) Commonwealth Games. The following year he began training under Franz Stampfl (who had coached Roger Bannister) and became the fifth athlete in history to break 4:00 in the one-mile run, running 3:59.8 in a race where he finished third behind Laszlo Tabori and Chris Chataway. Hewson went on to win a gold medal at the 1958 (Stockholm) European Athletics Championships in the 1,500m (3:41.9) and a silver medal at the 1958 (Cardiff) Commonwealth Games in the 880-yard run (1:49.5). He represented Great Britain in the 800m at the 1956 (Melbourne) and 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games. Hewson details his running career in his entertaining memoir, Flying Feet.

April 2 Birthdays

2010-04-02T03:01:00.000-04:00

1959
Gelindo Bordin, Italy, long-distance runner. Gelindo Bordin did not shine exceptionally bright on the track, but his star rose when he moved up to the marathon. In his sixth race at the distance, he won the 1986 (Stuttgart) European Championships marathon, running 2:10:53.4. A year later he was the bronze medalist at the 1987 (Rome) World Championships marathon (2:12:40). He went on to win the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic Games marathon (2:10:32), the 1990 Boston Marathon (2:08:19), and the 1990 (Split) European Championships marathon (2:14:02).

March 23 Birthdays

2010-03-23T03:01:00.000-04:00

1934
Bill Dellinger, United States, middle-distance runner. In 1959 William Dellinger set world records in the indoor two-mile (8:49.9) and indoor three-mile (13:37.0). He was a three-time Olympian, making the United States Olympic team in 1956 (Melbourne), 1960 (Rome), and 1964 (Tokyo); in the Tokyo games he won the bronze medal in the 5,000m, running 13:49.8 in a race won by fellow-American Bob Schul. Dellinger returned to his alma mater, the University of Oregon, first as an assistant coach under the great Bill Bowerman and then as head track-and-field coach after Bowerman's retirement in 1972.

March 22 Birthdays

2010-03-22T03:01:00.000-04:00

1878
Michel Johann Théato, Luxembourg long-distance runner. Competing for France, Théato won the 1900 Olympic marathon in Paris, covering the 40.26 km course in 2:59:45.

1970
Hwang Young-cho, South Korea, long-distance runner. Hwang's second marathon and first international competition was at the 1991 (Sheffield) World University Games, where he won in a time of 2:12:40. Back in Korea he ran a fine 2:08:47 at Beppu, earning him a berth on the South Korean Olympic team. He won the gold medal in the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games marathon, clocking 2:13:23. He was fourth in the 1994 Boston Marathon where he ran his career-best time of 2:08:09. Hwang failed to make his country's Olympic team in 1996 and subsequently retired from athletics.

March 20 Birthdays

2010-03-20T03:01:00.000-04:00

1941
Kenji Kimihara, Japan, long-distance runner. Kimihara placed 8th in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic marathon (2:19:49.0), then returned to Olympic competition in 1968 (Mexico City) to win the silver medal in the marathon (2:23:31.0). He was back in the marathon at the 1972 (Munich) Olympics, where he finished a respectable 5th (2:16:27). Kimihara was also the Asian Games marathon champion in 1966 and 1970.

March 9 Birthdays

2010-03-09T03:01:00.000-05:00

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).

March 8 Birthdays

2010-03-08T03:01:00.000-05:00

1949
Karel Lismont, Belgium, long-distance runner. Lismont is one of a very few athletes in the history of the modern Olympic games to have won two medals in the marathon, a silver in 1972 (Munich) and a bronze in 1976 (Montreal). Lismont competed but did not medal in the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic marathon and the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic marathon. He also won a gold medal in the 1971 (Helsinki) European Championships marathon, (2:13:09), a bronze in the 1978 (Prague) European Championships marathon (2:12:07.7), and a bronze in the 1982 (Athens) European Championships marathon (2:16:04).

February 28 Birthdays

2010-02-28T03:01:00.000-05:00

1929
Rhadi ben Abdesselam, Morocco, long-distance runner. In 1960 he won the International Cross Country title. Later in the year he finished 14th in the (Rome) Olympic 10,000-meter run, and two days later won the silver medal in the Olympic marathon (2:15:41.6), finishing 25 seconds behind the great Abebe Bikila. Historians believe that the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome was Rhadi Ben Abdesselam's first and only marathon.

February 27 Birthdays

2010-02-27T03:01:00.000-05:00

1957
Rob de Castella, Australian long-distance runner. De Castella was a three-time Olympian (1980, 1984, 1988), held the world record in the marathon (2:08:18) from 1981 to 1984, and won the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in 1983 (Helsinki).

February 25 Birthdays

2010-02-25T03:01:00.000-05:00

1938

Herbert "Herb" James Elliott, Australia, middle-distance runner. Coached by the sometimes overbearing and alway eccentric Percy Cerutty, Herb Elliott never lost a race at either the mile or 1,500m. He set a world record in the mile (3:54.5) in 1958 and world records in the 1,500m in 1958 (3:36.0) and 1960 (3:35.6). At the 1958 (Cardiff) Commonwealth Games Elliott won gold medals in the 880-yard run and the mile. In the 1,500m at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games, Elliott refused to run a timid, tactical race and instead pushed the pace, leading almost from the sound of the starting gun. The results was a gold medal and a world and Olympic-record time of 3:35.6. He retired from athletics in 1961; his full running career is covered in the 1961 biography The Herb Elliott Story.

February 24 Birthdays

2010-02-24T03:01:00.000-05:00

1889
Albin Stenroos, Finnish long-distance runner. Stenroos won the 1924 (Paris) Olympic marathon. 35 years old, at the time he was the oldest ever gold medalist in that event. Two years later, Stenroos finished second at the Boston Marathon. For almost 60 years, this was the closest that any athlete would come to winning both of those prestigious marathon races.

February 21 Birthdays

2010-02-21T03:01:00.000-05:00

1937
Ron Clarke, Australian long-distance runner. Clarke held the world record in the 10,000 meter run from 1963 to 1972, won a bronze medal in the 10,000m in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympics and won a silver medal in the 1966 (Kingston) Commonwealth Games.

February 18 Birthdays

2010-02-18T03:01:00.000-05:00

1947
Carlos Lopes, Portuguese long-distance runner. When Carlos Lopes won the IAAF world cross country title in 1976, he was only just getting started. Later that same year he won the silver medal at the Montreal Olympic 10,000m run, outkicked on the last lap by the great Lasse Virén. In 1984 he won a second IAAF world cross country championship, then struck gold in the Los Angeles Olympic marathon. The following year, 1985, he captured a third world cross country title at the IAAF championships in Lisbon. Only weeks later in Rotterdam he set a world best mark of 2:07:12 in the marathon, becoming the first man to run under 2:08:00.

February 16 Birthdays

2010-02-16T03:01:00.000-05:00

1964
Valentina Yegorova, Russia, long-distance runner. When Yegorova started the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic marathon, she had already run thirteen marathons but won only one. When her fourteenth marathon was over, she had won an Olympic gold medal (2:32:41). Yegorova went on to win the 1993 (2:26:40) and 1994 (2:30:09) Tokyo Marathons, placed second in the 1994 Boston Marathon (2:23:33), and win the silver medal in the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games marathon (2:28:05).

February 13 Birthdays

2010-02-13T03:01:00.000-05:00

1953
Suleiman Nyambui, Tanzania, distance runner. Attending the University of Texas at El Paso, Nyambui won four straight NCAA titles in the 10,000m from 1979 to 1982, also winning three NCAA 5,000m titles, the 1980 NCAA cross-country championship, and setting the world record in the indoor 5,000m (13:20.4). During this same period he won the silver medal for 5,000m at the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic Games, running 13:21.60 behind Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter.

February 12 Birthdays

2010-02-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

1952
Henry Rono. Kenyan distance-running great Henry Rono staged a remarkable assault on the record books in 1978, setting four world records in four different events in 81 days, starting with the 5,000m on 8 April 1978 and completing the run with the 3,000m on 27 June 1978. Rono set records in the 5,000m (13:08.4), 3,000m steeplechase (8:05.4), 10,000m (27:22.47), and 3,000m (7:32.1).

February 11 Birthdays

2010-02-11T03:01:00.000-05:00

1938

Mohammed Gammoudi, Tunisia, distance runner. Over a long career of Olympic competition, Gammoudi won the silver medal in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 10,000m (28:24.8), the gold medal in the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic Games 5,000m (14:05.01), the bronze medal in the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic Games 10,000m (29:34.2), and the silver medal in the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games 5,000m (13:27.33).

February 10 Birthdays

2010-02-10T03:01:00.000-05:00

1882
Kennedy Kane McArthur, South African long-distance runner. Irish-born McArthur won the gold medal in the 1912 Olympic marathon in Stockholm, Sweden.

February 6 Birthdays

2010-02-06T03:01:00.000-05:00

1934
Arthur Barrington "Barry" Magee, New Zealand, distance runner. Magee burst into international running prominence by winning a bronze medal in the 1960 (Rome) Olympic marathon (2:17:18.2). Later that year he won the Asahi marathon in Fukuoka in an event-record 2:19:04. In 1961 he ran on a New Zealand 4 x 1-mile relay team that set the world record in that event at a meet in Dublin, Ireland.

February 5 Birthdays

2010-02-05T03:01:00.000-05:00

1937
Gaston Roelants, Belgian distance runner. Roelants was a four-time world cross-country champion (1962, 1967, 1969, 1972), the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic gold medalist in the 3000m steeplechase, and set world records in the steeplechase in 1963 (8:29.6) and 1965 (8:26.4).

January 31 Birthdays

2010-01-31T03:01:00.000-05:00

1986

Walter Dix, United States, sprinter. As a collegiate athlete at Florida State University, Walter Dix won the NCAA 100m title in 2005 and 2007; the NCAA 200m title in 2006, 2007, and 2008; and the NCAA indoor 200m title in 2006 and 2007. He set an NCAA record of 19.69 in the 200m in 2007. After leaving Florida State, Dix qualified for the 2008 (Beijing) U.S. Olympic team, where he captured bronze medals in the 100m dash (9.91) and the 200m dash (19.98).

January 25 Birthdays

2010-01-25T03:01:00.000-05:00

1951
Steve Prefontaine, United States, middle-distance runner. Steve Prefontaine set a national high school record for the two-mile run of 8:41.5, later broken by the great Craig Virgin. He had great success as a collegian at the University of Oregon, winning three NCAA cross-country titles and four three-mile/5,000m track titles. He was a gold medalist in the 5,000m (13:52.53) at the 1971 (Cali) Pan American Games. The following year he finished fourth in the same event at the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games. Prefontaine died in an auto accident on 30 May 1975.

January 23 Birthdays

2010-01-23T03:01:00.000-05:00

1923
Horace Ashenfelter, United States, distance runner. Horace Ashenfelter won the 3,000m steeplechase at the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games, defeating the unofficial world-record holder in the event, Vladimir Kazantsev of the Soviet Union.

January 22 Birthdays

2010-01-22T00:01:00.003-05:00

1931
Galina Ivanovna Zybina, Soviet Union, shot putter. Zybina set eight consecutive world records in the women's shot put from 1952 to 1956, taking the record from 15.02m to 16.76m. She set her first world record, 15.28m, at the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympics, where she won the gold medal. She won a silver medal in the women's shot at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympics, and completed the set with a bronze in the women's shot at the 1960 (Rome) Olympics.

1968
Franka Dietzsch, Germany, discus thrower. Dietzsch is a three-time gold medalist in the women's discus throw at the World Championships, having won the title in 1999 (Seville), 2005 (Helsinki), and 2007 (Osaka). She threw at the 2009 (Berlin) World Championships, but failed to make the final. Dietzsch also competed for Germany in the women's discus at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games, where she placed sixth.

1972
Norberto Téllez, Cuba, sprinter/middle-distance runner. Téllez started off as a 400-meter runner and was successful enough in the event to run on Cuba's silver-medal winning 4 x 400m relay team at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games. He then moved up to the 800m and ran 1:42.85 to finish fourth in the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympics, breaking the Cuban national record of the great Alberto Juantorena. At the 1997 (Athens) World Championships Téllez won a silver medal in the 800m, running 1:44.00. Téllez was back at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships, running 1:45.03 to finish fourth in the 800m.

January 17 Birthdays

2010-01-17T03:01:00.000-05:00

1940
Kipchoge "Kip" Keino, Kenya, middle-distance runner. Already having made appearances in the 1962 (Perth) Commonwealth Games and the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games, in 1965 Kip Keino set a world record of 7:39.6 in the 3,000m and a world record of 13:24.2 in the 5,000m. The following year Keino won gold medals in the mile (3:55.3) and the three-mile run (12:57.4) at the 1966 (Kingston) Commonwealth Games. At the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic Games he won a silver medal in the 5,000m (14:05.61) and a gold medal in the 1,500m (3:34.91). In the 1970 (Edinburgh) Commonwealth Games he won a gold medal in the 1,500m (3:36.6) and a bronze in the 5,000m (13:27.6). Appearing for the third and final time in the Olympic Games in 1972 (Munich), Keino won a gold medal with a world-record performance in the 3,000m steeplechase (8:23.64) and won a silver medal in the 1,500m (3:36.81).

January 15 Birthdays

2010-01-15T03:01:00.000-05:00

1949
Ian Stewart, British distance runner. Stewart was an Olympic bronze medalist at 5000m (Munich 1972), a European champion at 5000m (1969), and a Commonwealth champion at 5000m (1970). He set four European junior records at age 19, including 8:35.4 for two miles. Stewart won the 1975 (Rabat) World Cross-Country championship.

January 12 Birthdays

2010-01-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

1873
Spiridon Louis, Greek distance runner. Spiridon Louis won the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens, Greece in 1896.

January 10 Birthdays

2010-01-10T03:01:00.000-05:00

1895

Percy Wells Cerutty, Australian, coach. Percy Cerutty was well-known for his role as coach to the great miler, Herb Elliot, but he was equally or perhaps even more notorious for outrageous comments and eccentric behaviour. To describe his training philosophy he coined the word "Stotan," derived from the words "stoic" and "Spartan." He authored a book on training titled Be fit! or be damned! A 1964 Cerutty biography by Graeme Kelly is titled Mr. Controversial. Cerutty also inspired characters in the athletic novels The Olympian by Brian Glanville and The Games by Hugh Atkinson (altho' Atkinson further disguises his character by mentioning the actual Cerutty). Cerutty retired from coaching in 1969 and died on 14 August 1975.

January 7 Birthdays

2010-01-07T03:01:00.000-05:00

1875
Thomas Hicks, American long-distance runner. British-born Hicks was the winner of the 1904 Olympic Marathon, held in torrid conditions in St. Louis, Missouri.

January 6 Birthdays

2010-01-06T03:01:00.000-05:00

1923
Vladimir Dmitrievich Kazantsev, Soviet Union, distance runner. After heroic service in his nation's armed forces during World War II, Kazantsev turned to athletics. Going into the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games, he had run the fastest time ever in the 3,000m steeplechase, but world records in that event were not recognized until 1954. At the Games he finished second (8:51.6) in the steeplechase to Horace Ashenfelter of the United States, winning an Olympic silver medal.

January 5 Birthdays

2010-01-05T03:01:00.000-05:00

1922
Gustaf Jansson, Swedish long-distance runner. A three-time Swedish national champion in the marathon (1951, 1952, 1953), Jansson was the bronze medalist in the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic marathon at 2:26:07.0.

1926
Veikko Karvonen, Finland, long-distance runner. Karvonen was one of the dominant marathoners of the 1950s, ranked number one in the world in that event by Track & Field News in 1951, 1954, and 1955. Slowed by a leg injury, Karvonen finished fifth in the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic marathon (2:26:41.8), but returned to Olympic competition in 1956 (Melbourne) to win the bronze medal in the marathon (2:27:47). In 1954 Karvonen won both the European marathon championship (2:24:51.6) and the Boston Marathon (2:20:39). Karvonen also had second-place finishes at Boston in 1953 and 1957. All in all, from 1949 to 1959 Karvonen started 34 marathons and won 14. He passed away in his native Finland on 1 August 2007.

January 3 Birthdays

2010-01-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

1975
Lisa Vasa Misipeka, American Samoa, throws. Lisa Misipeka won the bronze medal in the women's hammer throw at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships. As a college athlete, Misipeka competed for the University of South Carolina, where she won the 1998 NCAA championship in the women's hammer. Misipeka was already an Olympian at the time, having represented American Samoa in the women's shot put at the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games. She was also at the Olympics in 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens) throwing the hammer. Misipeka was the flag-bearer for American Samoa in the opening ceremonies at the 2004 Games.

January 2 Birthdays

2010-01-02T22:38:00.002-05:00

1959
Ines Müller, East Germany, shot. Competing during the 1980s, Ines Müller competed in the 1980 and 1988 Olympic Games. In the 1987 (Rome) World Championships she was the bronze medalist in the women's shot put, tossing 20.76m behind Soviet Natalya Lisovskaya (21.24m) and East German Kathrin Neimke (21.21m).

1962
Cristeana Cojocaru, Romania, sprints/middle-distance/hurdles. At the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, Cojacaru won the bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles, running 55.41 behind Nawal El Moutawakel (54.61) of Morocco and Judi Brown (55.20) of the United States. Cojocaru also competed internationally in the 400m and the 800m.

1974
Ludmila Formanová, Czech, middle distance. Ludmila Formanová ran 1:56.68 in the women's 800m at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships, winning the gold medal. Formanová also competed in the 1995 (Göteborg) and 1997 (Athens) World Championships and the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games.

January 1 Birthdays

2010-01-01T03:01:00.000-05:00

1921
Alain Mimoun, Algerian-born French long-distance runner. Mimoun was a four-time International Cross Country champion, but in many of his Olympic races he ran in the shadow of the great Emil Zátopek. In the 1948 (London) Olympic 10,000 meter race, Mimoun finished second to Zátopek. Mimoun won silver medals in the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic 5,000 and 10,000-meter races, both of which were won by Zátopek. In the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic 10,000 meters, Mimoun finished a disappointing twelfth and decided to enter the marathon. This time Mimoun won Olympic gold, winning the race in 2:25:00. His long-time rival, Zátopek, finished sixth. Mimoun also competed in a fourth Olympic games, finishing 34th in the 1960 (Rome) Olympic marathon (2:31:20).

December 31 Birthdays

2009-12-31T03:01:00.000-05:00

1956
Ahmed Salah Hussein, Djibouti, long-distance runner. When Ahmed Salah took third place in the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic Games marathon (2:10:59), his bronze medal was the first Olympic medal won by a Djiboutian in any sport. Salah had already had success as a marathoner, placing second in the 1987 (Rome) World Championships marathon (2:12:30), and having run an impressive 2:07:07 in the 1988 Rotterdam Marathon. Later Salah won a silver medal in the 1991 (Tokyo) World Championships marathon (2:15:26).

December 30 Birthdays

2009-12-30T03:01:00.000-05:00

1949
David Bedford, Great Britain, distance runner. On 13 July 1973 David Bedford set a world record in the men's 10,000m, running 29:30.80. Bedford also held the British records for 5,000m and the 3,000m steeplechase. He represented the UK in the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, finishing 12th in the 5,000m (13:43.2) and 6th in the 10,000m.

December 29 Birthdays

2009-12-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

1976
Timothy Cherigat, Kenya, long distance. In 2004 Timothy Cherigat won the 108th Boston Marathon, running 2:10:37.

John Ekiru Kelai, Kenya, long distance. John Kelai won the 2010 (New Delhi) Commonwealth Games marathon in 2:14:35. His major marathon wins include Singapore (2003), Brussels (2004), Enschede (2005, 2010), Mumbai (2007, 2008), and Toronto (2007).

1978
Angelo Taylor, United States, sprints/hurdles. Angelo Taylor represented the United States in three straight Olympic Games, winning gold in the 400m hurdles in 2000 (Sydney) and 2008 (Beijing). Taylor was also on the United States team at the World Championships in 1999, 2001, 2007, and 2009. In the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships he was the bronze medalist in the men's 400m hurdles.

December 28 Birthdays

2009-12-28T00:01:00.003-05:00

1959
Hansjörg Kunze, East Germany, distance. Kunze had an unspectacular start to his Olympic career, eliminated in the semi-final round of the men's 5,000m at the 1980 (Moscow) Games. East Germany boycotted the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympics, but Kunze was back on the East German team in 1988 (Seoul), where he won the bronze medal in the men's 5,000m (13:15.73) and placed sixth in the men's 10,000m (27:39.35). Kunze wasn't idle between those two games, winning bronze medals in the men's 10,000m at the World Championships in 1983 (Helsinki) and 1987 (Rome), running 28:01.26 and 27:50.37.

1962
Abdi Bile, Somalia, middle distance. Bile was the gold medalist in the men's 1,500m at the 1987 (Rome) World Championships. He represented Somalia twice in the Olympic Games, in 1984 (Los Angeles) and in 1996 (Atlanta). In the latter games he placed sixth in the men's 1,500m. A graduate of George Mason University, Bile was the NCAA Division I men's outdoor 1,500m champion in 1985 (3:41.2) and again in 1987 (3:35.79).

1977
Derrick Brew, United States, sprints. Brew won the bronze medal in the men's 400m at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games, running 44.42. Brew's finish completed a United States sweep of the event--the gold medal went to U.S. sprinter Jeremy Wariner (44.01) and the silver to Otis Harris (44.16). It's not surprising, then, that the United States also won the men's 4 x 400m relay; Brew ran on that gold medal team in the final.

December 27 Birthdays

2009-12-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

1925
Heinrich Otto Ulzheimer, Germany, middle distance. Heinz Ulzheimer finished third in the men's 800m at the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games, running 1:49.7 behind Mal Whitfield (1st, 1:49.2) of the United States and Arthur Wint (2nd, 1:49.4) of Jamaica. Ulzheimer's bronze medal in that event was Germany's first Olympic medal since the end of World War II. In the same Games, Ulzheimer also ran third leg on Germany's bronze medal 4 x 400m relay team.

1956
Doina Melinte, Romania, middle distance. Melinte achieved an impressive double at the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in the women's 800m (1:57.60) and a silver medal in the women's 1,500m (4:03.76). At the 1987 (Rome) World Championships Melinte won the bronze medal in the women's 1,500m, running 3:59.27 behind Russia's Tatyana Dorovskikh (1st, 3:58.56) and East Germany's Hildegard Körner (2nd, 3:58.67).

1976
Daimí Pernía, Cuba, 400m hurdles. Daimí Pernía ran her career-best 400m hurdles race at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships, winning the women's race with a world-leading time of 52.89. Running for Cuba in the 2000 () Olympic Games, Pernía placed fourth in the women's 400m hurdles (53.68). Pernía returned to the World Championships in 2001 (Edmonton), where she won a bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles, running 54.51.

1986
Shelly-Ann Fraser, Jamaica, sprints. In 2008, Fraser ran 11.00 seconds to win the (Beijing) Olympic gold medal in the women's 100m dash. In 2009, Fraser ran 10.73 to win the women's 100m at the (Berlin) World Championships. In 2010, Fraser was suspended from competition after testing positive for a banned substance.

December 26 Birthdays

2009-12-26T03:01:00.000-05:00

1941
Michael Robert "Mike" Ryan, New Zealand (born in Scotland), long-distance runner. Mike Ryan's accomplishments in the marathon include a bronze medal at the 1966 (Jamaica) Commonwealth Games (2:27:59), winning the 1966 Asahi Marathon in Fukuoka (2:14:04.6), and a bronze medal in the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic Games (2:23:45.0).

December 25 Birthdays

2009-12-25T03:01:00.000-05:00

1933
Benjamin Basil Heatley, Great Britain, long-distance runner. After finishing runner-up in the 1957 International Cross-Country Championships, Basil Heatley won the title in 1961, the same year he set a world-best of 47:47 for ten miles. In 1964 he set a world best of 2:13:55 in the marathon, making him one of the favorites in the (Tokyo) Olympic Games marathon that year. The great Abebe Bikila won the gold medal in that race, but Heatley outkicked Kokichi Subaraya of Japan to win the silver, running 2:16:19.2.

1953
Kaarlo Hannes Maaninka, Finland, distance runner. Maaninka won the silver medal in the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic Games 10,000m (27:44.28) and bronze medal at the same Games in the 5,000m (13:22.00).

December 24 Birthdays

2009-12-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

1897
Frans Wilhelm Pörhölä, Finland, throws. If it was heavy, Ville Pörhölä threw it. He won the gold medal in the men's shot put (14.81m) 1920 (Antwerp) Olympic Games, where he also competed in the discus and the weight throw. After a hiatus from athletics, he returned to Olympic competition in 1932 (Los Angeles) in the men's hammer throw, where he won a silver medal with a toss of 52.27 behind Ireland's Pat O'Callaghan (53.92m). Pörhölä passed away on 28 November 1964.

1930
John Joseph Kelley, United States, long distance. After World War II, the Boston Marathon became a truly international race, so much so that after 1945 no American won the race until 1957 when John J. Kelley blazed to a course record win of 2:20:05 at the 62nd running of the race. Kelley went on to win a gold medal in the 1959 (Chicago) Pan American Games marathon. He also competed in the Olympics as part of the U.S. marathon team in 1956 (Melbourne), 1960 (Rome), and 1964 (Tokyo).

1940
William Frederick Crothers, Canada, middle distance. Bill Crothers won the silver medal in the men's 800m run at the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games, running 1:45.6 behind the great Peter Snell, who won with an Olympic record time of 1:45.1. Crothers was the world record holder in the indoor 800m, and at one time held every Canadian record from 400m to 1500m.

1984
Wallace Spearmon, United States, sprints. Spearmon was a 200m specialist. In the men's 200m at the World Championships, Spearmon won a silver medal in 2005 (Helsinki), a bronze medal in 2007 (Osaka), and a bronze medal in 2009 (Berlin). He was less successful in Olympic competition, disqualified for running out of his lane in the 200m final in 2008 (Beijing).

December 23 Birthdays

2009-12-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

1947
William Henry Rodgers, United States, long-distance runner. In 1975 Bill Rodgers first served notice on the international stage by winning the bronze medal at the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships. Less than a month later he won the Boston Marathon in an American-record time of 2:09:55. It would be the first of four Boston titles for Rodgers, who also won in 1978, 1979, and 1980, setting another American record (2:09:27) in the 1979 race. Rodgers also won the Fukuoka marathon in 1977 (2:10:55), during the era that race was considered the unofficial world championship for the marathon. He was on the United States marathon team in the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games and won four straight New York City Marathons from 1976 to 1979. His running memoir, Marathoning, is certainly worth a read.

December 22 Birthdays

2009-12-22T00:01:00.002-05:00

1931
Gisela Birkemeyer (nee Köhler), Germany, hurdles. Running 10.9, Gisela Köhler was the silver medalist in the women's 80m hurdles at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympics, finishing 0.2 seconds behind Australia's Shirley Strickland de la Hunty. Back in Olympic competition in 1960 (Rome), Köhler won bronze in the 80m hurdles with a 11.13.

1948
Don Kardong, United States, long distance. Don Kardong finished fourth at the 1976 (Montréal) Olympic marathon in 2:11:15, competing on a U.S. Olympic marathon team that included Frank Shorter (2nd, 2:10:45) and Bill Rodgers (40th, 2:25:14). Kardong won the prestigious Peachtree Road Race in 1976 and the Honolulu Marathon in 1978. Founding the Association of Road Racing Athletes, Kardong set out to replace the remnants of the amateur system in road racing with a more realistic professionalism. Kardong also served as president of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996 to 2000 and has written extensively about running, signing my copy of his book Thirty Phone Booths to Boston.

1971
Khalid Yusuf Abdurahman Khannouchi, United States, long distance. Born in Morocco where he began his athletic career, Khalid Khannouchi moved to the United States in 1992 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Khannouchi set a world record in the marathon of 2:05:42 at Chicago in 1999, and lowered the record to 2:05:38 at London in 2002. He is a four-time winner of the Chicago Marathon and a two-time winner of Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race.

1981
Marina Kuptsova, Russia, high jump. In the women's high jump at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, Marina Kuptsova placed second behind South Africa's Hestrie Cloete (2.06m), leaping 2.00m for the silver medal.

December 21 Birthdays

2009-12-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

1958
Tamara Vladimirovna Bykova, Soviet Union, high jump. Bykova first competed on the world stage at the 1980 (Moscow) Olympics, where she was ninth in the women's high jump, clearing 1.88m. At the 1983 (Helsinki) world championships Bykova jumped 2.01m, earning the gold medal. Bykova was also a silver medalist in the high jump at the 1987 (Rome) World Championships (2.04m) and a bronze medalist at the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic Games (1.99m). During her career she set three world records in the women's high jump, 2.03m (on 21 August 1983), 2.04m (on 25 August 1983), and 2.05m (on 22 June 1984). In 1990 she was suspended for the use of ephedrine, a performance-enhancing drug.

1959
Florence ("Flo-Jo") Griffith-Joyner, United States, sprinter. Florence Delorez Griffith won a silver medal at the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, running 22.04 in the 200m behind Valerie Brisco-Hooks (21.81) of the United States. After marrying Al Joyner in 1987, Griffith-Joyner returned to the Olympics in 1988 (Seoul) where she won gold medals in the 100m (10.54) and 200m (21.34). Her time in the 200m final established a new world record. "Flo-Jo's" best 100m time of 10.49 is also a world record. Florence Griffith-Joyner died suddenly at the age of 38 on 21 September 1998.

1976
Mirela Manjani, Greece, javelin throw. Manjani was born in Albania but became a Greek citizen in 1997, and her greatest accomplishments in athletics were when she represented Greece. Among these were a gold medal in the women's javelin throw (67.09m) at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships, a silver medal in the javelin (67.51m) at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympics, a gold medal in the javelin (66.52m) at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, and a bronze medal in the javelin (64.29m) at the 2004 (Athens) Olympics.

1980
John Moffitt, United States, long jump. Moffitt's career year was 2004, when he won the men's long jump at both the NCAA indoor and outdoor championships, and went on to leap 8.47m for the silver medal at the (Athens) Olympic Games--12cm short of the winning 8.59m jump of Mike Powell of the United States.

December 20 Birthdays

2009-12-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

1942
Robert Lee Hayes, United States, sprints. Bob Hayes was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where he ran track and played football for Gilbert High School. Upon graduation he entered Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. During his years at FAMU he established himself as a world class sprinter, setting world records in the indoor 60y dash of 5.9 and in the outdoor 100y dash of 9.1. Representing the United States in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games, Hayes won the gold medal in the men's 100m dash, setting a new world record of 10.06. Hayes also ran on the U.S. gold medal 4 x 100m relay team. After the Olympics Hayes left athletics for a professional football career in the NFL. Hayes passed away in Jacksonville on 18 September 2002, suffering from prostate cancer.

December 18 Birthdays

2009-12-18T03:01:00.000-05:00

1973
Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, long-distance runner. Roba won the women's marathon at the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games in a time of 2:26:05, exactly two minutes ahead of silver medalist Valentina Yegorova of Russia. Following her victory in Atlanta, Roba proceeded to win three straight women's titles at the Boston Marathon in 1997 (2:26:23), 1998 (2:23:21), and 1999 (2:23:25).

December 17 Birthdays

2009-12-17T03:01:00.000-05:00

1938
Peter George Snell, New Zealand, middle-distance runner. Coached by Arthur Lydiard, Peter Snell won gold medals in the 800m at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games, in the 800m at the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games, and in the 1,500m at the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games. He was also the gold medalist in the 880-yard run and the mile at the 1962 (Perth) Commonwealth Games. Snell set world records in the mile (3:54.4) in 1962, in the 800m (1:44.3) in 1962, in the mile (3:54.1) in 1964, and in the 1,000m (2:16.6) in 1964. He abruptly retired from running in 1965.

1966
Yuko Arimori, Japan, long-distance runner. Arimori won the silver medal in the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games marathon(2:32:49) and the bronze medal in the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games marathon (2:28:39), both times finishing one place behind Russian marathoner Valentina Yegorova. Arimori also placed third in the 1999 Boston Marathon (2:26:39).

December 9 Birthdays

2009-12-09T03:01:00.000-05:00

1889
Johannes Petter "Hannes" Kohlemainen, Finnish long-distance runner. Kohlemainen held world records at 2,000 meters, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 25,000 meters, and 30,000 meters. In the 1912 (Stockholm) Olympic games, he won gold medals in the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter track events as well as the 12 km cross-country race. Returning to the Olympics in 1920 (Antwerp), he won the 42.75 km marathon in 2:32:35.8. Kohlemainen also ran for Finland in the 1924 Olympics.

December 3 Birthdays

2009-12-03T03:01:00.000-05:00

1950
Alberto Juantorena. In 1976, this Cuban runner won Olympic gold medals in both the 400m dash and 800m run, the only athlete in Olympic history to win both of these events, setting a world record of 1:43.50 in the 800.

November 20 Birthdays

2009-11-20T03:01:00.000-05:00

1928
John Disley, Great Britain, distance runner. Welsh athlete John Disley won a bronze medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games, running 8:51.8. He competed in the same event for Great Britain at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympic Games, finishing sixth in 8:44.6.

November 12 Birthdays

2009-11-12T03:01:00.000-05:00

1919
Delfo Cabrera, Argentine distance runner. Successful at distances from 1500m to the marathon, Cabrera won the 1948 (London) Olympic marathon in 2:34:51.6. Winner of numerous South American championship titles in a variety of events, Cabrera was also the marathon champion at the inaugural Pan American Games in 1951.

November 11 Birthdays

2009-11-11T03:01:00.000-05:00

1938
Josef Odložil, Czechoslovakia, middle-distance runner. Josef Odložil was the silver medalist in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 1,500m, running 3:39.6 behind the great Kiwi athlete, Peter Snell. In 1965 Odložil set a world record of 5:01.2 in the 2,000m. He died on 10 September 1993.

October 28 Birthdays

2009-10-28T03:01:00.000-04:00

1934
Jim Beatty, United States, middle-distance runner. James Tully Beatty was a NCAA All-American in the two-mile (1955, 1957) and the 5,000m (1956), but is most notorious for being the first man to run run 4:00 for the indoor mile, setting an indoor world record of 3:58.9 on 10 February 1962.

October 18 Birthdays

2009-10-18T03:01:00.000-04:00

1898
Boughera El Ouafi, Algerian long-distance runner. Competing for France in the 1928 (Amsterdam) Olympic games, El Ouafi took first in the marathon, the first native-born African to win Olympic gold in that event.

October 14 Birthdays

2009-10-14T03:01:00.000-04:00

1960
Stephen "Steve" Cram, Great Britain, middle-distance runner. Steve Cram set a world record of 3:46.32 for the men's one-mile run on 27 July 1985, a record that stood for over eight years. He also held world records in the 1,500m (3:29.67) and the 2,000m (4:51.39); he was the first athlete to ever run faster than 3:30 for the 1,500m. Cram was Commonwealth Games champion in the 1,500m in 1982 (Brisbane) and 1986 (Edinburgh); he also won the 800m at Edinburgh. Cram was the gold medalist in the 1,500m at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships. He won a silver medal in the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games 1,500m (3:33.40) behind countryman Sebastian Coe.

October 13 Birthdays

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

1950
Annegret Richter, West Germany, sprinter. Annegret Richter (née Irrgang) won the gold medal in the women's 100m and the silver medal in the women's 200m at the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games.

1955
Detlef Michel, East Germany, javelin thrower. Throwing 89.48m, Michel won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships.

1967
Javier Sotomayor, Cuba, high jumper. In 1984 Sotomayor set a world junior record in the men's high jump of 2.43; by 1988 he had also claimed the men's high jump record by leaping 2.43 meters. However, Cuba boycotted the Olympic Games in both 1984 and 1988, denying Sotomayor the opportunity to compete on an Olympic stage. Fortunately for Sotomayor he was still competing when the Cold War ended, also bringing an end to the golden age of Olympic boycotts. Free to compete, Sotomayor won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games and a silver medal in the event at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympics. Sotomayor also won gold medals in the high jump at the 1993 (Stuttgart) and 1997 (Athens) World Championships and silver medals at the 1991 (Tokyo) and 1995 (Gothenburg) World Championships. During his career he also raised the high jump world record first to 2.44m and then to 2.45m.

1968
Irina Khudoroshkina, Russia, shot putter. Khudoroshkina was the bronze medalist in the women's shot put at the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic Games. She went on to serve a two-year suspension for doping from 2004 to 2006.

October 9 Birthdays

2009-10-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

1955
Steve Ovett, Great Britain, middle distance runner. Stephen Michael James Ovett was a two-time world record holder in the 1,500m and in the mile. He won the men's 800m at the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic Games where he was also the bronze medalist in the 1,500m. Ovett also represented Great Britain in the 800m at the 1976 (Montreal) and 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games. Moving up, he won the gold medal in the men's 5,000m at the 1986 (Edinburgh) Commonwealth Games.

1958
Eamonn Martin, Great Britain, long distance runner. Martin represented Great Britain in the men's 5,000m at the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympics and in the 10,000m at the 1988 (Seoul) Olympics, but without any great success. He was, however, the gold medalist in the men's 10,000m at the 1990 (Auckland) Commonwealth Games, running 28:08.56. On the roads, Martin won the 1993 London Marathon (2:10:50) and the 1995 Chicago Marathon (2:11:18).

1965
Dionicio Cerón, Mexico, long-distance runner. Dionicio Cerón Pizarro was the silver medalist in the men's marathon at the 1995 (Gothenburg) World Championships, running 2:12:13 behind Martin Fiz of Spain. His other titles include three consecutive wins at the London Marathon (1994, 1995, and 1996) and a win at Fukuoka (1993).

October 8 Birthdays

2009-10-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

1939
Elvīra Ozoliņa, Soviet Union, javelin thrower. Competing for the Soviet Union, Latvian Elvīra Ozoliņa won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games.

1947
Emiel Puttemans, Belgium, distance runner. Puttemans set a world record of 8:17.8 in the two mile in 1971, which he followed up with world records of 7:37.6 for 3,000m and 13:13.0 in 1972. At the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games he finished second in the men's 10,000m behind the great Lasse Virén, running 27:39.58. He also place fifth in the 5,000m (13:30.8) at Munich.

1948
Benjamin Cheever, United States, writer. Benjamin Hale Cheever is a novelist who has written a book about running--Strides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete--which I hope to finish reading one day.

1974
Koji Murofushi, Japan, hammer thrower. After many regional successes, Koji Alexander Murofushi won a silver medal in the men's hammer throw at the 2001 (Edmonton) World Championships with a toss of 82.92m. He threw 80.12 to win bronze at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, and then won gold with a throw of 82.91m at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games. Returning to Olympic competition in 2008 (Beijing), he threw 80.71m for the bronze medal.

1975
Tatiana Grigorieva, Australia, pole vaulter. Born in Russia, Tatiana Grigorieva emigrated to Australia in 1997, where she took up pole vaulting. She quickly gained international prominence, winning a bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships with a vault of 4.45m. Back in her own country, she vaulted 4.55m to win a silver medal at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games. At the 2002 (Manchester) Commonwealth Games she won a gold medal in the pole vault, and won a silver medal in an unsuccessful bid to defend her title at the 2006 (Melbourne) Commonwealth Games.

1977
Reese Hoffa, United States, shot put. Reese Hoffa won the men's shot put at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships with a mark of 72' 3-3/4" (22.04m).

October 7 Birthdays

2009-10-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

1946
Valeria Bufanu, Romania, hurdler. At the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, the distance of the women's hurdle event was increased from 80m to 100m for the first time. Valeria Bufanu was ready, and ran 12.84 to win the silver medal, finishing behind East Germany's Annelie Ehrhardt (12.59).

1974
Sanderlei Parrela, Brazil, sprinter. Sanderlei Claro Parrela won a silver medal in the men's 400m at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships, clocking 44.29 behind Michael Johnson's world record winning time of 43.18. Parrela also finished fourth in the men's 400m at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games, running 45.01.

October 6 Birthdays

2009-10-06T03:01:00.000-04:00

1961
Katrin Dörre-Heinig, Germany, distance runner. Dörre-Heinig won the bronze medal in the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic marathon, running 2:26:21. She finished fifth in the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic marathon and fourth in the 1996 (Atlanta) Olympic marathon. She was also a bronze medalist at the 1991 (Tokyo) World Championships marathon.

October 5 Birthdays

2009-10-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

1924
Olga Gyarmati, Hungary, long jump. Jumping 5.695m, Gyarmati won the women's long jump at the 1948 (London) Olympic Games. It was the first time that women had competed in that event at the Olympics. Gyarmati also competed for Hungary at the Olympics in 1952 and 1956.

1940
Rein Aun, Soviet Union, decathlete. Estonian athlete Rein Aun won the silver medal in the men's decathlon at the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games, scoring 7,842 points.

1962
Mike Conley, Sr., United States, triple jumper/long jumper. As a collegian at the University of Arkansas, Conley won 16 NCAA titles in the triple jump and the long jump. In world athletics, he first distinguished himself in the long jump, winning a bronze medal at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships. His other medal-winning performances have been in the triple jump: silver at the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, silver at the 1987 (Rome) World Championships, bronze at the 1991 (Tokyo) World Championships, gold at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games, and gold at the 1993 (Stuttgart) World Championships.

1966
Inessa Kravets, Ukraine, long jumper/triple jumper. Inessa Mykolajivna Kravets has two different Olympic medals won at two different Olympic Games for two different teams in two different events. Her first was a silver medal in the women's long jump which she won in 1992 (Barcelona) while competing for the Unified Team (formerly the USSR). The second was a gold medal in the women's triple jump which she won in 1996 (Atlanta) while competing for Ukraine. Unfortunately, she has also been banned twice for using two different performance-enhancing substances: a three-month ban in 1993 for stimulants and a two-year ban in 2000 for steroids.

1970
Denis Kapustin, Russia, triple jumper. Kasputin was the bronze medalist in the men's triple jump at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games, leaping 17.46m. He also finished in the top ten in the triple jump at three World Championships (1993, 1997, 1999).

1975
Carlos Calado, Portugal, long jumper. Carlos Nuno Tavares Calado leaped 8.21m to win a bronze medal in the men's long jump at the 2001 (Edmonton) World Championships.

October 4 Birthdays

2009-10-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

1931
Thane Baker, United States, sprinter. While a student at the University of Kansas, Walter Thane Baker ran 20.8 to win a silver medal in the men's 200m at the 1952 (Helsinki) Olympic Games. He returned to Olympic competition in 1956 (Melbourne), where he won the silver medal in the 100m (10.5) and the bronze medal in the 200m (20.9).

1968
Rachid El Basir, Morocco, middle-distance runner. In a kicker's race at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games, El Basir won the silver medal in the men's 1,500m with a time of 3:40.62. Exactly one second separated the first runner (Spain's Fermín Cacho, 3:40.12) from the fourth runner (Kenya's Joseph Chesire, 3:41.12).

October 3 Birthdays

2009-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

1945
Viktor Saneyev, Soviet Union, triple jump. Al Oerter's Olympic longevity in the discus throw is paralleled by that of Viktor Danilovich Saneyev's in the men's triple jump. Saneyev won the men's triple jump at the 1968 (Mexico City) Olympic Games (17.39, a world record), the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games (17.35m), and the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games (17.29m). Ironically, his one silver medal in the event came in his own back yard at the 1980 (Moscow) Olympic Games, where he jumped 17.24m to place behind his countryman, Jaak Uudmäe.

1953
Géjza Valent, Czechoslovakia, discus thrower. Valent won the bronze medal in the men's discus at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships with a toss of 66.08m.

1967
Lynda Tolbert, United States, hurdler. Lynda Tolbert-Goode ran 12.67 in the women's 100m hurdles at the 1993 (Stuttgart) World Championships, winning a bronze medal. She also ran the 100m hurdles for the United States team at two Olympic games, 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta), where she finished fourth and eighth respectively.

1983
Tyler Christopher, Canada, sprinter. Christopher was the bronze medalist in the men's 400m at the 2005 (Helsinki) World Championships, running a Canadian-record time of 44.44. He also competed for Canada at 400m in the 2008 (Beijing) Olympic Games, but failed to advance to the final.

October 2 Birthdays

2009-10-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

1902
Toivo Loukola, Finland, distance runner. In 1928 Toivo Aarne Loukola ran 9:25.2 in the 3,000m steeplechase, which would have been a world record, except world records in the steeple weren't recognized prior to the 1950s. One month later, at the 1928 (Amsterdam) Olympic Games, after finishing seventh in the 10,000m, Loukola won the men's 3,000m steeplechase, defeating the immortal Paavo Nurmi by almost ten seconds. Loukola's time was an unofficial world record 9:21.8. Loukola passed away on 10 January 1984.

1967
Frankie Fredericks, Namibia, sprinter. Fredericks was Namibia's first world champion and first Olympic medalist. He won silver medals in the 100m and the 200m at the Olympic Games in both 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). At the World Championships he has won a silver medal in the 200m in 1991 (Tokyo), a gold medal in the 200m in 1993 (Stuttgart), a silver medal in the 200m in 1995 (Gothenburg), and a silver medal in the 200m in 1997 (Athens).

1975
Hrysopiyi Devetzi, Greece, triple jumper. "Pigi" Devetzi won a silver medal at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games in the women's triple jump with a mark of 15.25m. In the preliminary rounds she jumped 15.32m, which would have won the event. She also won a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships and a bronze medal in the same event at the 2008 (Beijing) Olympic Games.

October 1 Birthdays

2009-10-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

1953
Grete Waitz, Norwegian distance runner. Waitz was a five-time world champion in cross country, set a world record at 3000m (8:46.6), world bests in the marathon (2:25:29), competed in four different Olympic Games (1972, 1976, 1984, and 1988), won an Olympic silver medal in the marathon (Los Angeles, 1984), and won the world championship in the marathon (Helsinki, 1983).

September 30 Birthdays

2009-09-30T00:01:00.001-04:00

1979
Primož Kozmus, Slovenia, hammer thrower. Kozmus began to emerge as preeminent in the men's hammer throw when he won the silver medal in the event at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships. The following year he won the gold medal in the hammer at the 2008 (Beijing) Olympic Games, throwing 82.02m. Kozmus has since won the hammer at the 2009 (Berlin) World Championships, tossing the implement 80.84m for the gold.

1980
Christian Cantwell, United States, shot putter. Cantwell sent the shot 69' 2-1/2" (21.09m) at the 2008 (Beijing) Olympic Games to take the silver medal in the men's shot put behind Poland's Tomasz Majewski. The results were more to Cantwell's liking at the 2009 (Berlin) World Championships where he threw 22.03m--12 cm farther than Majewski and good enough for the gold medal.

September 29 Birthdays

2009-09-29T00:01:00.002-04:00

1951
Nina Holmén, Finland, distance runner. Siv Nina Anette Holmén was a silver medalist at the World Cross Country Championships in 1974, the same year that she won a gold medal at the European Championships in the women's 3,000m. Unfortunately for Holmén and other female long-distance runners, the Olympics had no women's events longer than 1,500m. Holmén did compete for Finland in the 1,500m at the 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games, where she placed ninth.

1957
Harald Schmid, West Germany, hurdler. Schmid was one of the world's top 400m hurdler, but unfortunately at the same time that Edwin Moses was indisputable the best 400m hurdler in the world, winning 122 races in a row. Nevertheless, Schmid did win a silver medal in the men's 400m hurdles at the 1983 (Helsinki) World Championships, a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 (Los Angeles) Olympic Games, and a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles at the 1987 (Rome) World Championships. He was also a three-time gold medalist in the 400m hurdles at the European Championships--and event that was closed to Moses, an American.

September 28 Birthdays

2009-09-28T03:01:00.000-04:00

1937
Bob Schul, United States, distance runner. Bob Schul won the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympic Games 5,000m, running 13:48.8. To this date, he is the only American athlete to ever win an Olympic championship at 5,000m. Schul also set a world record of 13:26.4 for the indoor three-mile run in 1963.

September 27 Birthdays

2009-09-27T03:01:00.000-04:00

1967
Stephan Timo Freigang, Germany, long-distance runner. Stephan Freigang was the bronze medalist in the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games marathon (2:14:00). Of his 15 career marathons, he won 10, including the 1989 Fukuoka Marathon (2:12:28). His career best was 2:09:45, clocked during his fourth-place finish in the 1990 Berlin Marathon.

September 26 Birthdays

2009-09-26T03:01:00.001-04:00

1963
Douglas Wakiihuri, Kenya, long-distance runner. Rather than training in his native Kenya, Wakiihuri moved to Japan in 1983, where he worked under the direction of Kiyoshi Nakamura, coach to Toshihiko Seko. In Japan Wakiihuri became a strong enough marathoner to be selected to the Kenyan national team, whose colors he was wearing when he won the 1987 (Rome) World Championships marathon (2:11:48). Wakiihuri followed up his world title with a silver medal in the 1988 (Seoul) Olympic Games marathon (2:10:47). He also won the 1989 London Marathon (2:09:03) and the 1990 (Auckland) Commonwealth Games marathon (2:10:27).

September 25 Birthdays

2009-09-25T00:01:00.002-04:00

1964
Ray Lazdins, Canada, discus thrower. Lazdins was the gold medalist in the men's discus at the 1986 (Edinburgh) Commonwealth Games, where he threw 58.86m. He is also a nine-time national champion in the discus, and it should not reflect poorly on him that the nation is Canada.

1974
Kemel Thompson, Jamaica, hurdler. Thompson won a bronze medal at the 2006 (Melbourne) Commonwealth games, placing third in the men's 400m hurdles in 48.65.