May 4 Birthdays

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.

May 26 Birthdays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.