Chuck Smead

Chuck Smead
Personal information
Born August 4, 1951 (1951-08-04) (age 67)
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
1975 Mexico City Marathon

Charles "Chuck" Smead (born August 4, 1951)[1] is an American long distance runner, who made his most significant mark on the sport taking second in the Marathon at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City.[2]

Originally from Santa Paula High School in Santa Paula, California, where he was an outstanding 2 miler, taking second place at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in 1968.[3]

He continued to excel in long distance at Humboldt State University,[4] where he won the NCAA Division II 6 mile/10000 metre Championship twice.[5] In 1972 he began a string of three straight wins in the famous Pikes Peak Marathon, he added a fourth victory in 1976.[6][7] He has completed the race six times, the most recent as a 57-year-old.[8] He also won the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in 1974[9]

In the 1970s he was one of the early luminaries of ultramarathoning,[10][11] yet as a Senior athlete he is not above sprinting 100 metres.[12] He was twice ranked in the United States top ten in the marathon.[13] He continues to be active, winning the M60 division of the 2012 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships in October 2012.[14]

Smead has been credited with spreading the sport of ultramarathoning into Europe[15]

References

  1. ↑ http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=11622&Gender=M
  2. ↑ Lodi News-Sentinel
  3. ↑ Arcadia History Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Humboldt State top 10
  5. ↑ http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ncmd2otrack.shtml#10000mr NCAA Div II champions
  6. ↑ Pikes Peak Winners
  7. ↑ Masters History
  8. ↑ Pikes Peak Hill Climb
  9. ↑ http://www.arrs.net/HP_AvGMa.htm Avenue of the Giants Marathon
  10. ↑ American Ultra
  11. ↑ Silicon Valley Speedster Ultra Classic
  12. ↑ Colorado Senior Olympics
  13. ↑ Track and Field News Archived 2011-05-20 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/USA-Masters-5-km-Cross-Country-Championships/Results/Men-Age-Div.aspx
  15. ↑ http://mostlypaved.blogspot.com/ Mostly Paved Blog
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