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Mark Belger (born 6 September 1956) is a former American middle distance runner. [1] In high school, he set the American record in the 880 yards. While attending Villanova University, Belger set the record of winning ten Penn Relays golden watches.
Belger grew up in Bellmore, New York where he attended Wellington C. Mepham High School. He was born to a strict, middle-income family. After being unable to continue playing the sports of wrestling, soccer, and football due to various injuries, he turned his sights to running where he was met with great success. [2]
After being told by his father that he was required to participate in an after school activity, Belger joined the Mepham track team under coach Paul Limmer. During a President Kennedy fitness test, Belger won his first trophy in a 600-yard dash. [2] Following this, Belger typically ran middle distance events, consisting of the 600 yard and 880-yard dashes, though he unwillingly stepped up to longer distance and cross-country events. During this time, Belger won various County and State title. Most notably, Belger received national fame by setting the then high school record in the 880-yard dash. [2]
Belger attended Villanova where he continued to run during his four years. During his career he primarily ran the 800m dash, as well as different legs of relays, racing up to four or five races in a single weekend. While at Villanova, Belger set the world record for the most Penn Relay Golden Watches ever won. Belger was undefeated in his ten competitions. [3]
Belger continued to run successfully for Villanova, placing fourth in the 1976 US Olympic Trials. Two years later, Belger was the NCAA champion in the 800m dash.
In 1980, Belger was set to run for the United States in the Olympic Games, yet missed the opportunity due to the boycott of the games that took place. Afterwards, Belger began traveling to participate in major races around the country and the world. [2]
After graduating, Belger worked as an economic analyst in Boston, predicting the price of raw materials for the auto industry and other developers. Belger now lives in Pacific Beach, CA with his wife Mimi. His two daughters, Erin and Sarah, also runners, received college scholarships, following in his footsteps. His son, Thomas, ran cross country and track for University City HS in San Diego. [2] [4]
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Sir Peter George Snell was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only man since 1920 to have won the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964.
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IC4A Championships is an annual men's competition held at different colleges every year. Association was established in 1875, the competition served as the top level collegiate track and field meeting in the United States, prior to the establishment the National Collegiate Athletic Association's championships in 1921. The IC4A one of the oldest annual track meets in the United States. Currently, the Eastern College Athletic Conference serves as the administrative unit controlling the IC4A brand.
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were 116 events run at the meet. More athletes run in the Penn Relays than at any other track and field meet in the world. It regularly attracts more than 15,000 participants from high schools, colleges, and track clubs throughout North America and abroad, notably Jamaica, competing in more than 300 events over five days. Historically, the event has been credited with popularizing the running of relay races. It is held during the last full week in April, ending on the last Saturday in April. Attendance typically tops 100,000 over the final three days, and has been known to surpass 50,000 on Saturday. The Penn Relays also holds a Catholic Youth Organization night for Catholic Middle Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Preliminaries are run on the Tuesday during the Carnival Week, and the Finals are run on Friday.
Wellington C. Mepham High School is a public high school located on a 21-acre (85,000 m2) campus in North Bellmore, New York. It is the oldest of three high schools in the Bellmore–Merrick Central High School District. The school is known locally as "Mepham", and was named in honor of the first school superintendent in the district.
Arthur Gene Owens was an American football running back, return specialist, and receiver that played collegiately for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was also a track runner for the Mountaineers. Owens was primarily known for playing in the National Football League (NFL) and also in the United States Football League (USFL).
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Tyler Mulder is an American track and field athlete. He was the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Champion in the 800 meter run.
Noel Carroll was an Irish middle distance runner who won a bronze medal in the 1969 European Indoor Athletics Championships. He set European and World Records in the 1960s. He became the Dublin Corporation's first official spokesman, and later the chief executive of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, and led the group which founded the Dublin Marathon.
Frances Markowitz (Formerly Frances Koons) (born April 2, 1986, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American middle-distance runner who attended Villanova University and now runs professionally for New Balance. Koons finished 2nd to Sally Kipyego at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track 5000m race, and 3rd to Angela Bizzarri and Nicole Blood at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track 5000m race. Koons ran the 1200m opening leg for the Villanova team that won the 2004 Penn Relays Championship of America distance medley relay. She earned 10 NCAA All-American honors in Cross Country and Track & Field while at Villanova. Koons also earned 5 individual and 2 team Big East titles during her career. Koons graduated from Villanova University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. In April 2010 at the Penn Relays Koons won the women's Olympic Development event at 5,000 meters and qualified for U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
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Chanelle Price is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800-meter run. She has a personal record of 1:58.73 for the distance. She was the gold medalist at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2014.
John Henry Marshall is a former middle-distance track athlete who specialized in the 800 meters. He competed for the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He was married to former 800-meter runner Debbie Grant, with whom he has a son, Myles Marshall, who is also an 800-meter runner and competed for the US junior team in 2014.
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Marcel Philippe is a French middle-distance runner. Born in New York City to a french father, he attended Mater Christi High School, where he set the still standing New York State Record in the 880 yds. While attending Fordham University, he was the 1973 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champion. He still holds the Fordham record for indoor mile, 1000 yards, and outdoor 800m. At the 1976 Summer Olympics he competed in the men's 800 metres. Philippe set multiple french records in the 800m, 1000m and 4x1500m relay distances. He won both the 1973 and 1974 French Athletics Championships in the 800m.
Francis Xavier Gagliano, often referred to as Gags, is a longtime professional track and field coach. He currently coaches the New Jersey-New York Track Club.
