Chuck Smead

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Chuck Smead
2012 Mt Washington Road Race-251 (7408069374).jpg
Chuck Smead (left) at 2012 Mount Washington Road Race
Personal information
BornAugust 4, 1951 (1951-08-04) (age 72)
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1975 Mexico City Marathon

Charles 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 1980, he was runner up at the Chicago Marathon. [10]

In the 1970s he was one of the early luminaries of ultramarathoning, [11] [12] yet as a Senior athlete he is not above sprinting 100 metres. [13] He was twice ranked in the United States top ten in the marathon. [14] He continues to be active, winning the M60 division of the 2012 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships in October 2012. [15]

Smead has been credited with spreading the sport of ultramarathoning into Europe. [16] [17] [18]

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References

  1. "Track and Field Statistics".
  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 Archived 2010-12-04 at the Wayback Machine NCAA Div II champions
  6. "Pikes Peak Winners". Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  7. Masters History
  8. Pikes Peak Hill Climb
  9. https://www.arrs.run/HP_AvGMa.htm Avenue of the Giants Marathon
  10. http://assets.chicagomarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012-Bank-of-America-Chicago-Marathon-Media-Guide.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  11. American Ultra
  12. Silicon Valley Speedster Ultra Classic
  13. "Colorado Senior Olympics" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  14. Track and Field News Archived 2011-05-20 at the Wayback Machine
  15. http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/USA-Masters-5-km-Cross-Country-Championships/Results/Men-Age-Div.aspx
  16. http://mostlypaved.blogspot.com/ Mostly Paved Blog
  17. "Pablo: The Man Behind a Remarkable Sierre-Zinal Record - Run the Alps". 25 April 2015.
  18. "Legends of the Trail". 24 February 2020.