Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELDJim LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, RyunEDUCATOR TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR mile inunder 4minutes. He wasthe firsthighschoolathlete torunthe 36 years. Record of3:55.3–arecord thatstoodfor In 1965Jimsetthemale HighSchoolMile Wichita, Kansas. and fieldstarwhileahighschoolstudentin Jim Ryunachievednationalacclaimasatrack commitment tohonestyandintegrity. Jim servedasacitizen-statesmanwith Budget andFinancialServicecommittees. Jim Ryunwasamemberofthe Armed Services, January 3,2007). succeeding Congresses(November27,1996- Hundred SixthCongressandtothethree November 27,1996,re-electedtotheOne of KansasStateLaw(K.S.A.25-3503[d])on Hundred FourthCongressundertheprovisions Fifth Congress;becameaMemberoftheOne Elected asaRepublicantotheOneHundred 1968; productconsultant;motivationalspeaker. Sports, Inc.;silvermedalist,OlympicGames, Lawrence, KS.,1970;president,JimRyun B.A., UniversityofKansasinPhotojournalism, High School,Wichita,KS.,1965. April 29,1947;graduatedfromWichitaEast Wichita, SedgewickCounty, KS. a formerRepresentativefromKansas:bornin RYUN, Jim Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR a publicrelationscompany. of JimRyunSports,Inc., Jim isthefounderandpresident after the1972OlympicGames. He turnedprofessionalshortly meters and880yards. World Recordinthemile,1500 run in1968.Jimalsoheldthe silver medalinthe1500meter 1968, and1972,winninga summer OlympicGames:1964, Jim participatedinthree Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR Official website:www.ryunrunning.com University), aswellGreeley, CO(UNC). in Harrisonburg,VA (EasternMennonite runners heldinSanDiego,CA (UCSD), every summerforyoungaswelladult hosted theJimRyunRunningCamp Since 1973,Ryunandhisfamilyhave . twelve grandchildren.Jimand Anne aremembersof Washington, D.C. They havefouradultchildren,and Married inJanuaryof1969,Jimand Anne Ryunlivein and InQuestofGold- The JimRyunStory. three books:Heroes Among Us, The CouragetoRun, Jim andhissons,NedDrew, haveco-authored Falls Church Anglican inFallsChurch,VA. Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR where hewaseliminated. Olympics inthe1500. He madeittothesemifinalround, After hisjunioryearhe qualifiedforthe1964Summer minute mileasahigh school junior. son haveoneeach.)Heistheonlyathleteto runafour (Alan Webb hastwo,andMartyLiquori Tim Daniel school athleteinhistorywithmorethantwo such times. With fivesub-fourminutemilesheistheonly high with Alan Webb’s recordraceholdingtheotherspot. times inU.S.highschoolhistory(allsub-four minute), Today, JimRyunstillholdsfiveofthe six fastestmile ever inaracethatincludesonlyhighschoolcompetitors. School StateMeetisstilltherecordforfastesttime His 3:58.3towinthemileat1965KansasHigh holder PeterSnellofNewZealand. the reigningOlympicchampionandformerworldrecord door trackandfieldevent.Inthisrecordracehebeat athlete brokeanopen American recordinamajorout It isalsothelasttimean American malehighschool by Alan Webb’s 3:53.43in2001. stood asthehighschoolrecordfor36yearsuntilbroken mile record3:55.3asaseniorin1965,that Jim RyunestablishedthehighschoolandU.S.open junior atWichitaEastHighSchoolinWichita,Kansas. break fourminutesforthemile,running3:59.0asa In 1964Ryunbecamethefirsthighschoolrunnerto SCHOOL ATHLETICHIGH ACHIEVEMENTS - - Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR publications. sport magazinesaswellvariousother Illustrated (seventimes),Newsweek,and In all,JimhasgracedthecoversofSports the world’sbesttrack&fieldathlete. Track &FieldNews’ Athlete ofthe Year as of Sports Athlete ofthe Year, andwasvoted top amateurathlete,the ABC’s WideWorld the JamesE.Sullivan Award asthenation’s “Sportsman ofthe Year” award,aswell and receivedSportsIllustratedmagazine’s records inthemileandhalf-mileruns, In 1966,atagenineteen,Ryunsetworld POST HIGHSCHOOL ATHLETIC CAREER Woods andLeBronJames. of alltime,beatingoutpeoplesuchas Tiger rated asthenumber1highschoolathlete at Track &FieldNews.ESPN.comhashim fourth bestmilerintheworldbyexperts As ahighschoolseniorhewasvotedthe Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR home track). mile beinghis lastcollegiaterace onhis 1969, Ryun’s 3:57.6anchorlegfor the then 9:33.0attheKansas Relaysin (9:33.8 attheDrakeRelays in1967and twice inthedistancemedley relay in thesprintmedleyrelay (3:15.2)and mates healsoanchoredaworldrecord With hisUniversityofKansasteam track championshipthatyear. Kansas JayhawkswintheNCAA indoor Ryun’s 1969wininthemilehelped his onlyNCAA championshiploss). onship race(handingGerryLindgren NCAA indoortwo-mile(3km)champi in 1968doubledbacktowinthe champion in1967,1968,and1969, He wasalsotheNCAA indoormile 1967 NCAA outdoormilechampion. In NCAA competitionRyunwasthe final 1,200metersinanamazing2:46.6. lap inablazing53.3secondsandhis 1500 metersin3:33.1,runninghislast year hesettheworldrecordfor stood foralmosteightyears. That same mile from3:51.3to3:51.1,arecordthat lowered hisworld-recordtimeinthe indoor halfmile(1:48.3)andoutdoors In 1967Ryunranaworldrecordinthe competition. allow freshmentocompeteinNCAA since NCAA rulesatthetimedidnot he attended,UniversityofKansas, he waspermittedtorunfortheschool Ironically, Ryundidallofthisbefore - - Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR have wonat sealevel.” my verybestandIstill believeIwould it likewinningagoldmedal; Ihaddone win andIranunderthat. Iconsidered zine, “We hadthoughtthat3:39would in aninterviewfor The RunnerMaga Years later, in1981,hetold Tex Maule at thataltitude. Keino’s 3:34.9wastootoughtobeat faster thanthatwitha3:37.8,but of MexicoCity. Heendeduprunning good enoughtowininthehighaltitude thought thatatimeof3:39wouldbe 16 years.BeforetheraceRyunhad the Olympic1,500-meterrecordfor whose remarkableraceremained City, losingtoKip KeinofromKenya, autumn inthehighaltitudeofMexico a silvermedalinthe1500metersthat cleosis inthespringof1968,hewon completely recoveredfrommononu and 1972SummerOlympics.Having Ryun participatedinthe1964,1968, (3:51.1 on23June1967). and onceasacollegesophomore June 1966&3:51.3on17July1966), as acollegefreshman(3:53.7on4 senior (3:55.3on27June1965),twice mile fourtimes:onceasahighschool he brokethe American recordforthe (3:36.1), andtwomiles(8:25.1).Inall, yd (1:44.9),800m(1:44.3),1,500 junior (19andunder)recordsat880 them, Ryunstillholdsthe American Today, nearly50yearsafterheset - - Jim Ryun TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND, CONGRESSMAN, AUTHOR, EDUCATOR certainly hisgreatest race.” said ofRyun’s performance,“This wasmost mightiest finishing driveeverseen,” and son of Track andFieldNewscalledit“the and alast880yardsof 1:51.3,CordnerNel seven years.Withalast 440yardsof53.9 to finishin3:33.1,arecord thatstoodfor side byin2:55.0.Ryunpulledaway mark in1:57.0. At 1320yardsthe two were Ryun, justbehind,passedthe880-yard fastest secondlapeverrunatthetime). lead andranthenextlapin56seconds(the passed in60.9seconds,KipKeinotookthe ever, after440yards,whichRyun, inthird, record seemedoutofthequestion.”How ported that“after220yardsofdawdling,a performances. Track andFieldNewsre 1967, wasoneofRyun’sgreatestrunning US vs.BritishCommonwealthmeetinJuly Los Angeles MemorialColiseumduringthe Ryun’s 1500-meterworldrecord,runinthe by theIOC. reinstated inthecompetitionweredenied was tripped,U.S.appealstohaveRyun sion stationclearlydemonstratedthatRyun occurred andtapesfromaGermantelevi mittee (IOC)acknowledgedthatafoulhad Although theInternationalOlympicCom down duringa1500-meterqualifyingheat. Germany Games,hewastrippedandfell performed brilliantly.” Inthe1972Munich, no oneseemedtorealizethatKeinohad didn’t getanycreditforrunningmybestand even saidIhadletdownthewholeworld. believed hehadlethisnationdown.“Some Ryun wasattackedbysomewriterswho - - - - - 10k bestof31:36. charity purposes,eventuallyachievinga he beganrunningvariousroadracesfor from trackcompetitionaltogether. In1980 Association circuit. After this,heretired professionally ontheInternational Track after 1972andforthenexttwoyearsran Olympic Trials. Heleftamateurathletics ing wininthe1,500metersatU.S. Bakersfield, CA onMay20),andaninspir 29), a5,000-metercareerbest(13:38.2at tory: a3:52.8at Toronto, CanadaonJuly (at thetime,alsothirdfastestinhis included thethird-bestmileofhiscareer Ryun’s finalseasonasanamateurin1972 - -