Mark Stanforth is an American former marathon runner and coach, who won the 1978 Chicago Marathon. He failed to qualify for the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Born | December 24, 1949 | ||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
Personal best | 2:17:14 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life, education and army service
editStanforth studied at South Dakota State University, before transferring to the University of South Dakota–Springfield, graduating in 1972.[1] At USD-Springfield, he participated in cross country running and basketball, and was twice the college's athlete of the year.[1] After graduating, he joined the United States Army and became a finance specialist with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.[1][2] He later worked in a bank in Phoenix.[3] From January 1976 to August 1977, he attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota and received a masters degree in physical education.[citation needed]
Running career
editStanforth ran his first marathon in 1973. While in the Army, he ran the 1974 Boston Marathon, finishing 75th.[1] He competed in the 1975 Honolulu Marathon, where he missed the 1976 Summer Olympics qualification time by 31 seconds.[1] The same year, he won a King Kamehameha I Day 4.5 miles (7.2 km) kukini race in Hawaii,[4] and set a course record in a 6 miles (9.7 km) race at Cooke Field, the stadium of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.[5]
In 1978, Stanforth moved to Phoenix, Arizona to attempt to qualify for the 1980 Summer Olympics.[1] He won the 1978 Chicago Marathon (also known as the Mayor Daley Marathon) in a time of 2:19:20.[6][7] The race was run in a peak temperature of over 80 °F (27 °C),[8] and Stanforth caught the leaders around 20 miles (32 km) into the race as they were struggling with the heat more than him.[8][9] He then passed 1977 winner Dan Cloeter,[7] and won the race by over five minutes. He ran the last few miles with blisters on his feet.[9] It was Stanforth's sixth competitive marathon event, and his third victory.[9] Later in the year, he came second at the Phoenix Marathon in a personal best time of 2:17:14.[8] Stanforth was in the leading group of three runners, before Arizonan Walter Johnson broke away 20 miles (32 km) into the race. Stanforth finished over a minute behind Johnson.[10]
Stanforth was invited to the 1979 Chicago Marathon, but did not compete due to an injury.[11] He competed in the US Marathon Trial Event for selected for the 1980 Summer Olympics. During the race, he became dehydrated, and eventually finished 124th out of 125 competitors.[8] In 1981, he won a 10,000 metres race in Burke, South Dakota.[12]
Coaching career
editIn 1977, Stanforth became a coach at USD-Springfield;[13] he quit the role when he moved to Phoenix.[1] He later worked as a coach at Glendale Community College in Arizona.[14] As of 2002, he was a coach of the United States Air Force Academy athletics team.[8] He was the head coach of cross country and the assistant coach of track & field (responsible for Distance Runners) at the United States Air Force Academy. He was a four-time winner of the Conference Coach of the Year in Cross Country Award for the Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West Conference.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Urge to run Stanforth's moving force". Argus Leader. June 9, 1978. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stanforth Sets Six-Mile Mark", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu., Hawaii, volume 64, number 143, May 23, 1975, page D-3. (subscription required)
- ^ Kiley, Mike (September 25, 1978). "Arizona bank employe wins Daley Marathon". Chicago Tribune. section 5, page 1. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stanforth wins the Kukini". The Honolulu Advertiser. June 12, 1975. p. 56. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Albritton heaves it 67'9 1/2". The Honolulu Advertiser. March 26, 1975. p. 89. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chicago Marathon at a Glance". Runner's World. September 23, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Stanforth captures Daley marathon". Wisconsin State Journal. September 25, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "The second marathon: Sept. 24, 1978". Chicago Tribune. September 20, 2002. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Mayor Daley run has state look". Rapid City Journal. September 25, 1978. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Confusion gone at marathon's end". The Arizona Republic. December 3, 1978. p. 100. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marathon". Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1979. p. 77. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stanforth won Burke road race". Rapid City Journal. April 1, 1981. p. 25. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jackets ready to wear another crown?". Rapid City Journal. September 25, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "PAU Broncs sign three thinclads". The Monitor. August 6, 1986. p. 15. Retrieved July 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mark Stanforth - Cross Country Coach".