Chuck Smead Explained

Chuck Smead
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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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Track and Field Statistics.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19751021&id=EbYzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QjIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=6942,4695723 Lodi News-Sentinel
  3. http://www.dyestatcal.com/news/tr2007/April/06Arcadia/History/YearsSummary1968-.html Arcadia History
  4. http://hsujacks.com/documents/2009/2/17/MensTopTen.pdf Humboldt State top 10
  5. http://www.hickoksports.com/history/ncmd2otrack.shtml#10000mr NCAA Div II champions
  6. Web site: Pikes Peak Winners . 2010-02-09 . 2007-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071017214048/http://skyrunner.com/ppresults/ppwinners.htm . dead .
  7. http://www.mastershistory.org/USMITT/1974-10-b-USMITT.pdf Masters History
  8. http://www.skyrunner.com/search/find.asp?Last=SMEAD&Mi=%20&First=CHUCK 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
  11. http://www.americanultra.org/news/2002news/13nov02.html American Ultra
  12. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2002/2002_11_08.runmark.html Silicon Valley Speedster Ultra Classic
  13. Web site: Colorado Senior Olympics . 2010-02-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110715112902/http://www.primetimeforseniors.com/SeniorGamesPages/SG14.pdf . 2011-07-15 . dead .
  14. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/men/marathonusranking.pdf Track and Field News
  15. Web site: 2012 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships Men's Age Division Results . 2019-12-22 . 2019-12-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191222070354/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/USA-Masters-5-km-Cross-Country-Championships/Results/Men-Age-Div.aspx . dead .
  16. http://mostlypaved.blogspot.com/ Mostly Paved Blog
  17. Web site: Pablo: The Man Behind a Remarkable Sierre-Zinal Record - Run the Alps. 25 April 2015.
  18. Web site: Legends of the Trail. 24 February 2020.