Don Kardong
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Don Kardong (Dec. 22, 1948-) is a noted runner and author.
Kardong graduated from Seattle Prep (1967); Stanford University (B.A. Psychology, 1971); and the University of Washington (B.A. English, 1974; Teaching Certificate). He then taught school in Spokane, Washington, from 1974-1977 at Loma Vista Elementary. From 1977 to 1986, Kardong owned and operated a retail running store in Spokane. In 1977, Kardong founded the Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, a road race and community celebration with over 50,000 participants.
As a journalist and author, Kardong was a contributing editor for Running magazine (1980-1983), and a contributing editor (1983-1985) and senior writer (1985-1987) for The Runner magazine. Since 1987, Kardong is a contributing writer for Runner's World magazine.
Kardong was President of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996 to 2000. He served as Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Spokane from 2002 to 2004, and as Race Director of the Bloomsday run since then.
[edit] Books
- Thirty Phone Booths to Boston: Tales of a Wayward Runner (Macmillan Co., New York, 1985, selected an editor's choice of the American Library Association)
- Bloomsday: A City In Motion (Cowles Publishing, Spokane, WA, 1989)
- Hills, Hawgs and Ho Chi Minh (Keokee Co. Publishing, Sandpoint, ID, 1996)
[edit] Running Achievements
Ran four years of cross country and three years of track at Stanford, missing one season of eligibility (1969) while attending Stanford-in-Britain. Was a member of Stanford's second place NCAA Cross Country team in 1968. Finished 4th (13:28) in the NCAA 3-mile in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1970. Finished 2nd behind Steve Prefontaine in the 1971 PAC-8 3-Mile in 13:19.8. Is the Stanford record holder at two miles, three miles and six miles, and had a best mile time in college of 4:03.2.
After graduating, ran a first marathon of 2:18:06 (February, 1972), and went on to compete in the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon and 10,000 meters. Finished 6th in both events. In 1974, ran a 3-mile in 12:57.6 in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the 5th fastest American 3-miler of all time. Also in 1974, ran a personal record of 4:01.9 in the mile. In 1975, was a member of the U.S. Track and Field Delegation to the People's Republic of China. In 1976, competed in the International Cross Country Meet in Chepstow, Wales.
On May 22, 1976, Kardong finished 3rd in the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon (2:13:54), and was 4th in the U.S. Olympic Trials 5000 meters a month later. He finished 4th in the Olympic Marathon in Montreal (7/31/76), running a personal best of 2:11:16, missing the bronze medal by 3 seconds. Was selected "Road Runner of the Year" by the Road Runners Club of America in 1976.
Kardong won the 1976 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta and the 1978 Honolulu Marathon. He has continued to compete in major road races since then, including competition as a masters (over age 40) runner. Won the 1987 Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon in 5:58:37 (10/10/87). In recent adventures, has raced to the top of the Empire State Building, through the streets of Saigon in the first International Ho Chi Minh City Marathon, and across the Grand Canyon and back in one day (41 Miles).
