Don Kardong

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Donald "Don" Franklin Kardong (b. December 22, 1948) is a noted runner and author from the United States. He represented his native country in the men's marathon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.

Kardong graduated from Seattle Prep in 1967, earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanford University in 1971, and, in 1974, another bachelor's degree in English and teaching certificate from the University of Washington. 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 from 1980 to 1983, and a contributing editor (1983-1985) and senior writer (1985-1987) for The Runner magazine. Since 1987, Kardong has been 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

Kardong ran four years of cross country and three years of track at Stanford, missing one season of eligibility, 1969, while attending Stanford-in-Britain. He was a member of Stanford's second place NCAA cross country team in 1968. In 1970, Kardong finished fourth in the NCAA three mile in Des Moines, Iowa, with a time of 13:28, and finished second behind Steve Prefontaine PAC-8 conference three mile in 13:19.8. Kardong still holds the all-time Stanford record at two miles, three miles and six miles, and had a best mile time in college of 4:03.2.

After graduating, in February, 1972, Kardong ran his first marathon, of 2:18:06, at the West Valley Marathon in Burlingame, California, and went on to compete in the 1972 US Olympic Trials in the marathon and 10,000 meters, finishing sixth in both events. In 1974, he ran a three mile in 12:57.6 in Eugene, Oregon, becoming the 5th fastest American three miler of all time. Also in 1974, he ran a personal record of 4:01.9 in the mile. In 1975, he was a member of the US Track and Field Delegation to the People's Republic of China. In 1976, Kardong competed in the International Cross Country Meet in Chepstow, Wales.

On May 22, 1976, Kardong finished third in the US Olympic Trials Marathon (2:13:54), and a month later placed fourth in the US Olympic Trials 5000 meters. He finished fourth in the Olympic Marathon in Montreal on July 31, 1976, running a personal best of 2:11:16, missing the bronze medal by 3 seconds. Kardong 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. He 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).

[edit] External links