Don Kardong has been a runner since 1964. He is a former Olympic marathoner (4th place, 1976), a senior writer for Runner's World magazine, the founder of the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Washington (50,000+ entrants), and a past president of the Road Runners Club of America (1996-2000). He is an author, speaker, consultant, and online coach.

BASIC BACKGROUND

Born December 22, 1948. Grew up in Bellevue, Washington, graduated from Seattle Prep in 1967. Attended Stanford University, graduating in 1971 with a B.A. in Psychology. Attended the University of Washington from 1974-76, earning a B.A. in English and a teaching certificate.

Moved to Spokane in 1974, where he was a sixth grade classroom teacher from 1974-1977 at Loma Vista Elementary. Helped launch the Lilac Bloomsday Run in the spring of 1977. The event has since grown to include over 50,000 entrants.

In the fall of 1977, opened "The Human Race" retail running store in downtown Spokane. Sold the store in June of 1986, and has been working exclusively as a writer, speaker, and consultant since then. After writing his first article for Runner's World magazine in 1975, he worked for Running Times, Running (1980-1983), and the Runner (1983-1987) before rejoining Runner's World in 1987. As a senior writer, his features are famous for their offbeat perspective and humorous insights.

Don also speaks extensively to running and non-running groups (click here for info), and has coached runners of all ages and abilities. He has recently launched an online coaching business.

RUNNING BACKGROUND

Began running during sophomore year of high school as a way of staying in shape for basketball. Ran competitively sophomore, junior and senior years, both cross country and track, for Seattle Prep. Finished 2nd in the Washington State Cross Country Meet, 1966, where the team tied for the championship. Best track times included a 1:58 half-mile, 4:30 mile, and 9:24 two-mile (indoors).

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 at Van Cortlandt Park. 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. Coached by Marshall Clark while at Stanford.

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 IAAF Cross Country Championships in Chepstow, Wales.
On May 22, 1976, 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. 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.

Has enjoyed running in high school, college, and post-college competition, and continues to compete as a top age-group runner. Memorable victories include the1976 Peachtree Road Race and the 1978 Honolulu Marathon. Won his first and only 50-mile race, the 1987 Le Grizz 50 Mile Ultramarathon (5:58:37--10/10/87). Has enjoyed a number of strange, challenging and unique running experiences over the years, including:

--a race to the top of the Empire State Building
--the first International Ho Chi Minh City Marathon in Saigon
--rim to rim and back in the Grand Canyon (one day, 41 Miles)
--one-day circuit of Mount St. Helens on the Loowit Trail (32 miles)

POSITIONS, HONORS, RANDOM STUFF

--National Merit Scholar (1967)
--Winner of the Stanford track team's Scholar-Athlete Award
--Captain of the Stanford Cross Country Team (1970)
--President of Club Northwest (1972-76)
--President of the Lilac Bloomsday Association (1980, 1982-84)
--Has served as an athlete's representative to the Athletics Congress (TAC)
and the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)
--Founding member and past president (1981-1995) of the Association of Road
Racing Athletes, an organization representing the interests of world-class
long distance runners
--Chairman of the Men's Long Distance Running Committee of TAC (1986-92)
--Whitworth College's Community Service Award (May, 1981)
--Eastern Washington University's President's Medal (1983)
--Inland Empire Sportswriters and Broadcasters Certificate of Excellence
(1983)
--Recipient of the 1986 RRCA Journalism Award
--Inducted into the Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame (1987)
--Chair of the Inland Empire YMCA Board of Directors (1991-1993)
--Received an honorable mention in both the 1992 and 1993 Best American
Sports Writing anthologies
--President of the Road Runners Club of America (1996-2000)
--Television commentator at the Cascade Run Off, Portland, Oregon (1982-88);
Gasparilla Distance Classic, Tampa, FL (1987); U.S. Road Racing
Championships, Dallas, TX (1987, ESPN)
--Radio commentator at the Honolulu Marathon (1981-82) and Cascade Run Off
(1993)
--Awarded the Fred Lebow Award by the National Distance Running Hall of Fame (2000)
--Has three books published
--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); and Hills, Hawgs and Ho Chi Minh (Keokee Co. Publishing, Sandpoint, ID, 1996). Has also written (or co-written) two booklets for the Road Runners Club of America: Children's Running: A Guide For Parents and Kids and Why Run?  More Book Info

--Has written and narrated three videos--Virtual Chicago Marathon, Virtual Marine Corps Marathon, and Virtual Van Cortlandt Park--produced and sold by Virtual Brands.  Video Info

--Member of "The Darman Group" speaker's bureau (contact Jeff Darman, 610-925-1976, jdarman@kennett.net). Has spoken to hundreds of groups locally and nationally on running-related topics.  Speaking Info

--Launched an online coaching business in the fall of 2001 to help runners of all ages and abilities intent on improvement.  Coaching