Jim Ryun Invitational Cross Country Meet (Middle school only)
- What
- Jim Ryun Invitational Cross Country Meet (Middle school only)
- When
- 8/26/2017, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Where
- 3050 Lakeland Highlands Rd Lakeland, FL 33803
9th Annual Jim Ryun Cross Country Invitational Sponsered by Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Fifty-two years ago, Kansas held its state championship track meet. One of the runners who toed the starting line that day was Jim Ryun. By 1965, though, Ryun was already famous. The year before, he’d become the first high schooler to break four minutes in the mile. That summer, he competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
Following is some of Jim's High school athletic achievements
In 1964 Ryun became the first high school runner to break four minutes for the mile, running 3:59.0 as a junior at East High School in Wichita, Kansas.
Established the high school and U.S. open mile record 3:55.3 as a senior in 1965, a record that stood as the high school record for 36 years until broken by Alan Webb's 3:53.43 in 2001. It is also the last time an American male high school athlete broke an open American record in a major outdoor track and field event. In this record race he beat the reigning Olympic champion and former world record holder Peter Snell of New Zealand.
His 3:58.3 to win the mile at the 1965 Kansas High School State Meet is still the record for the fastest time ever in a race that includes only high school competitors.
Today he still holds five of the six fastest mile times in U.S. high school history (all sub-four minute), with Alan Webb’s record race holding the other spot.
With five sub-four-minute miles he is the only high school athlete in history with more than two such times. (Alan Webb has two, while Marty Liquori, Tim Danielson, Lukas Verzbicas, Matthew Maton, Grant Fisher have one each.)
He is the only athlete to run a four-minute mile as a high school junior.
After his junior year he qualified for the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 1500. He made it to the semifinal round, where he was eliminated.
As a high school senior he was voted the fourth best miler in the world by the experts at Track & Field News.
ESPN.com has him rated as the number 1 high school athlete of all time, beating out people such as Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
Saturday 8/27
HIGH SCHOOL (Limited to first 50 teams with paid registration)
6:45 Check in/chip pick up
7:00 Coaches meeting
7:30 Girls Varsity 5K (7 runners)
8:00 Boys Varsity 5K (7 runners)
8:20 Girls JV 5K (unlimited runners/school)
8:50 Boys JV 5K (unlimited runners/school)
Middle School
9:20 Girls MS 3K & AAU 9-13yrs
9:40 Boys MS 3K & AAU 9-13yrs
Jim Ryun will be presenting awards after races.
Awards
Custom 3" Medals like Jim's 68 Olympic Silver Medal
Trophies awarded to top 2 HS teams
$5 parking except for team buses