Jack Fultz
Encyclopedia
Jon Willis Fultz (born August 27, 1948 in Franklin, Pennsylvania
) is a retired American
long-distance
runner
, who came to prominence in the 1970s
after winning the 1976 Boston Marathon
, the world's oldest and most established marathon
race.
. Over the 26 miles (41.8 km) course, spectators used garden hoses to spray water on the runners in an effort to cool them down.
in Tucson from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard
, serving from 1969 to 1973. Following his tour of duty, Fultz enrolled at Georgetown University
, where he graduated in 1976.
1. 1971 Boston Marathon, 12th Place.
2. 1972 Boston Marathon.
3. 1976 Boston Marathon (2:20:19), FIRST PLACE.
4. 1977 Boston Marathon (2:20:40), 9th Place.
5. 1978 Boston Marathon (2:11:17), 4th Place PERSONAL RECORD/BEST TIME(2 seconds behind 3rd place).
6. 1981 Newport Marathon (2:17:09), 1st Place and COURSE RECORD.
Olympic Trials marathons in 1972, 1976, and 1980. Because President Jimmy Carter
called for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, Fultz did not run in the 1980 Olympic Trials. In 1996, Fultz was inducted into the Georgetown University Hall of Fame and on that occasion was invited to the White House to run with then-President Bill Clinton
. Also in 1996, Fultz was inducted into the DC Road Runners Hall of Fame.
Fultz not only finished the Boston Marathon in first place in 1976; in 1995 he added the distinction of finishing in last place as well: Each year, BAA race director Dave McGillivray runs the Boston Marathon course after all the other entrants have started. In 1995 Fultz accompanied him on the run, and, as the two companions crossed the finish line, Fultz slowed down a step, thus making him the actual last official finisher of the day.
Fultz was diagnosed with arthritis of the hip in 2000, at which time he retired from competitive running.
, a fitness consultant and personal coach, and a training consultant to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. He also is an occasional motivational speaker.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long-distance
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, who came to prominence in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
after winning the 1976 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
, the world's oldest and most established marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race.
The 1976 Boston Marathon: "The Run for the Hoses"
Fultz won the 1976 Boston Marathon in extreme heat with a time of 2:20:19. The temperature was 100 degrees one hour before the noon start time in Hopkinton, MassachusettsHopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
. Over the 26 miles (41.8 km) course, spectators used garden hoses to spray water on the runners in an effort to cool them down.
Early years
Fultz was born in 1948, the sixth of seven children. He grew up in Franklin, Pennsylvania (population approximately 7,000) in Venango County, which is located in northwestern Pennsylvania. He attended Franklin Area High School http://www.fasd.k12.pa.us/franklinahs/site/default.asp, where he graduated in 1966.Education
Fultz attended the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, serving from 1969 to 1973. Following his tour of duty, Fultz enrolled at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, where he graduated in 1976.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing the 1976 Boston Marathon Boston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...Boston BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, United States1st 2:20:19
1. 1971 Boston Marathon, 12th Place.
2. 1972 Boston Marathon.
3. 1976 Boston Marathon (2:20:19), FIRST PLACE.
4. 1977 Boston Marathon (2:20:40), 9th Place.
5. 1978 Boston Marathon (2:11:17), 4th Place PERSONAL RECORD/BEST TIME(2 seconds behind 3rd place).
6. 1981 Newport Marathon (2:17:09), 1st Place and COURSE RECORD.
Awards, distinctions, and items of interest
Fultz qualified for three consecutive United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympic Trials marathons in 1972, 1976, and 1980. Because President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
called for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, Fultz did not run in the 1980 Olympic Trials. In 1996, Fultz was inducted into the Georgetown University Hall of Fame and on that occasion was invited to the White House to run with then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Also in 1996, Fultz was inducted into the DC Road Runners Hall of Fame.
Fultz not only finished the Boston Marathon in first place in 1976; in 1995 he added the distinction of finishing in last place as well: Each year, BAA race director Dave McGillivray runs the Boston Marathon course after all the other entrants have started. In 1995 Fultz accompanied him on the run, and, as the two companions crossed the finish line, Fultz slowed down a step, thus making him the actual last official finisher of the day.
Fultz was diagnosed with arthritis of the hip in 2000, at which time he retired from competitive running.
Current activities
As of November 2008, Fultz is an instructor of sport psychology at Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, a fitness consultant and personal coach, and a training consultant to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. He also is an occasional motivational speaker.
External links
- Marathon Men Make Our Hearts Race
- 2007 Interview with Jack Fultz
- Biography of Jack Fultz
- Finishline by Dave McGillivray