Jon Anderson (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Jon Peter Anderson a longtime Eugene, Oregon
resident, is an editor
, publisher, and runner
best known for winning the 1973 Boston Marathon
. Anderson was a competitive long-distance
runner
from 1966 to 1984, and represented the United States
as a member of the 1972 US Olympic
track and field
team.
in Ithaca, New York
, with a bachelor’s degree in economics
. In the Ivy League
and at the national level, Anderson had many achievements during his collegiate career. In 1969 and 1970, Anderson was an Ivy League cross country
first team selection. In the spring of 1970, he was named an NCAA
All-American when he placed third in the NCAA Division I six-mile at Drake Stadium
, Des Moines, Iowa
. He was also the Heptagonal and Ivy League Cross Country Champion in 1970. During his final year at Cornell, Anderson was elected to the Sphinx Head senior honor society. He was also a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, and through that organization, the Irving Literary Society
.
event at the US Olympic Trials in his hometown, Eugene, Oregon. His father, Les Anderson, was the mayor of Eugene at that time. In front of hometown fans in a stirring finish, Anderson passed Jack Bachelor in the final 50 meters of the race, making up more than eight seconds in the last lap on Bachelor to surprise all in earning the third spot on the US Olympic team. He ran the 10,000 meters at the Munich Olympics, placing eighth in his heat in 28:34.2, but not making the final. Anderson had begun his running career in Eugene as a senior at Sheldon High School. Bill Bowerman
, the legendary University of Oregon track coach and a longtime family friend, taught Anderson the fundamentals of distance running at the beginning of his serious competitive distance running career.
Anderson "was immortalized as the first athlete to win an international event in Nike shoes" (Nike Campus-Oregon). Anderson achieved his greatest success in 1973, winning the 77th Boston Marathon
, in a time of 2:16:03. At 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), Anderson and the 1942 winner, Bernard Joseph Smith, were Boston's tallest champions. Later in 1973, he placed fourth in the Fukuoka Marathon
in Japan. Anderson also represented the US at the 1977 World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf
, Germany
.
Anderson's best marathon time is 2:12:03, turned in at the 1980 Nike-OTC Marathon, in Eugene, Oregon.
In June, 1981, Anderson won the Antwerp Marathon in Belgium
, and later that year he won the Honolulu Marathon
in Hawaii
, where he was timed in 2:16:54. Anderson clocked 2:13:18 in winning a June, 1984, marathon in Sydney, Australia.
s market activity and price reports. He was named president and publisher in 1984-85. He currently serves on the University of Oregon
Foundation Board of Trustees.
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
resident, is an editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, publisher, and 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...
best known for winning the 1973 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...
. Anderson was a competitive 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...
from 1966 to 1984, and represented the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a member of the 1972 US Olympic
United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. 400 competitors, 316 men and 84 women, took part in 185 events in 21 sports.-Medalists:...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team.
Collegiate career
In 1971, Anderson graduated from Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, with a bachelor’s degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. In the Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
and at the national level, Anderson had many achievements during his collegiate career. In 1969 and 1970, Anderson was an Ivy League cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
first team selection. In the spring of 1970, he was named an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
All-American when he placed third in the NCAA Division I six-mile at Drake Stadium
Drake Stadium
Drake Stadium is a stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is primarily used for the Drake Relays, and is the home field of the Drake University Bulldogs. It opened in 1925 and underwent a $15 million renovation in 2005. Widening the track reduced the stadium's seating capacity from 18,000...
, Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. He was also the Heptagonal and Ivy League Cross Country Champion in 1970. During his final year at Cornell, Anderson was elected to the Sphinx Head senior honor society. He was also a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, and through that organization, the Irving Literary Society
Irving Literary Society (Cornell University)
The Irving Literary Society was a literary society at Cornell University active from 1868 to 1887. The U.S...
.
The Olympics 10K, Boston Marathon, and beyond
After graduating from Cornell in 1971, Anderson qualified for the 1972 US Olympic track and field team in the 10,000 metersLong-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...
event at the US Olympic Trials in his hometown, Eugene, Oregon. His father, Les Anderson, was the mayor of Eugene at that time. In front of hometown fans in a stirring finish, Anderson passed Jack Bachelor in the final 50 meters of the race, making up more than eight seconds in the last lap on Bachelor to surprise all in earning the third spot on the US Olympic team. He ran the 10,000 meters at the Munich Olympics, placing eighth in his heat in 28:34.2, but not making the final. Anderson had begun his running career in Eugene as a senior at Sheldon High School. Bill Bowerman
Bill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, the legendary University of Oregon track coach and a longtime family friend, taught Anderson the fundamentals of distance running at the beginning of his serious competitive distance running career.
Anderson "was immortalized as the first athlete to win an international event in Nike shoes" (Nike Campus-Oregon). Anderson achieved his greatest success in 1973, winning the 77th 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...
, in a time of 2:16:03. At 6 in 2 in (1.88 m), Anderson and the 1942 winner, Bernard Joseph Smith, were Boston's tallest champions. Later in 1973, he placed fourth in the Fukuoka Marathon
Fukuoka Marathon
The , held in Fukuoka, Japan, is an international men's marathon race established in 1947. It is usually held on the first Sunday in December.The course record is held by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, running 2:05:18 in 2009 to best his own record from the previous year.-Men's winners:Winners of the...
in Japan. Anderson also represented the US at the 1977 World Cross Country Championships in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Anderson's best marathon time is 2:12:03, turned in at the 1980 Nike-OTC Marathon, in Eugene, Oregon.
In June, 1981, Anderson won the Antwerp Marathon in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and later that year he won the Honolulu Marathon
Honolulu Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where he was timed in 2:16:54. Anderson clocked 2:13:18 in winning a June, 1984, marathon in Sydney, Australia.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing the 1973 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, United States 1st 2:16:03 1981 Honolulu Marathon Honolulu MarathonThe Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...1st 2:16:54
Professional career
In 1974, Jon Anderson joined Random Lengths Publications, which publishes forest productForest product
A forest product is any material derived from a forest for commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant commercial forest product, is used for many industrial purposes, such as the finished structural materials used for the construction of buildings, or...
s market activity and price reports. He was named president and publisher in 1984-85. He currently serves on the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
Foundation Board of Trustees.
External links
- HonoluluMarathon.org - 'Oregon editor grabs the headlines', Honolulu MarathonHonolulu MarathonThe Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...
- RandomLengths.com - 'The Random Lengths Reporting and Editorial Staff'