View source for Browning Ross

{{short description|American middle and long-distance runner, steeplechaser}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{MedalTableTop
|image=H. Browning Ross.jpeg
|imagesize=150px
|sport=Men's [[sport of athletics|athletics]]
|nation=USA
|medals=
{{Medal|Competition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1951 Pan American Games|1951 Buenos Aires]]|[[Athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games|1500 metres]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|1951 Buenos Aires|3000 m steeplechase}}
}}
'''Harris Browning 'Brownie' Ross''' (April 26, 1924 – April 27, 1998) is often referred to as the father of long-distance running in the United States.<ref name=BIB>Road Runners Club of Woodbury: ''[http://rrcwoodbury.com/images/BR5K_2012_brochure.pdf George Benjamin, Jr. & H. Browning Ross Memorial 5K Run & Walk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402184259/http://rrcwoodbury.com/images/BR5K_2012_brochure.pdf |date=2015-04-02 }}.'' 2012</ref><ref>Browning Ross, 74, Founder of Road Runners, ''New York Times'', April 30, 1998</ref><ref>Jack Heath, ''Browning Ross: Father of American Distance Running'', Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, South Carolina, 2017</ref>

==Early years==
Nicknamed "Brownie" by his friends, he was a lifelong resident of [[Woodbury, New Jersey]] from his birth until his death. He devoted his life to spreading his love and enthusiasm for long-distance running and is often credited as a cornerstone to the development of long-distance runners in the U.S.

===High school===
Ross did not grow up possessing a love for running. In, fact it was not until he was cut from [[Woodbury Junior-Senior High School|Woodbury High School's]] baseball team that he took up running. It was not long before his second choice of sport was a true calling, as Ross blossomed into one of the greatest high school distance runners in the entire state of New Jersey. In the spring of 1943, his senior year, he was crowned the New Jersey State Mile Champion and National Interscholastic Indoor Mile Champion.<ref name=BIB/>

===World War II===
Ross joined the [[United States Navy|Navy]] and fought in [[World War II]]. Upon discharge several years later, he was discovered by [[Villanova University]] track coach [[Jumbo Elliott (athletics)|Jim "Jumbo" Elliott]] and awarded a [[scholarship]] after a victory in a two-mile race at [[Madison Square Garden]].

==Villanova University==
Ross was one of Elliott's first magnificent runners at [[Villanova University]] during the late 1940s. In 1948, he won the [[NCAA]] [[Steeplechase (athletics)|steeplechase]] championship, which paved the way for his position on the USA team in the [[1948 Summer Olympics]].<ref name=BIB/>

==International competition==
===1948 and 1952 Olympics===
Ross competed in the [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 London Olympics]] where he became the only American to compete in the [[Athletics at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|steeplechase final]], placing 7th overall with a 9:23.2 time.<ref>[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/stats_athletics/olympics/1948_m.asp#11  Sporting Heroes - 1948 Olympics' Men's 3000m Steeplechase Results], accessed 2007-04-08.</ref> After the Olympics were over Ross decided to stay in [[Europe]] and postpone his return trip to the United States because he wanted to compete in [[road running|road races]] held in [[Ireland]]. It was there that he discovered a vast resource of running talent, and when Ross returned home he promptly alerted "Jumbo" of his findings. Elliott heeded his advice, and thus began Villanova's tradition with its long line of Irish runners.

Ross, however, did not match the same success in the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Olympics]] held in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]. He qualified to compete but never reached the finals in any competition.

===1951 Pan American Games===
{{see also|Athletics at the 1951 Pan American Games}}
At the [[1951 Pan American Games]], Ross placed 1st in the [[1500 metres|1500 meter run]], shared 1st in the 3000 meter steeplechase, and finished 4th in the [[5000 metres|5000 meter run]].
A controversy occurred in the 3000m steeplechase, where two Americans, [[Curt Stone]] and Ross, had pulled away from the field. Stone slowed down on the last straightaway and held Ross's hand as they crossed the line together. Argentine officials debated for two hours whether their actions violated rules requiring athletes to make an effort to win before finally allowing the results to stand, ranking Stone as first after a close examination of the finish photo.<ref>[[Die Zeit]]: ''[http://www.zeit.de/1951/12/olypisches-feuer-per-flugzeug Olympisches Feuer per Flugzeug].'' Nr. 12, 1951</ref>

==''Long Distance Log''==  <!-- This section is a redirect target from "Long Distance Log", and should not be renamed -->
With such passion for the sport he loved it was inevitable that Ross would continue to stay involved even after his heyday of running. In 1955 he recognized the need for distance running results to be published and widely distributed in order to increase the public's awareness of the sport. In 1956 he created the ''Long Distance Log'' (after its inspiration, ''Distance Running Journal'', created by Austin Scott in 1953)<ref name=rrca>[http://www.rrcahistory.org/longdistancelog.html The Long Distance Log: Introduction], [[Tom Osler]], Road Runners Club of America, retrieved 22 April 2010</ref> at the time the only publication devoted exclusively to long-distance running in the USA. The first issues were mimeographed on the backs of recycled high school history tests. The ''Log'' would become the major instrument to unite runners and address their concerns over the next 20 years.<ref>[http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/las/departments/math/facultystaff/osler/Running.html ''Long Distance Log'' beginnings], accessed 22 April 2010</ref> He was the first [[editor-in-chief]] of the magazine, which mailed monthly to about 1,000 subscribers throughout the country until 1975.<ref name=rrca />

In 1958 Ross founded the Middle Atlantic Road Runners Club, centered in Philadelphia, which a year later became the national [[Road Runners Club of America]]. The club today boasts of more than 180,000 members nationwide. On Jan 27, 1968 Browning Ross (43) ran a 4:45.0 Masters American indoor mile record at the Cornell Invitational.

==Accomplishments, awards, and recognition==
:''Sources<ref name=BIB/><ref>[http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2002/ross.html National Long Distance Running HOF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403235553/http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2002/ross.html |date=2007-04-03 }}, accessed 2007-04-09.</ref>''
*Won 8 National [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] [[Cross country running|Cross Country]] Championships.
*Won the prestigious Berwick (PA) Marathon 10 times. 
*Two-time Olympic runner, even reaching the finals in his first Olympic appearance and finishing seventh overall.
*[[Gold medal]] winner at the Pan-Am Games.
*Was first U.S. Cross Country team manager. 
*Received the first Annual Long Distance AAU Award in 1969.
*Chairman of the National AAU long-distance and road-running committee from 1968 to 1971
*Elected to the [[National Distance Running Hall of Fame|National Distance Running]], Villanova University, Gloucester County and Woodbury High School [[Hall of Fame|Halls of Fame]].
*Former coach ([[Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey)|Woodrow Wilson High School]], [[Gloucester Catholic High School]] and [[Rutgers University]]), meet and race organizer, publisher, track official and sporting goods entrepreneur in the world of long-distance running.
*Two races are held in his name. The Benjamin/Ross 5k is held in June in his hometown of [[Woodbury, New Jersey]] and the Ross Kupcha 5k and kids run held in [[National Park, New Jersey]] on Easter Saturday. 
*An H. Browning Ross Memorial was dedicated on July 4, 2001 at the bottom of Wood Street overlooking the Woodbury High School stadium and track.
* The H. Browning Ross Award was established in his memory by the Road Runners Club of America to acknowledge one individual each year who reflects the spirit of that organization.<ref>[http://www.rrca.org/services/awards/awardnom.pdf RRCA Awards descriptions] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705184654/http://www.rrca.org/services/awards/awardnom.pdf |date=July 5, 2008 }}, accessed April 21, 2008.</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Runner's World]]'', magazine started in 1966 by [[Bob Anderson (runner)|Bob Anderson]], originally named ''Distance Running News'', which was similar to Ross's ''Long Distance Log'' at the time

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* Browning Ross Biography- "Browning Ross: The Father of American Distance Running" https://www.amazon.com/Browning-Ross-American-Distance-Running/dp/1511888253
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/browning-ross-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418073047/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/browning-ross-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-18 |title=Browning Ross}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070403235553/http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2002/ross.html Video of H. Browning Ross] ''(click on thumbnail toward bottom right → requires [[QuickTime]])''
*[http://www.sjsports.com/runner/runner0202.html#brownie Runners Club Newsletter Vol. 2, Issue 2]
*[http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/historical/whoswhoinrunning.asp Who's Who in Running]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070820214157/http://www.runnersgazette.com/features/pyrah.htm Jack on Jack: A Look at Coaching Legend Jack Pyrah]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070701071937/http://runnersmecca.com/athletemonth.html Runners Mecca - Ross Tribute]
*''[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/sports/browning-ross-74-founder-of-road-runners.html Browning Ross, 74, Founder of Road Runners],'' obituary by Frank Litsky in ''[[The New York Times]],'' April 30, 1998
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090225012942/http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/Files/Browning.pdf Interview: Browning Ross Father of American Distance Running]

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{{Footer US NC Cross Country Men}}
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{{2002 National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Browning}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:American male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:American male steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1951 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1951 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Rutgers Scarlet Knights track and field coaches]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Woodbury, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from New Jersey]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Villanova Wildcats men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Woodbury Junior-Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:American masters athletes]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]