View source for George Young (runner)

{{Short description|American athlete (1937–2022)}}
{{distinguish|George Young (British athlete)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| full_name = George L. Young
| nationality = American
| image = George-Young-and-Gunnar-Thornebo-in-the-1960-Olympic-Games-142445775693.jpg
| caption = Young right behind [[Gunnar Tjörnebo]] over the last hurdle in the [[1960 Summer Olympics]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|07|24|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Roswell, New Mexico]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|11|08|1937|07|24|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Casa Grande, Arizona]], U.S.
| height = {{convert|5|ft|8.5|in|m|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|148|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| sport = [[Long-distance running]]
| event = [[steeplechase (athletics)|Steeplechase]]
| collegeteam = [[University of Arizona|Arizona]]
| pb = '''[[Mile]]''': 3:59.6<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/> <br> '''[[2 miles]]''': 8:22<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/> <br> '''[[3000&nbsp;metres steeplechase|3k steeple]]''': 8:30.60<ref name="Sports-reference.com">{{cite Sports-Reference |title=George Young |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/yo/george-young-1.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121014559/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/yo/george-young-1.html |archivedate=January 21, 2009 |df=mdy |quote=Full name: George L. Young}}</ref> <br> '''3 miles''': 13:10<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/> <br> '''[[5000 meters|5000m]]''': 13:29.40<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/> <br> '''6 miles''': 27:54.8<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/> <br> '''[[Marathon]]''': 2:30:48<ref name="Sports-reference.com"/>
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics|3000m Steeplechase]]}}
}}

'''George L. Young''' (July 24, 1937 – November 8, 2022) was an American [[track and field|track]] athlete and college coach. He won a bronze medal at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]] in the 3000 meter [[Steeplechase (athletics)|steeplechase]] and held several American records in events ranging from the two mile to the 5000 meter race. He broke two world records, in the indoor two and three mile events.

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Roswell, New Mexico]], Young graduated from Western High School (now [[Silver High School]]), in [[Silver City, New Mexico]], in 1955. He then attended the [[University of Arizona]] where he competed in track and field and joined the Beta Iota chapter of [[Theta Chi]] fraternity. He began running the 3000 meter steeplechase in his senior year and finished second in that event at the National [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] championship.<ref name=USATF>{{cite web |title=George Young |publisher=USA Track & Field |url=http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=193 |access-date=2008-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027145908/http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=193 |archive-date=October 27, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He graduated from the university in 1959 with an undergraduate degree<ref name=USATF/> after being named the "outstanding senior athlete" of the year.<ref name=NDRHOF>{{cite web |title=George Young |publisher=National Distance Running Hall of Fame |url=http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2003/young.html |access-date=2008-04-11 |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624005525/http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/2003/young.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==1960 Olympics==
Shortly after graduating, Young qualified for the [[1960 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rome]]. During the preliminary rounds for the steeplechase, he tripped over a hurdle and thus did not advance to the finals. The next year, he broke the American steeplechase record when he ran the event in 8:31.0.

==1964 Olympics==
Young improved his Olympic record at the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 games]] in [[Tokyo]], running to fifth place in the [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics|steeplechase]] in 8:38.2. [[Gaston Roelants]] of Belgium won gold in an Olympic Record 8:30.8.

==1968 Olympics==
In the first half of 1968, Young broke his own American steeplechase record with a time of 8:30.6 and set the American two mile record with a time of 8:22.0. He felt his fitness was strong enough that he and training partner [[Billy Mills]] thought they'd take a shot at an Olympic marathon qualifier at the trials held in [[Alamosa, Colorado]]. Young won the race and earned his way on to his third Olympic team. He later qualified again in the steeplechase at the track and field trials held in [[Echo Summit]], California. At the 1968 Olympics, held in [[Mexico City]] at an elevation of 7,382&nbsp;ft, he competed in the [[marathon]], placing 16th, and the steeplechase, where he placed third and took the bronze medal. In that race, he was leading with about 300 Meters to go before falling victim to Mexico City's altitude and "hitting the wall". He was passed by two athletes born and trained at altitude in Kenya.

The following year Young set two world records in the indoor two and three mile events with times of 8:27.2 and 13:09.8, respectively.  He was featured on the March 1969 cover of ''[[Track and Field News]].''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/28-covers/136-past-covers-1967 |title=Past Covers 1969 |access-date=April 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212328/https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/28-covers/136-past-covers-1967 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==1972 Olympics==
After a classic battle with [[University of Oregon]] [[All-American]], [[Steve Prefontaine]] at the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials at [[Hayward Field]] in [[Eugene, Oregon]], he competed in the 5000 meter race at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich]] (his third different Olympic event in four Olympic Games), but did not advance to the final rounds.<ref name=USATF/>

==Career summary and records==
In addition to his records in the steeplechase, two mile and indoor three mile, he also held American records for the 5000 meter, 3000 meter, steeplechase, and 4x1500 meter relay, as well as twelve age group world records. At age 34, he became the oldest person in the world (at that time) to run a sub-[[four-minute mile]], with a time of 3:59.6 in Los Angeles, CA in March 1972.<ref name=NDRHOF/> He was the first New Mexico born athlete to accomplish this feat.

==Post-running career==
Following his running career, he coached seven different sports at [[Central Arizona College]]. He led his teams to a total of fourteen championships, including the 1988 national title in [[Cross country running|cross country]]. In 1988 he was named the [[National Junior College Athletic Association]] coach of the year.<ref name=NDRHOF/>

Young died on November 8, 2022, at the age of 85.<ref>{{cite web |title=George Young |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79227 |website=Olympedia |access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref>

==Legacy and honors==
Young was inducted into the [[National Track & Field Hall of Fame]] in 1981<ref name=USATF/> and the [[National Distance Running Hall of Fame]] in 2003.<ref name=NDRHOF/> He also has been inducted into the University of Arizona HOF, New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2014,<ref name="New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame">{{cite web |title=George Young |publisher=New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame |url=http://nmshof.com/george-young/}}</ref> NJCAA Track and Cross Country HOF and National Distance Running HOF in 2003.

==Books==
*1976, ''Always Young'', [[Frank Dolson (author)|Frank Dolson]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Frank Dolson |publisher=[[Anderson World]] |isbn=978-0890370728 |date=January 1976 |page=205 |title=Always Young}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}7. https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/local_sports/former-cac-ad-4-time-olympian-young-dies/article_3d76bb91-50e9-557d-93a2-eb783e6ab27e.html

==External links==
* {{USATF Hall of Fame}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|oc_archive=20210423164504|org_archive=20210426085712}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{2003 National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees}}https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a41924344/george-young-dies-at-85/<nowiki/>{{Footer US NC 5000m Men}}
{{Footer US NC Steeplechase Men}}
{{Footer US NC Indoor 3000 meters Men}}
{{Footer US NC Marathon Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1960 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1964 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1968 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1972 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, George}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:American male long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1959 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:American male steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:People from Roswell, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from New Mexico]]
[[Category:College track and field coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:College cross country coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]