Glenn Cunningham (athlete)
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| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Glenn Cunningham (athlete) |
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| Men's Athletics | |||
Competitor for  United States |
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| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | 1936 Berlin | 1,500 metres | |
Glenn V. Cunningham (August 4, 1909 – March 10, 1988) was an American distance runner and athlete considered by many the greatest American miler of all time. He received the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States in 1933.
Cunningham set a world record for the mile and indoor world records for the 1.500 meters and the mile. He was on the 1932 and 1936 Olympic teams. In the 1,500-meter final at the 1936 Games in Berlin, Cunningham ran faster than the world record but was beaten by New Zealand's Jack Lovelock and received the silver medal. Cunningham retired from running after the 1940 Olympic Games were cancelled.
Born in Elkhart, Kansas, Cunningham was nick-named the "Kansas Flyer", the "Elkhart Express" and the "Iron Horse of Kansas".
Cunningham's legs were very badly burned in a schoolhouse fire when he was eight. Floyd, his brother died in the schoolhouse. The doctors recommended amputating Glenn's legs, but his mother wouldn't allow it. The doctors predicted he might never walk normally again. He had lost all flesh on his knees ands shins and all his toes on his left foot. Also, his transverse arch was practically destroyed. However, his great determination coupled with the hours of massages given him by his parents, enabled him to gradually regain the ability to walk, and proceed to run. It was in the early summer of 1919 when he first tried to walk again, roughly two years since the accident. He was a great man with a positive attitude as well as a man of strong faith in God. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31. "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." He was also a good role model for everybody.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- USA Track and Field Hall of Fame - Glenn Cunningham
- Cunningham Calls It A Career - on the University of Kansas history website
- Kansas Sports Hall of Fame - Glenn Cunningham
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
Preceded by Thomas Hampson Ben Eastman |
Men's 800 metres World Record Holder 1936-08-20 – 1937-07-11 |
Succeeded by Elroy Robinson |
Preceded by Jack Lovelock |
Men's Mile World Record Holder June 16, 1934 – August 28, 1937 |
Succeeded by Sydney Wooderson |
