The Air Force Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. The Sports & Fitness Expo is held at Wright State University’s Nutter Center and is scheduled for Thursday, Sept.19 and Friday, Sept. 20. The event will also feature a Gourmet Pasta Dinner and Breakfast of Champions scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20.
Along with American Paralympic Gold medalist Grace Norman, veteran and American Gold Medalist Bob Schul is scheduled to be the second guest speaker for the 23rd Air Force Marathon.
Schul is the first and only Team USA runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympic games.
“We are ecstatic to add another gold medalist as a guest speaker for the Air Force Marathon,” said Brandon Hough, Air Force Marathon director. “"Like Grace Norman, to hear Schul’s story and the determination he had to achieve his dream to win gold is truly inspiring.”
A native of West Milton, Ohio, Schul, who was born with asthma, started running in junior high school and began his running career in 1956 as a miler when he joined the track team at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, as a walk-on.
Schul broke the school record in the mile and in 1960, Schul joined the Air Force and was assigned to Oxnard AFB in California where he ran in the USA championships.
In 1961, Schul was trained by Hungarian coach Mihaly Igloi, and under his training, he finished third at the national championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and went on to become the U.S. Indoor champion.
Returning to Miami University in 1963, he qualified for the Olympic team and won gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the 1964 summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Schul set five American and one World record during his career and won three national championships.
He has since served as the national coach for Malaysia, has trained at Wright-Patterson AFB, the Air Force’s top distance runners and coached cross country at Wright-State University in Fairborn, Ohio.
Schul is also a top masters runner and author of The Long Run.
Get more information about the race at www.usafmarathon.com.
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