This Day in Track & Field–October 31
(Born On This Day–Kerron Clement, Ebonie Floyd, Alonzo Babers, Frank Shorter, Mel Pender/R.I.P.-Bob Day)
1921-Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale forms (1st women’s track & field association)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Sports_Federation
Born On This Day*
Warren Weir—Jamaica 36 (1989) 2012 Olympic bronze medalist—200m; (part of Jamaican sweep-Usain Bolt, Yohan
Blake);
2013 World Champion—4×100 (Silver medalist-200); PB:19.79 (2013);
Member of the Jamaican team that set a World Record of 1:18.63 in the 4×200 at the 2014 World Relays
(Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown 19.6, Yohan Blake 19.4)
Last competed in 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Weir
Whatever Happened To?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sahInI0SYiI
Kerron Clement 40 (1985) 2016 Olympic gold medalist—400m-hurdles (2008-silver, 2012-8th)
2008 Olympic gold medalist—4×400 (1st round)
2-time World Champion (2007, 2009/2005-4th, 2013-8th, 2015-4th, 2017-bronze);
2-time World Champion—4×400 (2007,2009); 2010 World Indoor Champion—4×400;
Had made 10 consecutive U.S. global teams (Worlds/Olympics) before finishing 8th at the 2019 U.S. Championships
2-time NCAA Champion—400h (Florida/2004,2005);
2005 NCAA Indoor Champion—400m (Set a World Indoor Record of 44.57—Michael Norman ran 44.52 in 2018, but
the mark wasn’t ratified due to improper drug-testing)
2004 World Junior Champion—400 hurdles
Ranked #1 in the world 4 times (2007-2009,2016)
PBs: 44.48 (2007), 44.57i (2005/#3 All-Time World/#2-U.S.), 47.24 (2005/#14 All-Time World/#7 U.S.);
Ran 47.24 in 2005 at the age of 19, leading to speculation that he was bound to break Kevin Young’s World
Record of 46.78, but that remained his personal best throughout his career!
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerron_Clement
2016 OG: https://olympics.com/en/video/men-s-400m-hurdles-final-rio-2016-replays
Rankings: https://trackandfieldnews.com/rankings/
Ebonie Floyd 42 (1983) 2013 U.S. Indoor Champion—400m
Named to the 4×400 relay pool after finishing 6th at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, but didn’t get to compete at the
Beijing Olympics
All-American at Houston—NCAA:2006 (400-5th), 2007 (100-2nd, 200-3rd)
Daughter of former world-class runners Stanley Floyd and Delisa Walton
https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/ebony-floyd-14310239
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/923937
Alonzo Babers 64 (1961) 1984 Olympic gold medalist—400, 4×400; PB:44.27(1984)
Majored in Aerospace Engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy
All-American finished 4th in the 400 at the 1983 NCAA Championships (5th-600yi/1983)
Following the Olympics, Babers reported to pilot training school and began his career as a pilot. He was an active
duty officer in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1991 and continued to serve as a member of the Air
Force Reserves before becoming a pilot for United Airlines.
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonzo_Babers
OG Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgUOZc826SY
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78059
https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/air-line-pilot-magazine/our-stories-olympic-gold
Frank Shorter 78 (1947) 1972 Olympic gold medalist—Marathon (1976-silver), 5th-10,000 (1972)
5-time U.S. Champion—6-miles/10,000m (‘70y, ‘71y, ’74,’75,’77)
1970 U.S. Champion—3-miles
1969 NCAA Champion—6-miles (Yale/2nd in the 3-mile)
4-time winner of the Fukuoka Marathon (1971-1974), considered the premier marathon race in the
world at the time
Credited with starting the running boom in the U.S. with his Olympic win in 1972
Former American Record holder:
10,000: 1972 Olympics—27:58.2 (heat), 27:51.4 (final)
Marathon: 2:10:30 in Fukuoka (1972)
2-Mile: 8:26.2—San Diego (1971)
Inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame in 1989
Former broadcaster with NBC
PBs: 7:51.4 (1972), 8:26.2/2m (1971), 13:26.62 (1977), 27:45.91 (1975), 2:10:30 (1972)
HOF Bio(1989): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/frank-shorter
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shorter
Growing Up: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a21753998/frank-shorters-story/
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79039
Mel Pender 88 (1937) 1968 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 (6th-100, 1964 & 1968); 5’-5” (1.65)
U.S. team set a World Record of 38.2 (38.24) in Mexico City
(Charlie Greene, Mel Pender, Ronnie Ray Smith, Jim Hines)
Competed as a member of the professional ITA tour.
Great starter, twice tied the World Indoor Record of 5.9 for 60-yards. Won the 60y at the 1972 Millrose Games
First love was football—didn’t start running until he was 25!
Army veteran served two tours in Vietnam. Was twice called home from combat duty by the Army to train for the
Olympics!
Received his bachelor’s degree from NY’s Adelphi University while he was the head coach at West Point
Inspired to join the Army at 17 after seeing the movie “To Hell And Back”, the life story of WWII hero Audie Murphy.
“I wanted to be just like him since he was short in stature just like me. I also wanted to get away from the
discrimination I faced in the South”.
PB: 10.15 (1968)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Pender
2025 Interview (58 minutes/worth the time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G14yjareNq8
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78887
(2012) https://patch.com/georgia/smyrna/mel-pender-olympic-athlete-entrepreneur-and-philanthropist
Soldier-Athlete(2020):
https://runnersgazette.com/2020/10/16/soldier-athlete-mel-pender-olympic-gold-medalist/
https://theolympians.co/tag/mel-pender/
https://www.wearethemighty.com/sports/melvin-pender-world-record-olympics?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
The Mel Pender Story: https://www.amazon.com/Expression-Hope-Mel-Pender-Story/dp/1635251117
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4S_AwyKFAw
https://aupanthers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/mel-pender/197/kiosk
