Remembering former Wright State coach and Olympian Bob Schul
Wright State Athletics is saddened by the passing of former cross-country and track & field coach Bob Schul, who passed away June 16.
Schul, who coached at Wright State from the 1970s through the early 2000s, remains the only American – male or female – to have won an Olympic gold medal in the 5000m race, capturing gold at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Schul's gold medal-winning time at the 1964 Olympics was 13:48.8, while he also once held a total of five American and NCAA records in the two-mile, three-mile and 5,000-meter events. His two-mile time of 8:26.4 was a world record at the time.
A 1966 graduate of Miami University, Schul represented Miami in the 1964 Mid-American Conference track championships, claiming first place in the mile and three-mile runs. He also won the National AAU title in the 5,000 meters in 1964.
Schul still holds three Miami track records and was inducted into the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973. He joined the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991.
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