Jon Anderson

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameJon Peter•Anderson
Used nameJon•Anderson
Born12 October 1949 in Eugene, Oregon (USA)
Measurements187 cm / 72 kg
AffiliationsOregon Track Club, Eugene (USA)
NOC United States

Biography

Jon Anderson ran for Cornell and Team Nike from the late 60s into the early 80s. While at Cornell he won the Ivy League and Heptagonal cross-country titles in 1970. Anderson graduated from Cornell in 1971 and then made the 1972 US Olympic team at the Final Trials in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon, while his father, Les Anderson, the mayor of Eugene at the time, watched from the stands.

Anderson later left the track, running mostly marathons and cross-country. He competed once at the International Cross-Country, in 1977. His greatest career victory came in 1973 when he won the Boston Marathon. He also won the Honolulu Marathon and the Antwerpen Marathons in 1981. He recorded his marathon PR of 2-12:03 while finishing fourth at the 1980 Nike OTC Marathon in Eugene.

Anderson is a member of the Cornell University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, and the Nike Walk of Fame. He later became president and publisher at Random Lengths Publications, which deals in market reports on forest products.

Personal Bests: 3 miles – 13:18.6 (1972); 5000 – 13:45.8 (1972); 6 miles (27:40.2 (1973); 10000 – 28:34.2 (1972); Mar – 2-12:03 (1980); 3000S – 9:01.0 (1970).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1972 Summer Olympics Athletics USA Jon Anderson
10,000 metres, Men (Olympic) 8 h3 r1/2