Bill Dellinger

Bill Dellinger of the University of Oregon won the 1954 NCAA mile, but subsequently concentrated on the 5,000m. In 1956 he won the NCAA title and then set a new U.S. record of 14:16.2 before leaving for Melbourne where, after qualifying comfortably he failed to finish in the final. In 1957, Dellinger posted a new U.S. 1,500 m record of 3:41.5 while finishing third in a dual meet with Hungary. He won the 5,000 m at the AAU and Pan American Games in 1959 and he won the AAU again in 1960. However, as in 1956, he failed to show his true form at the Olympics and was eliminated in the heats. As a high schooler, Dellinger won the first Oregon state cross-country championship in 1949.

At his third Olympics, Bill Dellinger finally came through and, on a rain-soaked track in Tokyo, he put in a devastating last lap to snatch third place from Michel Jazy of France. Dellinger’s time of 13:49.8 was the fastest of his long career. He set indoor world records over 2-miles and 3-miles in 1959, and set six American records over 1,500 metres, 2-miles, 3-miles, and 5,000 metres (3 times).

Dellinger later became the head coach at his alma mater from 1969-98, where he numbered among his pupils Steve Prefontaine and Alberto Salazar. As coach he led Oregon to five NCAA team titles. The university’s annual cross-country meet is named in his honor, the Bill Dellinger Invitational.

Personal Bests: 1500 – 3:41.5 (1958); Mile – 4:02.7 (1961); 2 miles – 8:43.8 (1961); 5000 – 13:49.8 (1964).