Archie San Romani

Archie San Romani won the NCAA mile in 1935-36, running for Emporia State College. After his right leg was run over by a truck when he was 8 years old, he avoided amputation and began running as rehabilitation. He later set a world record for 2,000 metres in August 1937 at a meet in Helsinki. In 1936 he had also run on a US 4×Mile relay team (with Chuck Hornbostel, Gene Venzke, and Glenn Cunningham) that broke the world record in a dual meet against the British Empire. San Romani never won an outdoor AAU title, but finished second in the 1,500 in 1936, and was third in the mile in 1935 and 1938. Indoors, he was AAU champion in the mile in 1937.

San Romani’s son, Archie San Romani, Jr., was second in the 1,500 metres at the 1964 NCAA Championships and also ran on a world record team in the 4-mile relay in 1962.

Personal Bests: 1500 – 3:49.9 (1936); Mile – 4:07.2 (1937); 2000 – 5:16.8 (1937).