Donald Gene Clary Jr. (born July 29, 1957) is an American former long-distance runner who competed mainly in

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

and

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open cou ...

. He represented the United States at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

and competed three times at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

, taking a junior title in 1975 and a senior team silver medal in 1980. He was the 3000 meters silver medallist at the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games.

Career

Don Clary was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and graduated from

East Anchorage High School East Anchorage High School (EAHS) is a public high school which serves grades 9–12 in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage School District. The current principal is Ron Brown. East's mascot is the Thunderbird, and the ...

in 1975. Clary had his first success as a junior (under-20) athlete at the 1975 IAAF World Cross Country Championships where his fifth-place finish took the American juniors to the team title, alongside

Bobby Thomas Robert, Rob, Bob, or Bobby Thomas may refer to: Arts * Robert Thomas (director) (1927–1989), French writer, actor and director * Robert Thomas (sculptor) (1926–1999), Welsh sculptor * Robert Thomas Jr., American jazz percussionist and hand d ...

, Roy Kissin, and Ralph Serna. He went on to attend the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

and ran for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. ...

collegiate team. At the 1978 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships he placed seventh and was runner-up in the team rankings alongside classmate

Alberto Salazar Alberto Salazar (born August 7, 1958) is an American former track coach and long-distance runner. Born in Cuba, Salazar immigrated to the United States as a child with his family, living in Connecticut and then in Wayland, Massachusetts, where ...

. He ran the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 1978

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Oly ...

and reached seventh place.Don Clary
Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2016-02-14. He won his first national title that year, however, doing so in the

one hour run The one hour run is an athletics event in which competitors try to cover as much distance as possible within one hour. While officially recognized by World Athletics as a track event, it is rarely contested apart from occasional world record atte ...

. His senior international debut came at the

1980 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 1980 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held in Paris, France, at the Hippodrome de Longchamp on March 9, 1980. A report on the event was given in the Evening Times. Complete results for men, junior men, women, medallists, ...

, where his 43rd-place finish ina team of

Craig Virgin Craig Steven Virgin (born August 2, 1955) is an American distance runner. He was born in Belleville, Illinois and grew up near Lebanon, Illinois. While in high school, Virgin won 5 state championships (two in cross country and three in track) ...

(the winner), Daniel Dillon, Kenneth Martin, Steve Plasencia, and Mark Anderson brought the Americans the silver medals. He began to focus on track running more and progressed up the national rankings, taking fifth in the

at the 1980 United States Olympic Trials then third at the 1981 USA Outdoors. He moved up the placings at the

1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held in Rome, Italy, at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle on March 21, 1982. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald. Complete results for men, junior men, women, medallis ...

in 27th overall, but the American team fared poorly in sixth. A fourth-place finish at the national championships meant he missed the 1983 World Championships in Athletics, but he still gained selection for the

1983 Pan American Games The 1983 Pan American Games were held in Caracas, Venezuela from August 14 to August 29, 1983. The games were the first major international competition to include relatively accurate steroid testing.Taylor, William N., ''Anabolic Steroids and the ...

, at which he came fifth. Clary was third in the 5000 m at the Olympic trials in 1984 and thus gained his first selection. At the

1984 Los Angeles Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

he came twelfth in the semi-finals. The only international individual medal of his career came at the newly launched 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games. At the event in Paris he was a close runner-up to Portugal's João Campos and took the silver medal.IAAF World Indoor Championships
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-14. He placed high nationally in the two following seasons, taking third in 1986 and fourth in 1987 at the national championships, but never competed at a major international event after that.

International competitions

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clary, Don 1957 births Living people Sportspeople from Anchorage, Alaska Track and field athletes from Alaska American male long-distance runners American male steeplechase runners Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1983 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Oregon Ducks men's track and field athletes Oregon Ducks men's cross country runners World Athletics Indoor Championships medalists Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States