Don Norman (born 21 October 1958) is an

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

n middle-distance and

long-distance running Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

athlete who was a winner or top finisher in multiple US marathons.

Career

Notable races

He was the 1985 winner of

Grandma's Marathon Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The ...

from

Two Harbors, Minnesota Two Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route in Two Harbors. Gooseberry ...

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

when he ran the second-fastest time of an American that year: 2:11:08. A few months later, with a sponsorship from

New Balance New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), best known as simply New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch ...

, he ran the

New York Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...

, he battled with

Orlando Pizzolato Orlando Pizzolato (born 30 July 1958) is a retired long-distance runner from Italy. Biography He represented his native country in the men's marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics, finishing in 16th place (2:15:20). His biggest success was twice ...

Hussein Ahmed Salah Hussein Ahmed Salah ( ar, حسين أحمد صلاح, so, Xuseen Axmed Saalax) is a Djiboutian former long-distance runner, best known for winning a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He also won silver medals in this eve ...

and

Pat Petersen Patrick Petersen (December 3, 1959 – May 31, 2015) was an American long-distance runner who once held the American record for the marathon, when he ran 2:10:04 at the 1989 London Marathon It was a record that stood for 9 years, until it was fin ...

to finish fourth, netting the 27-year-old $15,000 in prize winnings. In 1985, he was fourth in the Sydney Marathon in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. He also finished second in the Old Kent River Bank Run 25K with a 1:18:18. Norman was also the winner of the Charlotte Observer Marathon (1984), the

Charleston Distance Run The Charleston Distance Run is a road running event held annually in Charleston, West Virginia. The race starts in front of the West Virginia State Capitol on the Kanawha Boulevard. The course starts on the flats of the Boulevard before going acr ...

(1986, beating out Bill Rodgers, and 1988), and the Johnstown Marathon (1999) in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Norman ran the Olympic Trials Marathon in 1988. He had run the previous trials race (in 1984), but had dropped out. In his return to the trials, he stayed in, kept with the leaders, and finished sixth. The same year, he was a top finisher at the

Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run is an annual 10-mile (16 km) road race in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973 originally as a precursor training run for elite runners planning to compete in the Boston Marathon, the race has evolved over the y ...

Advocacy for the Pittsburgh Marathon

After several top finishes at the

Pittsburgh Marathon The Pittsburgh Marathon (also known as Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual road marathon usually held on the first Sunday in May in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States, first held in 1 ...

, Norman, a native Pennsylvanian, was dismayed to see the race fall on hard times and disappear. In the late 2000s he helped lead a group of organizers and who brought the race back to life.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norman, Don 1958 births Living people Sportspeople from Pennsylvania American male long-distance runners American male marathon runners Track and field athletes from Pennsylvania