Herb Lindsay (born November 12, 1954) is an American former

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

. He competed in

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

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 coun ...

disciplines. He was the silver medalist in the 5000-meter run at the

1979 Pan American Games The 1979 Pan American Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Panamericanos de 1979''), officially the VIII Pan American Games were a multi-sport event governed by the Panam Sports Organization, and were held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from July 1 to July 15 ...

, finishing behind compatriot

Matt Centrowitz Matthew Centrowitz (born January 28, 1955) is a two-time Olympic distance runner, a four-time United States champion, a collegiate All-American, a nationally renowned high school athlete, and a collegiate cross country and track coach. Life an ...

. He also represented his country at the 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, coming 69th overall and sixth in the team rankings.

Career

Born in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, he grew up in a rural area in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, then Reed City. He was the youngest of six children, with three older sisters and two brothers. He attended Reed City High School and began racing there, earning high school state championships in cross country and distance track events. After gaining a track scholarship, he competed athletically for the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

and was an NCAA All-American for them in cross country in 1974 and 1976. He placed third at the 1976 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships. He was a one-time national champion, taking the

10K run 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

American title in 1979, becoming the second man to win the title after

Bill Rodgers (runner) William Henry Rodgers (born December 23, 1947) is an American runner, Olympian, and former record holder in the marathon. Rodgers is best known for his four victories in both the Boston Marathon, including three straight from 1978 to 1980, and ...

. Lindsay's winning time of 28:35 minutes remained the championship best until 1996, when it was beaten by Matt Giusto. His best national placing on the track was at the 1979 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he was third in the 5000 m. He also won a 5000 m title at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1979 and was the 1979 runner-up at the

USA Cross Country Championships The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as ...

behind

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, whe ...

.Herb Lindsay

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

. Retrieved on 2016-04-08. On the road running circuit, Lindsay was highly successful, with his best performance being a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

of 61:47 minutes for the

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a town in, and one of two shire towns (county seats) of, Bennington County, Vermont. The population was 4,484 at the 2020 census. Manchester Village, an incorporated village, and Manchester Center are settlement centers within ...

in 1981. This record stood for one day short of a year, with

Michael Musyoki Michael Musyoki (born May 28, 1956) is a retired long-distance runner from Kenya. He won the bronze medal in 10,000 metres at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Running career Collegiate Musyoki was recruited by University of Texas at El Paso, a school ...

knocking eleven seconds of the record. During his career he won the

Saint Silvester Road Race The Saint Silvester Road Race ( pt, Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre) is a long-distance running event, the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil. Regarded as the main international event in Latin American athletics, the Brazi ...

Bolder Boulder The Bolder Boulder (styled as BOLDERBoulder and previously BolderBOULDER) is an annual 10-kilometer run in Boulder, Colorado. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the second largest 10k race ...

, Fifth Third River Bank Run, the Crim 10-miler (three times) and the Cascade Run Off (twice). He was also runner-up at the

Falmouth Road Race The Falmouth Road Race is an annual road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights. The race organizer is Falmouth Road Race, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that puts on the race e ...

twice. He played a part in

professionalization Professionalization is a social process by which any tradesman, trade or occupation transforms itself into a true "profession of the highest integrity and competence." The definition of what constitutes a profession is often contested. Professional ...

of the sport, with races between him and other top road racers such as

Frank Shorter Frank Charles Shorter (born October 31, 1947) is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. His Olympic success, along with the ac ...

and Stan Mavis leading to the setting up of trust funds, allowing them to be paid yet retain their amateur (and thus Olympics-eligible) status.Meyer, John (2010-05-30)
Former Boulder runner Herb Lindsay recalls the era of "shamateurism"
''

Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...

''. Retrieved on 2016-04-08.

International competitions

National titles

*USA 10K Championships: 1979United States Championships (Men 1943-)
Retrieved on 2016-04-08.

Circuit wins

: 1979 *

: 1984 * Fifth Third River Bank Run: 1981 *

Crim Festival of Races The Crim Festival of Races is an annual road running event with several races and walking events. The original distance was and is the marque race as "The Crim" with its infamous Bradley Hills and blue line to keep runners on course. The Crim has ...

: 1979, 1980, 1981 * Cascade Run Off: 1979, 1980

References

External links

*
All-Athletics profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay, Herb Living people 1954 births American male long-distance runners Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games World record setters in athletics (track and field) Michigan State Spartans men's track and field athletes Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Sportspeople from Grand Rapids, Michigan People from Reed City, Michigan Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games