Jeff Wells (born 25 May 1954
) is a marathon runner and pastor, originally from
Madisonville, Texas
Madisonville is a city in Madison County, Texas, Madison County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,420 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Madison County, Texas, Madison County. Both the City of Madisonville and the County of Mad ...
, United States.
Running
Wells attended
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
, majored in history, and was named an All-American four times in cross country and track.
Wells finished first in the 1976
Houston Marathon
The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently wi ...
,
the 1976 Dallas
White Rock Marathon
The Dallas Marathon (formerly known as the Dallas White Rock Marathon and also known as the BMW Dallas Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon road running event usually hosted in December by Dallas, Texas, and is having been hel ...
,
the 1977
Honolulu Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon (branded JAL Honolulu Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is a marathon (26.2 miles or 42.2km) in Honolulu, Hawaii, first held in 1973. It is one of the world's largest marathons, taking place annually on the second Sunday i ...
,
the 1977
and 1979
Nike OTC Marathon
The Nike OTC Marathon (sometimes styled "Nike/Oregon Track Club Marathon") was a marathon held annually from 1973–1984 in Eugene, Oregon. It was organized by the Oregon Track Club (OTC) and sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike.
The women's world record ...
s,
the 1980
Stockholm Marathon
The Stockholm Marathon, known as the adidas Stockholm Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon arranged in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1979. It serves as the Swedish marathon championship race. At the 2009 Stockholm Marathon more t ...
,
and the 1985 Wang New Zealand Marathon.
He came in second place to
Bill Rodgers, by just two seconds, in the closest Boston Marathon finish to date, at the 1978
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
, finishing in his fastest-ever marathon time of 2:10:15.
Wells's time was either the third- or fourth-fastest by an American to that date, behind three runs by Rodgers, one of which was on a New York Marathon course later found to be shorter than the standard marathon length.
He finished fifth, in 2:13:16, at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Buffalo, New York, and fourth in the Olympic Trials 10,000-meter run in the same year.
He was the top American finisher, finishing 24th overall, at the
1977 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior men's race.
Pastor
Wells is the founding pastor of the WoodsEdge Community Church in Spring, Texas.
Achievements
Source: ARRS
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Jeff
American male marathon runners
1954 births
Living people
Rice University alumni
People from Madisonville, Texas