1. James Ronald Ryun was born on April 29,1947 and is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner.
36 Facts About Jim Ryun
1. 2.
Jim Ryun won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes.
3.
Jim Ryun is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run.
4.
Jim Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007, representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district.
5.
In 1964, as a high school junior at Wichita East High School, Jim Ryun became the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes in the time of 3:59.0, when he took eighth place at the 1964 California Relays, the last under four minutes in a historic mass finish under 4:00.
6.
Jim Ryun's time of 3:55.3, set winning the 1965 AAU Championship race ahead of Olympic gold medalist and former WR holder Peter Snell, was a high school record that stood for 36 years.
7.
Jim Ryun ran five subfour-minute miles while in high school including the first subfour-minute mile run in a high school event, a 3:58.3, at the 1965 Kansas HS state meet.
8.
Jim Ryun was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1965.
9.
In 1966, at age 19, Jim Ryun set two world records, first in the half-mile, then the mile.
10.
In 1967, Jim Ryun set a world record in the indoor half mile and the outdoor mile from, a record that stood for almost eight years.
11.
In NCAA competition, Jim Ryun was the 1967 NCAA outdoor mile champion.
12.
Jim Ryun was the NCAA indoor mile champion in 1967,1968, and 1969.
13.
Jim Ryun still holds the American junior records at one mile and two miles.
14.
Jim Ryun participated in the 1964,1968, and 1972 Summer Olympics.
15.
Jim Ryun ended up running faster than that with a 3:37.8, but half-way through the race Keino had moved into the first position at world record pace.
16.
Jim Ryun continued to move up during the last two laps from eighth to second but was never closer than about 30 yards from Keino, who finished in 3:34.91, an Olympic record that would stand until 1984, despite the altitude.
17.
Jim Ryun pulled away to finish in 3:33.1, a record that stood for seven years.
18.
Jim Ryun's last race at the Olympics was a 1,500 m preliminary heat on September 8,1972.
19.
Jim Ryun fell after a collision with Ghana's Billy Fordjour as both trailed in the last 500 m Jim Ryun got up despite being 80 m behind and completed the heat, but finished 30 m in back of the pack and did not qualify for the final.
20.
Jim Ryun left amateur athletics after 1972, and for the next two years, ran professionally on the International Track Association circuit.
21.
In 1980, Jim Ryun was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and in 2003 into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame.
22.
Jim Ryun met his wife, Anne, when she asked him for an autograph after he broke the world record for the mile in Berkeley.
23.
Jim Ryun was first elected in 1996 to fill a seat vacated by Republican Sam Brownback.
24.
In March 2007, Jim Ryun confirmed that he would run for his old seat.
25.
Jim Ryun served on the Armed Services, Budget, and Financial Services committees.
26.
Jim Ryun broke with the President over two major initiatives, No Child Left Behind and Medicare reform legislation that included a prescription-drug benefit.
27.
In voting against No Child Left Behind, Jim Ryun said he believed states should have more control over their own education system.
28.
In opposing the Medicare bill, Jim Ryun said the bill did not provide enough reform to keep future costs from soaring.
29.
Jim Ryun was a member of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of 103 fiscally and socially conservative House Republicans.
30.
In 2005, Jim Ryun scored 0 percent on the Republicans for Environmental Protection scorecard.
31.
Jim Ryun voted with what the REP would consider pro-environment on none of the issues voted upon.
32.
Jim Ryun scored a 0 on the League of Conservation Voters's scorecard.
33.
In 2006, Jim Ryun improved his REP scorecard when he voted pro-environment on two of seven critical issues.
34.
Jim Ryun voted to help reduce the impact the Army Corps of Engineers had on the environment.
35.
On December 15,2000, Jim Ryun bought a townhouse in the District of Columbia from US Family Network for $410,000.
36.
In contrast, homes across the street from Jim Ryun's were sold for over $900,000.