43 Facts About Paul Cummings

Paul Richard Cummings was a world-class middle and long distance runner who ran competitively from the 1,500 meters to the marathon, breaking several American records and one world record.

Paul Cummings was born in Tempe, Arizona but his family moved to Santa Maria, California when he was 11 years old.

Paul Cummings played basketball in junior high, and wanted to continue in high school, but failed to make the team.

Paul Cummings was recruited by several top universities and chose to attend Brigham Young University.

Paul Cummings was named All-American five years in a row while running on the Brigham Young University Track and Cross Country teams.

Paul Cummings recovered, and by his junior year became the NCAA champion in the mile run.

Paul Cummings was the first runner from the Intermountain West to break the Four-minute mile barrier.

Paul Cummings wanted to serve a two-year LDS mission, but since LDS Missions are served voluntarily and missionaries serve without compensation, he was unable to raise the required funds.

Paul Cummings did this well and shared his beliefs with many athletes and friends.

Paul Cummings was invited to several of the most prestigious track and field meets during the 1970s.

Paul Cummings won events at the Millrose Games, the Sunkist Invitational, the LA Times Indoor Games, the Jack in the Box Indoor Games, the Modesto Relays, and other events.

Paul Cummings ran in the Millrose Games Wanamaker Mile in 1974,1975,1976, and 1977, winning the event in 1976 in a Millrose Games record time of 3:57.6.

Also in 1977, Paul Cummings, representing the US, won the mile at Canada's Tri-Country indoor track and field meet, competing against Canada and the Soviet Union.

In January 1978 at the Muhammad Ali Track and Field Invitational at the Long Beach Arena in California, Paul Cummings broke the indoor American record for the 1500 meters by.

Paul Cummings set an American Record with a time of 3:37.6.

Paul Cummings ran at a time when there was very little financial support for athletes after college.

Paul Cummings worked at a steel mill rebuilding open hearth furnaces to support his family and ran for the Tobias Striders, Beverly Hills Striders and Pacific Coast track clubs to maintain his amateur status.

In 1984, Paul Cummings won the US Olympic Trials in the 10,000 Meter run in Los Angeles, CA and finally became a member of the US Olympic Team.

Paul Cummings was able to compete in the 10,000 meter run at the Olympics held in Los Angeles, but did not make the finals.

Paul Cummings suffered from allergies that hindered his performance at the games.

In 1981, Paul Cummings shifted his focus from track to road racing.

Paul Cummings won the St George Marathon again in 1982.

On June 5,1982, Paul Cummings ran his PR in the 5,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic track meet in Eugene, Oregon, running against some of the best American middle distance runners of the time, including Matt Centrowitz, Alberto Salazar and Doug Padilla.

Paul Cummings ran towards the front for most of the race and ran 13:19.62, a Personal Record by 9 seconds, and just short of the American Record set by Matt Centrowitz in the same race.

Paul Cummings was very busy and successful running road races in 1983.

Paul Cummings ran in the Boston Marathon with the lead pack for the first 10 miles of the race.

Paul Cummings set an American Record in the 15K by almost 28 seconds at the Cascade Run Off in Portland, Oregon on June 26,1983.

Paul Cummings placed in the top 10 at Spokane Washington's Bloomsday 12K Run.

On September 25,1983, Paul Cummings set the World Record in the Half marathon at the Dayton River Corridor Classic in Dayton, Ohio, with a time of 1:01:32.

Paul Cummings represented Converse shoes beginning in 1984 and was included in Runner's World Magazine's list of the top 20 highest paid runners, ranked 15th worldwide, in 1984.

Paul Cummings is the only runner to finish second in San Francisco's Bay to Breakers 12K road race three years in a row.

On March 15,1987, Paul Cummings broke the American Record in the 20K, at New Bedford, Massachusetts, in a time of 59.13.

Paul Cummings won the US Master's National Championship for the Marathon in 1993 at the Twin Cities Marathon.

Paul Cummings was awarded the USA Track and Field Master's Age Division Runner of the Year in 1993.

Paul Cummings won the 1994 Walt Disney World Marathon Master's division in 2:27:50.

Paul Cummings explored the outer reaches of human endurance in his road race and marathon training, approaching the legendary endurance strategies of Gerry Lindgren.

Paul Cummings ran up to 240 miles in one week, training three times a day with runs of 13 miles in the morning, 14 in the afternoon, and another 13 in the evening for six days.

Paul Cummings was inducted into the Brigham Young University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986.

Paul Cummings was inducted into the Dayton Distance Running Hall of Fame, in 1986 for his 1983 Half Marathon World Record Performance in Dayton, Ohio.

Paul Cummings was posthumously inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Paul Cummings enjoyed fishing, especially with his best friend Jay Woods.

Paul Cummings was married for 27 years to Debra Gaye Anhder.

Paul Cummings is interred at the Lehi City Cemetery, Lehi, Utah.