KU’s Cunningham Captures 1500/Mile Twice

Glenn Cunningham of Kansas was considered the best American miler of all-time in the 1930s.

It’s only right that Cunningham became the first athlete to win a pair of 1500/mile titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1932 and 1933, both in meet (and American) record times: 3:53.0 in 1932 (1500) and 4:09.8 in 1933 (mile).

He followed up his 1933 NCAA mile win with a share of the 880-yard world record, finishing a same-time second to Chuck Hornbostel of Indiana in the closest anyone had yet come to double victories in the two middle-distance events. In fact, the first 880-mile double wasn’t accomplished until Ross Hume of Michigan did so 12 years later.

Cunningham’s bid for a third NCAA 1500/mile crown in 1934 looked to be in fabulous shape — when a week before the meet, he set a world record in the mile of 4:06.8 by almost one second to win the Princeton Invitational (It would remain the world record for more than three years). While Princeton star Bill Bonthron was a well-beaten second in that race, he made the Tigers’ first visit to the NCAA Championships special that same year with a memorable mile race – “one of the most sensational episodes of the day,” as reported by Brian Bell of the Associated Press.

Bonthron stuck with Cunningham until, on the last turn, he overtook him with a blazing sprint to win by nearly two seconds – 4:08.9 to 4:10.6. Bonthron’s last lap of 58.8 was impressive, especially considering the world mile record at the time was 4:06.8, which averages out to a 61.7 lap.

Cunningham would continue on to more glory, including Olympic silver in 1936 at 1500 meters. The native of Atlanta, Kansas, grew up in Elkhart — which is on the border with Colorado and Oklahoma and just 42 miles from Texas. The men’s mile race at the Kansas Relays is named after him.