Gerry Lindgren

Kāne Ng-Osorio on November 16, 2023

Olympian Gerald “Gerry” Paul Lindgren moved to Hawaii 44 years ago in 1980.  He has been active in the local running community coaching runners in his own Coconut Runners Club both on the track and road for many years.  He also led the 4-mile run from Niketown every Wednesday for more than 10 years until the store closed.  More recently he has coached for the Hawaii Running Project.  He has given talks to cross country teams at local high schools, at Mid-Pacific Road Runner events and has coached runners everywhere over the internet.  

Gerry’s running accomplishments as a world class champion during high school, college and beyond are well documented.  By the time Gerry moved to Hawaii he could no longer compete in national/ international competitions, plagued by injuries that hampered him throughout his career.  Still, he entered many local races often winning his age group and completed 14 Honolulu marathons.  

“I couldn’t let America down. I had to do my best.”

In 2022, the Collegiate Athlete Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame inducted Gerry in their inaugural event.  At the induction banquet they mentioned the 1964 USSR vs US Dual meet where the then 18-year-old in his first international meet beat the Russians in the 10,000.   At the time considered one of the greatest accomplishments in U.S. track history.  “I knew people would judge our system by this one race.  I couldn’t let America down.  I had to do my best.”

Another notable race occurred in 1969 at the Hawaii Invitational, AAU International Track and Field Championships, 2-mile race at Honolulu (Punahou track) between 18-year-old Steve Prefontaine, 23-year-old Gerry Lindgren, Frank Shorter and Marty Liquori.  Gerry wins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csZGZZMLkOc

Some say, possibly America’s greatest ever high school distance runner.

Highlights of Gerry’s running career:

  • 8 high school world records
    • 5000-meter record that stood for 40 years until 2004 (13:44, 2nd all-time U.S.)
    • Indoor two-mile record that stood for 49 years until 2013 (8:40, 2nd all-time in-doors, PR-8:34 in 1967)
  • 1964 Track and Field News Highschool Athlete of the Year
  • 1964 US-USSR Dual Meet (10,000, 29:17)
  • 1964 U.S. Olympic trials, Gold-10,000 (29:02)
  • 1964 Tokyo Olympics (10,000, 29:20)
  • 1965 World record – 6 miles (27:11)
  • 1967 USA Outdoor Championships: 3000 (1st), 3 miles (1st)
  • 1968 and 1972 U.S. Olympic trials
  • 1969 Hawaii Invitational 2-mile race, AAU International Track and Field Championship (8:45)
  • 11 time Collegiate All American
  • 11 NCAA championships/tittles.  Won all but one NCAA races he entered, the most in history at the time.
    • 1st 3-time individual winner of the NCAA cross country championships.
    • 1st collegiate distance triple crown – titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in the same academic year 1966-67.
    • Three-straight titles in both the 3-mile/5000 meters and 6-mile/10,000 meters outdoors, the first to do so in either event.
  • 57 American records – 3,000 (7:58), 5,000 (13:33), 10,000 (28:40), and 3-mile (12:53). He set the American records twice each in the 3,000 and 5,000.  Records encompass outdoor, indoor and cross-country.
  • 11 American high school records – 3,000 indoors (8:06), 10,000 (29:17), and 3-mile (13:17)
    • 1-mile (4:01) 2nd fastest in history in 1964

Inducted into the:

  • National High School Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1964
  • Washington State University Hall of Fame in 1978
  • Washington State Sports Hall of Fame in 1979
  • Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1999
  • National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004
  • National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2006
  • Collegiate Athlete Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame Inaugural event in 2022
  • Hawaii Running Hall of Fame in 2024

Although Gerry’s most notable running achievements were outside of Hawaii when he was younger, it is through that experience and dedication to running that inspired those that ran with and were coached by him in Hawaii.  His induction into the Hawaii Running Hall of Fame is to recognize him for a lifetime of achievement representing the U.S and therefore Hawaii on the world and national stage as well as his many years of contributing to the local running community.

Gerry works at the University of Hawaii in the Building and Maintenance Department and lives in Hawaii Kai.  He enjoys gardening and is immensely proud of his Koi pond.