Summary on Glenn Cunningham

Glenn Cunningham is An athlete who survived severe burns on his legs as a youth, Glenn Cunningham was one of the world's top middle distance runners during the 1930s, winning the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1933 as the nation's top amateur athlete.  At Kansas University, he won six Big-6 mile runs, two NCAA titles and eight AAU national titles. His durability and versatility earned him the nickname, "Kansas Ironman."

After winning the national collegiate and AAU championships in 1932, he placed fourth in the 1500 meters at the Los Angeles Olympics. He was even more successful in 1933, sweeping the 800 and 1500 meter runs at the AAU nationals, touring Europe and completing the season with an undefeated record in 20 races. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he finished second to Jack Lovelock of New Zealand in the 1500 meters. Two weeks later, he set a world record of 1:49.7 in the 800 meters