Education
In 1962, he finished 4th at the Fukuoka Marathon in an American Record time of 2:18:57, making him the first American to run under 2:20 for the marathon.
In 1962, he finished 4th at the Fukuoka Marathon in an American Record time of 2:18:57, making him the first American to run under 2:20 for the marathon.
Based in England for most of his prime competitive years, in 1963 Edelen became the first man to run a marathon faster than 2 hours and 15 minutes when he set a world record of 2:14:28. Edelen"s promise in the marathon was evident early in his career. He was also the first American under 30:00 for the 10,000 m run.
On July 15, 1963 Edelen ran 2:14:28 at the Polytechnic Marathon (run from Windsor to Chiswick, England) to establish a new World Record.
That record stood just two days short of a year, as England"s Basil Heatley ran 2:13:56 at the 1964 Polytechnic Marathon (which was held on July 13). Edelen was the first American to hold the world record since 1925, and (excepting Alberto Salazar"s 2:08:13 at the 1981 New York City Marathon, which later proved to be short) the last until naturalized American Khalid Khannouchi (originally from Morocco) broke his own World Record at the London Marathon in 2002.
While born in Kentucky, Edelen attended high school in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota before graduating from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1955. He then attended the University of Minnesota.