He claimed the gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in the Men's 10,000 metres, and represented his native country in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Bickford won a gold medal in the 1989 United States Olympic Festival Half Marathon.

Bickford graduated from Lawrence High School of Fairfield, Maine where he began his climb to stardom under the direction of his late coach, David F. Martin.

Bickford played basketball in his freshman year of high school, and ran cross country for the first time as a sophomore.

In 1977, Bickford set and still holds one of Northeastern University's longest standing track records in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, with a time of 8:33.6.