Doug Padilla

Douglas Padilla (born October 4, 1956 in Oakland, California) is a former middle and long distance runner from the United States, who won the overall Grand Prix 1985 and the World Cup 5000m race in 1985.

[2] In the 1983 World Championships 5,000-metre final, Padilla was among the favourites, but he succumbed to the radically accelerating pace of top runners, such as Ireland's Eamonn Coghlan, East Germany's Werner Schildhauer and Finland's Martti Vainio, during the last lap.

By contrast, the fast 1984 Olympic 5,000-metre final was tough for Padilla already after 3,000 metres, and he painstakingly defeated New Zealand's John Walker who finished eighth.

While competing for the Cougars from 1978–81, he earned eight All-America citations and a National Championship in the indoor 2 Mile, regarded as one of the great moments in BYU Sports history.

While still a collegian, he was called on to race two athletes that were current world-record-holders: Henry Rono of Kenya and Washington State, and Suleiman Nyambui of Tanzania and UTEP.

[5] He still qualified for the 1991 World Athletics Championships 5,000-metre final in Tokyo, but there he ran very badly, finishing 14th and last - and losing to the winner, Kenya's Yobes Ondieki, by over 1 minute 20 seconds.

[7] Padilla is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[8] and currently serves in the bishopric of a young single adult ward.