Garry Bjorklund

As a high schooler, he set a Minnesota state record for the mile run which lasted 39 years.

Following his 1976 Summer Olympics appearance, Bjorklund became a marathon runner, and set a national age group record in 1980.

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, on April 22, 1951,[2] Bjorklund spent his early years in Twig, where he lived on a farm.

[6] The next year, at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, he claimed a victory in the six-mile run, setting a meet record with a time of 27:43.1.

The race was held at Eugene, Oregon's Hayward Field over almost 25 laps; the top three finishers would earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

[6][12] Despite only wearing one shoe, Bjorklund continued running, but with two laps remaining Rodgers had built a 30 m lead on him.

While Shorter and Virgin battled for the win, Bjorklund made up his deficit to Rodgers and overtook him, beating him to the finish line by less than a second.

[16] Bjorklund posted a fifth-place finish in the 1977 New York City Marathon, and was the early leader in 1978 before fading in the final eight miles.

[19] Due to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott by the U.S., Bjorklund was unable to run the marathon in the Games that year.

[21] By 1981, Bjorklund was the owner of a series of five stores selling running goods in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul region.