Leslie MacMitchell

Thomas Leslie MacMitchell (September 26, 1920 – March 21, 2006) was an American athlete who competed in several events in the late 1930s and 1940s, including the mile run.

Born in New York City, MacMitchell suffered from diphtheria when he was seven years old; the illness forced him to be confined to a bed for four months, and to re-learn how to walk afterward.

MacMitchell was the Amateur Athletic Union's (AAU) champion of the 1500 meters, and won every cross country event he entered, the fourth consecutive year he did so.

[6] He built a streak of mile race wins that reached 19 in 1942, before Gil Dodds defeated him at the AAU national championship.

[10] MacMitchell had eight straight indoor victories in the mile, a streak ended with a second-place finish at the Chicago Relays, in which he fell during lap nine.

[11] Despite his wins, MacMitchell remained unsatisfied with his performance; he later attributed this to his military service, saying "Running on the steel deck of a light cruiser is not the best way to train.

In future years, he worked in multiple positions related to education, including a three-decade stint with the College Board.