Tony Sandoval
Anthony B. Sandoval (born May 19, 1954) is a former world-class marathon runner, most noted for winning the 1980 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials, in the year the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Olympics. Sandoval's 2:10:19 performance in Buffalo, New York, on May 24, 1980, was a US Olympic Trials record and faster than the 1980 Olympic Marathon winning time of 2:11:03.[1]
Career
[edit]
Competing for the Stanford Cardinal track and field team, Sandoval finished 8th in the 10,000 m at the 1974 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[2]
In his first attempt to make the Olympic team "Sandoval took a crack at the '76 Olympic Marathon Trial. He'd run a 2:19 debut in Phoenix the previous December. In the trial, held in Eugene, Oregon, Sandoval ran well but it was his first near-miss: fourth-place [with the top three making the team] in 2:14:58."[3]
In the late 1970s, Sandoval worked towards becoming a medical doctor and competed in marathons on unusually light training. Following the 1976 trials, he trained by running 35 miles per week and ran "a 2:14:37 for second place at the Nike-Oregon Track Club Marathon in Eugene in 1978. After that, he ran 2:15:23 for 15th place in the Boston Marathon in 1979."[citation needed]
In September 1979, Sandoval finished the Nike OTC Marathon tied for first with Jeff Wells with a time of 2:10:20,[4][5] with the two runners crossing the finish line hand-in-hand.[4][6]
Sandoval's lifetime best for 10,000 meters came at the Mt. Sac relays in 1984, where he ran 27:47.0 for fifth place. Sandoval was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame in 1999.[7]
Sandoval is currently a cardiologist in Los Alamos, New Mexico, US.[8]
Sandoval is referenced in the 2010 novel Again to Carthage by John L. Parker Jr.[9]
Achievements
[edit]| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the  United States | |||||
| 1976 | United States Olympic Trials | Eugene, Oregon | 4th | Marathon | 2:14:58 |
| 1980 | United States Olympic Trials | Buffalo, New York | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:19 |
| 1981 | New York City Marathon | New York, United States | 6th | Marathon | 2:12:12 [10] |
References
[edit]- ↑ USA Track & Field (2004). "2004 USA Olympic Team Trials: Men's Marathon Media Guide Supplement" (PDF). Santa Barbara, California: USA Track & Field. p. 9.
- ↑ "10,000 meters at the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships". USTFCCCA. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ↑ "Tony Sandoval Wins the 1980 U.S. Men's Olympic Trials But Not a Trip to Moscow". Runner's World. 1980-08-01. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- 1 2 Moore, Kenny (September 17, 1979). "The Quick In A Dead Heat". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Nathan Martin’s 2:11:05 At The Marathon Project Is The Fastest Marathon By A Black Man Born In The United States". CITIUS MAG. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Johno, R. T. (2017-10-08). "The marathon that never was - A look back at the 1980 Olympic marathon". Runner's Tribe. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "RRCA Hall of Fame 1990-1999". Road Runners Club of America. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ↑ Bloom, Marc (2005-05-23). "At 51, a Marathoner Has Shed the Weight of Disappointment". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Parker, John L. Jr. (2010). Again to Carthage. Simon and Schuster. p. 343. ISBN 9781439192498.
- ↑ https://www.arrs.run/MaraRank/ATM_Mara1981.htm Course 150 m short on remeasurement
