Carter the only pres to do college XC/T&F?

[Mighty Favog]

Today is Jimmy Carter's 88th birthday. Is the man who The Simpsons once mockingly called "history's greatest monster" the only president who has participated in college track or cross country?

[DoubleRBar]

Jimmy Carter had his 88th birthday on October 1, 2012. As far as I know, yes, he is the only U.S. president to run college cross country (Naval Academy).

[aaronk]

When Sarah Palin becomes our President on January 20, 2017, she will be one of the few to have run HIGH SCHOOL track and cross county, not to mention playing point guard on her State Championship basketball team (and being team co-Captain, as I believe she was in CC and track!!).

I don't think she competed for her college team, but I'm pretty sure she was a runner, as she's been running since she was 6 or 7 years old.
Her dad ran the 1982 Boston Marathon.
She ran in the 2005 Humpy's Marathon in Anchorage, time of 3:59:36. (She was 41 then.)
And last year, on September 4th in Iowa, she ran a half-marathon in 1:46:10, a significantly better time than her marathon PR, despite being 6 years older, age 47!!

Looking forward to having a REAL runner in the White House!!

[catson52]

When Sarah Palin becomes our President on January 20, 2017, she will be one of the few to have run HIGH SCHOOL track and cross county, not to mention playing point guard on her State Championship basketball team (and being team co-Captain, as I believe she was in CC and track!!).

I don't think she competed for her college team, but I'm pretty sure she was a runner, as she's been running since she was 6 or 7 years old.
Her dad ran the 1982 Boston Marathon.
She ran in the 2005 Humpy's Marathon in Anchorage, time of 3:59:36. (She was 41 then.)
And last year, on September 4th in Iowa, she ran a half-marathon in 1:46:10, a significantly better time than her marathon PR, despite being 6 years older, age 47!!

Looking forward to having a REAL runner in the White House!!

The question is: who has the bigger crush on SP, aaronk or Zardari, President of Pakistan, and widower of Benazir Bhutto.

[bambam]

Best athlete among US Presidents - despite all the mocking he got on SNL for falling down - was definitely Gerald Ford. Played football at Michigan, had early NFL offers but turned them down, played in the College All-Star Game (top seniors played in pre-season against NFL champions - defunct since 1976).

I would rank Carter among the worst athletes of Presidents in the 20th century, but as a nuclear physicist, he would likely be the smartest President in the 20th century.

[dukehjsteve]

But if Paul Ryan ever becomes President, we'll have a sub-3 Marathoner in the White House !

[Tuariki]

But if Paul Ryan ever becomes President, we'll have a sub-3 Marathoner in the White House !

He will probably have improved to sub 2 by then.

[gh]

This looks like a semi-serious analysis of current politicians and their athletic chops:

http://eatrunswag.com/2012/11/06/electi ... ician-prs/

(I say semi-serious because they use Dukakis in the tank as his picture)