Long-distance runner Ralph Hill was the first of many Oregon runners to gain widespread recognition.
He grew up in the farming community of Henley south of Klamath Falls and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1931, where he set a national record in the mile.
In 1932, he established a national record in the 5,000 meters and qualified for that event in the 1932 Olympics in the new Los Angeles coliseum. He ran against the world record holder, Lauri Lehtinen of Finland.
Nearing the finish, Hill attempted to pass Lehtinen at least three times, but the Finn kept crossing in front of him. Hill finished only three inches behind Lehtinen. The crowd booed and the judges deliberated an hour before awarding the gold medal to Lehtinen. Hill offered no protest, recognizing Lehtinen’s interference wasn’t intentional, and politely accepted the silver medal on the second step of the podium.
Hill suffered polio in 1953, but continued to farm in Henley. He’s been remembered more for his strength of character than he might have been if the gold medal had been stripped from Lehtinen.
Sources: "Oregon Cross Country/Track and Field History." GODUCKS.com. 6 Jan. 2004. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=30967; "Ralph Hill." findagrave.com. 10 June 2008. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. http://www.findagrave.com/egi-bin?page=gr&GRid=27452240; Vader, J E. "Olympic runner Ralph Hill demonstrates dignity in losing first place." characterqualitystories.com. Oregonian, Sept. 1994. Web. 29 Sept. 2015.
