USATF Foundation Ultimate Art Auction spotlights Frank Shorter, American distance running legend

INDIANAPOLIS - The USA Track & Field Foundation has announced Frank Shorter will be among the distance running greats that will appear on a commissioned piece of art entitled, "Running Legends: A Signature Piece," honoring 12 of the greatest living American distance runners of all time. All proceeds from the auction will benefit USA Track & Field Foundation grant programs for emerging elite athletes and youth clubs.

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In addition to Frank, the piece created by renowned artist Roald Bradstock, includes the likenesses and original signatures of Joan Benoit Samuelson, Lynn Jennings, Billy Mills, Bill Rogers, Jim Ryun, Alberto Salazar, Steve Scott, Bob Schul, Mary Slaney, Dave Wottle and Craig Virgin.

Interested parties may bid on ebay.com beginning Friday, June 18 at 1:30 PM EST and ending on Sunday, June 27 at 1:30 PM EST, the last day of the Outdoor National Championships in Des Moines, IA. Please insert item number “130397667863” into the search box to access the auction web page.

Additionally, 25 limited edition prints (also with original signatures) will be available for purchase for $2,500. Interested parties may contact USATF Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic at tom.jackovic@usatf.org or (412) 398-2484 for more information.

FRANK SHORTER BIOGRAPHY:

Date of Birth: October 31, 1947
USATF Hall of Fame Induction: 1989

Events
3 Mile (12.52)
5,000 Meters (13:26.60)
10,000 Meters (27:45.91)
Marathon: (2:10.30)

Frank Shorter was a driving force in the distance running boom that started in the U.S. in the late 1970s. He captured the imagination of runners throughout the country and worldwide when he won the 1972 Olympic marathon, finishing more than two minutes ahead of his closest competitor. A Yale University graduate, Shorter won his first major championship when he took the NCAA six-mile title in 1969. The following year, he won the 10,000 meters in the USA-USSR dual meet. In 1971, he won both the 10,000 and the marathon at the Pan American Games and followed up by taking the first of four successive victories in Japan's prestigious Fukuoka Marathon. His crowning moment came in 1972 in Munich, the city of his birth. There, he finished fifth in the 10,000 meters before his victory in the marathon. A 24-time national champion, Shorter's 1972 Olympic win earned him the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete. In 1976, he took the silver medal in the Olympic marathon. Shorter earned a law degree in 1974 and later started his own athletic supply company. He also works in television as a sports commentator. Shorter was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984.

Championships
1972 Olympics: Marathon (1st Place)
1972 Olympics: 10,000 Meters (5th Place
1976 Olympics: Marathon (2nd Place)
1971 Pan-Am Games: Marathon (1st Place)
1971 Pan-Am Games: 10,000 Meters (1st Place)
1969 NCAA Championships: 6 Miles (1st Place)

Education
High School: Mount Hernon Academy (Northfield, Massachusetts), 1965
Undergraduate: Yale (New Haven, Connecticut), 1969

Occupation
Businessman
Sports Commentator
Drug Enforcement Administrator

The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track & field programs with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging elite athletes, distance training centers and anti-doping education. The Foundation depends upon donations from its Board of Directors and from generous fans of track & field.

FRANK SHORTER