•   Held the MN state high school mile record (4:05.1) for              39 years

•   Five-time All-American

•   Broke Big Ten records in seven categories

•   13^th place in 10,000m at the 1976 Olympics

•   Won 10 major road races in 1978

•   Inducted into the Road Runners Club of America’s Hall            of Fame in 1988

•   The Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth named the Garry                Bjorklund Half Marathon after him

Garry Bjorklund started his running career in high school, setting a Minnesota state record mile that lasted for 39 years with a time of 4:05.1. He represented the U.S. at the 1971 and 1975 Pan American Games as well as the 1976 Olympics, managing to make the 10,000m team in spite of losing a shoe during trials. Following his Olympic appearance, Garry became a marathon runner, earning fifth-place finishes in both the 1977 New York City Marathon and the 1979 Boston Marathon. By 1980, he had set a national age group record and personal best time of 2:10.20 at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth Minnesota. His strong road running during this time earned him a place in the Road Runners Club of America’s Hall of Fame in 1988. Garry has lived in Colorado since the late 1970s, training with the Colorado Track Club and running partner Frank Shorter.