Gary Morgan of Clarkston is a lifelong world competitive runner and race walker.
Morgan ran on the high school cross country team, and started competitive race-walking at age 15 at an Amateur Athletic Union event. He added climbing expeditions and has been competing or pacing distance events ever since, from Africa to Antarctica.
He was named Michigan Runner of the Year for 2017, and competed in the 2018 Elite Sport and Culture Week hosted by Tiffin University, Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital and Terra State Community College.
Morgan competed in the sport of race walking at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In addition to the 1988 Games, Morgan has represented Team USA on 17 occasions, including six Olympic time trials, the International Association of Athletics Federation World Racewalking Championships, the Goodwill Games and the PanAmerican Games. He carried the Olympic torch during the 1996 Atlanta and 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
When training, Morgan would start prepping for every race by devouring mass amounts of pasta the night before, with orange juice the morning of a competition.
He was awarded Athlete of the Year in 1997 by New York Athletic Club, and inducted in the Michigan Sport Hall of Fame as well. Other recognitions include achieving the Jackie Joyner Kersee Award for volunteering with track and field community services in 2011. Follow him on Twitter, @RunGaryRun.