As part of its annual summer camp, the Cal U cross country program will host a talk by distance runner Billy Mills at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.
The Cal U community and the general public may register to attend this free event.
At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Mills became the only American to win the gold medal in the 10,000 meter run — a distinction he still holds today.
A member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe, Mills was the second Native American, behind Jim Thorpe, to win an Olympic gold medal.
His winning time of 28:24.4 set a new Olympic record for the event and was almost 50 seconds faster than he had run before. Many experts consider Mills’ victory one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.
Mills was a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve when he competed in the 1964 Olympics. As a student, he was a three-time NCAA All-American in cross country, and he helped the University of Kansas track and field team win consecutive NCAA outdoor national championships in 1959 and 1960.
Mills’ story was told in the 1983 feature film Running Brave. He received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2012.
Seating is limited for the talk. To register, e-mail cross country/track and field coach Daniel Caulfield at caulfield@calu.edu.