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Phil Coppess (born September 2, 1954) is an American former long-distance runner. Coppess went to high school in Oxford Junction, Iowa where he was a standout runner. Coppess won the State Boys' Outdoor Track & Field 2-mile run in 1971; he won the State Cross Country in 1971; the State Cross Country Individual Mile in 1971; the State Boys' Indoor Track & Field 2-mile run in 1972; and the State Boys' Outdoor Track & Field 2-mile run in 1972.

In the mid-1980s, he was one of the best US marathon runners, although he worked full-time in a factory and was a single parent. In 1981 he won the Chicago Marathon and the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville. In 1982 he finished sixth in the London Marathon. In 1985 he won the Twin Cities Marathon with his personal best of 2:10:05, one of the fastest times ever run by an American. The time set a course record that stood for 33 years until broken by Kenyan Dominic Ondoro.

In 1985, Coppess was named the Road Runner of the Year by the Road Runners Club of America.

References

1. "The 5th Chicago Marathon: Sept. 27, 1981". The Chicago Tribune. 27 September 1981. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
2. Chin, Richard (5 October 2013). "Most Marathoners Don't Know His Name, But They Are All Chasing Him". St. Paul, Minnesota: Pioneer Press. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
3. "Chicago Marathon History". FloTrack. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
4. Barker, Sarah (3 October 2012). "Self-Made Runner Remains in the Lead 27 Years Later". New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
5. "RRCA ROAD RUNNER OF THE YEAR AWARD". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 13 April 2021.

External links

• Phil Coppess at World Athletics
• Phil Coppess at ARRS

• 1954 births
• Living people
• American male marathon runners
• Chicago Marathon male winners
• Track and field athletes from Iowa
• 20th-century American sportsmen