Track & Field News postal competitions-the pre-internet era
        In 1957, decades before the internet era, T&F News, and a.k.a. “the Bible of Our Sport,”came up with the idea of annual fall national postal competitions for colleges, junior colleges, freshman, open, and high schools. The two-man ten mile relay consisted of alternating 440s (i.e. 20 laps each man) on the track. In addition, the high school competition featured a five-man two-mile total team time run on the track. A three mile run on the track for individual and five- man teams was added in the ‘60s for the colleges.
     The competition was initially limited to the month of November and results were mailed with Track & Field News presenting awards to the leaders in each division. In later years the window of competition was extended to mid-January. The entries climbed to a high of 117 in 1964. Southern California community colleges are well represented.
(editor’s note- research about the postal competitions is still in progress)

Two-man ten mile relay record (1957-65)

1. Kansas Univ. -41:10.8 (1965)  Jim Ryun and John Lawson (world, US,collegiate record)…they averaged 61.7 a lap with Lawson’s last lap in 58.5 and Ryun’s in 56.5.
*Jim Ryun held world records at 800, 1500 meters and the mile run.
2. San Jose State-42:09.6 (1961)  Jeff  Fishback (College of San Mateo) & Charlie Clark (Santa Ana CC-state mile, two mile winner in ’59 and set national JC mile, 4:11.6, and two mile, 9:05.1 records)… Fishback and Clark led San Jose State to back-to-back NCAA cross country titles in1962-3 (first California college to win a NCAA cross country title and the second college west of the Mississippi to ever win one-Oregon State won in ’61 with Dale Story, Santa Ana CC’s alum won the race).
3. USC-42:49.8 (1958)   Max Truex (two-time USC Olympian/American 10k record-holder/1957 NCAA Cross Country Champion) & Mal Robertson … - Truex averaged 62.9 seconds a lap.