Marty Krulee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marty Krulee (born November 4, 1956), is an American "World Class"[1] track and field athlete, primarily known for running sprint races. While never achieving outstanding results, he is best known for an extended career in International competition.[2] While the 100 metres was his primary outdoor event, decades after his elite career he still ranks on the world list at 200 metres.[3] Krulee ran extensively in Europe during the annual track circuit, achieving the Swedish national championship in the 100 metres three years in a row, when he was already in his 30s. He also won the 200 metres[4] and indoor 60 metres twice each.[5]
Krulee was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, but was brought up in San Jose, California, where he attended Branham High School and West Valley College[6] in Saratoga, California. As a young athlete, he was constantly overshadowed by another contemporary area athlete, Millard Hampton who went on to win a Silver Medal in the 200 metres and Gold Medal in the 4x100 metre relay in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He barely made the varsity team as a sprinter his senior year of high school. Krulee went on to attend San Diego State University and competed with the track team as a walk-on. At that level, he was again overshadowed by future World Number One sprinter Clancy Edwards who competed for the nearby University of Southern California. He made the semi-finals in the 1978 NCAA Championships and the1980 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) against some of the top sprinters in the world.[7] As frequently the only white American sprinter in a field, Krulee felt he "stood out like a sore thumb."[8] In Europe, he found he could hold his own against the top international sprinters.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
He split his time between the United States and living in Europe eventually applying for both Finnish[15] and Swedish citizenship[16] in order to have a chance to run in the Olympics and European Championships where he would face less competition from other American sprinters (because a single country is only allowed three entrants).
Other than for injuries, he's never stopped running. He's won multiple United States[17] and World Masters Athletics Championships[18] and is still one of the top sprinters in his age group.[19]