Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Great Jim Murphy Runs Last Lap Before Indoor Track Renovation
3/22/2024 1:14:00 PM | Track and Field
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- As the Academy's indoor track prepares for a massive renovation, it was only fitting that Air Force Athletics' Hall of Famer Jim Murphy (Class of 1966) officially closed the facility by taking one final lap around the oval – more than 56 years after being one of the first two runners to step onto the track inside the Cadet Field House.
Murphy, the current Coordinator of Officials for all Air Force home meets, was the Academy's first-ever NCAA champion, winning the 5000-meter run as a sophomore at the 1964 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Oregon. He went on to finish third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Michigan that fall and holds the distinction as Air Force's first All-American in both sports.
However, there is one other distinction that sets Murphy apart …
In late January 1968, Murphy and the late Mike Ryan – another Academy standout who would go on to become that year's NCAA cross country champion – were coming back from a late winter training run when they saw lights on inside the area now known as the Cadet Field House Indoor Track – but then, just a construction site not scheduled to open until April. Despite the apparent closure, Murphy and Ryan entered the building and, with just two lights shining over the freshly-installed track surface, completed the first lap on the track and became part of the facility's folklore.
So, on March 21, 2024, with his family and the current Air Force track and field team lining the track before providing a tunnel to the finish line, Murphy took the final lap around the historic venue that had remained mostly unchanged since it was first dedicated 56 years ago.
When the renovations are complete in December 2025, the Cadet Field House Indoor Track will feature a state-of-the-art, hydraulic-banked 200-meter track and all new equipment, as well as an oversized practice track and new scoreboard. The facility will also feature upgraded restrooms for competitors and several new spaces designed specifically for the Falcons – including a track-level training room, a larger team room, complete with a theater for video analysis, and expanded areas for equipment and storage.
Murphy, the current Coordinator of Officials for all Air Force home meets, was the Academy's first-ever NCAA champion, winning the 5000-meter run as a sophomore at the 1964 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Oregon. He went on to finish third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Michigan that fall and holds the distinction as Air Force's first All-American in both sports.
However, there is one other distinction that sets Murphy apart …
In late January 1968, Murphy and the late Mike Ryan – another Academy standout who would go on to become that year's NCAA cross country champion – were coming back from a late winter training run when they saw lights on inside the area now known as the Cadet Field House Indoor Track – but then, just a construction site not scheduled to open until April. Despite the apparent closure, Murphy and Ryan entered the building and, with just two lights shining over the freshly-installed track surface, completed the first lap on the track and became part of the facility's folklore.
So, on March 21, 2024, with his family and the current Air Force track and field team lining the track before providing a tunnel to the finish line, Murphy took the final lap around the historic venue that had remained mostly unchanged since it was first dedicated 56 years ago.
When the renovations are complete in December 2025, the Cadet Field House Indoor Track will feature a state-of-the-art, hydraulic-banked 200-meter track and all new equipment, as well as an oversized practice track and new scoreboard. The facility will also feature upgraded restrooms for competitors and several new spaces designed specifically for the Falcons – including a track-level training room, a larger team room, complete with a theater for video analysis, and expanded areas for equipment and storage.
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