2021 Hall of Fame
Tom McCormack
Tom McCormack was already a well-established Club Runner in his native home of Ireland when he left in September 1973 and came to East Tennessee State University to become a member of ETSU's famed "Irish Brigade".
His SFTC involvement includes being a two-time King of the Road Winner in 1981 and 2014 (in which his 2014 average time of 29:42 is the fastest K & Q of all time. Tom's average world percent of 90.51% is world class
However, Tom's greatest success is as a nationally recognized master's runner who's won several USATF age group championships. He was featured in a Runner's World Magazine March 26, 2014 article titled: "Tom McCormack is Swift at 60" which stated: "How did Tom McCormack... suddenly become the best 60-year-old road racer in the United States and probably the World." He was the individual USATF Grand Prix champion in the 60-64 age group for 2014 when he was named USATF Male Masters Runner of the Year. The award goes to the outstanding male masters long distance runner in the United States, and all runners 40 and older are considered.
Some of Tom McCormack's USATF & National Championship Results are:
At the 2013 USATF Masters Cross Country Championship 5K in Flemington, New Jersey, he placed first in the 60-64 age group with a time of 17:17. He was second in the age-graded category at 92.83%. Later that year, he placed first in the 60-64 age group at the USA National 12K Road Racing Championships in Alexandria, VA., finishing in 43:04. His time broke the U.S. age-group record, eclipsing the record of 43:43 from 2000. He was age graded at 93.79% which included all runners aged 40 and older.
At the USATF Masters 10K Championships held in Dedham, MA on April 27, 2014, he placed first in the 60-64 age group in a time of 36:02. He placed 2nd overall in the age-graded category at 92.68%, which included all runners aged 40 and older.
At the July 17-20, 2014 USATF National Masters Track & Field Championship held at Winston Salem, NC, he placed first in the 60-64 age group in the 5,000 meters in a time of 17:23:38 and also placed first in the 60-64 age group in the 10,000 meters in a time of 36:38:39.
At the USATF Masters 1-mile Championships on August 22, 2014 in Flint, Michigan, he placed first in the 60-64 age group in a time of 5:03.
At the USATF Masters 5K Championships held in Syracuse, NY on October 5, 2014 he placed first in the 60-64 age group at age 61 with a time of 16:58. This was new United States age group record.
At the USATF Masters 5K Cross Country Championships held at Carmel, IN he placed first in the 60-64 age group at age 61 in a time of 18:20.
At the November 16, 2014 USA 12K Road Racing Championships in Alexandria, VA he placed in the 60-64 age group at age 61 in a time of 42:50. This was new United States age group record. He was also the age-graded champion which included all runners aged 40 and older.
At the February 22, 2015 USATF Masters 8K Championships at Brea, CA, he placed second in the 60-64 age group in a time of 28:20.
At the Road Runner Clubs of America National 5K Cross Country Championships held in Spartanburg, SC on August 13, 2016, he was the overall Masters Champion in a time of 18:31 at age 62.
At the November 6, 2016 USATF Masters Cross Country Championships held in Tallahassee, FL, he was first in the 60-64 age group in a time of 17:47 at age 63.
At the USATF 2018 Masters 5K Championships held in Atlanta, GA on August 18, 2018, he finished fourth in the 60-64 age group two weeks before in 65th birthday in a time of 17:53.
Tom also holds Tennessee state age-group records for the mile at ages 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62, and holds 5K marks at ages 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, and 64.
His lifetime personal records include: 1 Mile in 4:08, 5K in 14:58, 4 Mile in 19:39, 10K in 30:15, and Half Marathon in 1:06:52