Ron Freeman: From Adversity to Olympic Glory
From a student once told he couldn’t compete… to an Olympic medalist who helped shatter a world record.
Ron Freeman didn’t just run races — he closed gaps, rewrote expectations, and delivered one of track & field’s most legendary relay legs. Inducted into the Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame (1998), Freeman remains one of Elizabeth’s most inspiring athletic stories.
Quick Highlights
- EAHOF Induction: 1998
- Olympics: 1968 — Bronze Medal (400m)
- Relay Legacy: Key leg in USA 4x400m world record (2:56.16)
- College: Arizona State University — Western Athletic Conference 400m Champion (3 consecutive years)
- Notable Split: 43.2 seconds in the 4x400m relay (historic at the time)
Ron Freeman Biography
It has been said that adversity builds stamina and character. That certainly proved true for Ron Freeman. Underweight as an infant and later told during his senior year at Jefferson High School that he had a heart condition that would prevent him from participating in sports, Freeman refused to accept limitations placed upon him. After extensive examinations and persistent effort, he found a path forward in outdoor track and field.
Freeman went on to win the United States High School 440-Yard Dash Championship, becoming the number one high school 440-yard runner in the world.
At Arizona State University, he became the Western Athletic Conference 400-meter champion for three consecutive years. Between his second and third conference titles, he earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. His time of 44.4 seconds was the fastest time ever run in lane one at the time — a lane known to produce slower results due to tighter curves.
While Freeman’s achievements in the 400 were remarkable, his performance in the 4×400-meter relay became legendary. When he received the baton, Team USA trailed Kenya by five meters. Freeman rapidly closed the gap, then surged past the Kenyan runner on the backstretch. His split of 43.2 seconds was the fastest relay-leg 400 time in track and field history at the time and stood for many years.
The United States finished in 2:56.16, shattering the world record by more than three seconds — a mark that stood for 25 years.
Beyond competition, Freeman dedicated years to inspiring others through motivational lectures delivered on behalf of major corporations including Blue Cross–Blue Shield, New Jersey Bell Telephone, Xerox, AT&T, and the United States Mint. In 1984, he represented the M&M Mars Corporation during the Los Angeles Olympic Games as a member of the Olympic Spirit Team. His speaking engagements took him around the world, addressing youth in more than fifty countries.
Ron Freeman later worked as a fundraiser and lecturer, partnered in an international track & field camp for youth, and operated a speakers bureau composed of Olympic athletes.
Source Note
This timeline entry is adapted from the Elizabeth Athletic Hall of Fame Journal (1998 Inductees), used as a primary archival source.
