Harold Manning

Harold William Manning (January 9, 1909 – January 26, 2003) was an American long-distance runner. He held the American record in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase from 1934 to 1952 and briefly held the world best in 1936. He represented the United States in the steeplechase at the 1936 Summer Olympics, placing fifth.

Manning was born in Sedgwick, Kansas on January 9, 1909. He took up running as a schoolboy; in 1927, his senior year at Sedgwick High School, he won the mile run at both the Kansas state meet and the national interscholastic meet in Chicago. After graduating from high school Manning went to Wichita University on an athletic scholarship.

In 1929 Manning placed second in the two-mile run at the NCAA championships; he led for most of the way, but lost a close final lap duel against defending champion Dave Abbott of Illinois. At that year's United States outdoor championships, organized by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Manning placed third in the mile. Manning won the two miles at the 1930 NCAA meet, becoming Wichita University's first national champion; his winning time, 9:18.1, broke Abbott's meeting record from 1928 and missed Tell Berna's collegiate record from 1912 by only three-tenths of a second. Manning graduated from Wichita University in 1931.

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