Bobby Curtis (runner)
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bobby" M. Curtis (born November 28, 1984) is an American distance runner formerly of Villanova University
. A multiple-time Big East champion and All-American in both cross country
and track and field
, Curtis's greatest collegiate achievement came in 2008, when he won the NCAA Division I national championship in the 5000m. He is currently a professional runner for Reebok
.
In his senior year (2007–08) at Villanova, Curtis enjoyed his greatest success. He won the 2007 Big East championship in cross country and finished fourth at that year's NCAA Championships, again earning All-American honors. In the spring, he won his second-consecutive NCAA East Regional 5000m, and at the national championships, he posted a personal best time of 13:33.93 to win the race, his first national title as a collegian. His win made him Villanova's first outdoor individual national champion since Sydney Maree won the 1500m at the 1981 nationals. Curtis left Villanova having posted the second fastest 5000m time (behind Maree) in school history.
, Curtis won 19 state titles—12 as an individual, two as a member of relay squads, and five as part of a team. He was named an All-American in cross country his sophomore and senior seasons. In track & field, he was named an All-American in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. In 2003 he set the US high school record in the rarely-run 1000 meter event, finishing in 2:24.79.
Bobby Curtis's Individual High School State Titles
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. A multiple-time Big East champion and All-American in both cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, Curtis's greatest collegiate achievement came in 2008, when he won the NCAA Division I national championship in the 5000m. He is currently a professional runner for Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
.
Post-collegiate career (2008-)
Curtis raced little in his first two years out of college. In 2010 he set new personal bests in the 10k (27:33 at Stanford) and the 5k (13:18 in France).College career (2003-2008)
In the fall of 2004, Curtis, then a sophomore, won his first Big East championship when he topped the field in cross country. He followed that performance with a 15th-place showing in that year's cross country nationals, earning collegiate All-American honors for the first time. Over the next two years, Curtis suffered various injuries and setbacks, and it wasn't until the spring of 2007 that he returned completely healthy to competition. In the outdoor track season of 2007, Curtis ran a mile in 3:57.20, his first sub-4:00 mile. He also won the NCAA East Regional 5000m race and placed second in the event at the NCAA Championships.In his senior year (2007–08) at Villanova, Curtis enjoyed his greatest success. He won the 2007 Big East championship in cross country and finished fourth at that year's NCAA Championships, again earning All-American honors. In the spring, he won his second-consecutive NCAA East Regional 5000m, and at the national championships, he posted a personal best time of 13:33.93 to win the race, his first national title as a collegian. His win made him Villanova's first outdoor individual national champion since Sydney Maree won the 1500m at the 1981 nationals. Curtis left Villanova having posted the second fastest 5000m time (behind Maree) in school history.
High School Career (1999-2003)
In high school, while competing for St. Xavier in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Curtis won 19 state titles—12 as an individual, two as a member of relay squads, and five as part of a team. He was named an All-American in cross country his sophomore and senior seasons. In track & field, he was named an All-American in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. In 2003 he set the US high school record in the rarely-run 1000 meter event, finishing in 2:24.79.
Bobby Curtis's Individual High School State Titles
| Year | Grade | Event | Sport | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Freshman | 1600m | Track & Field | 4:19.60 |
| 2000 | Freshman | 3200m | Track & Field | 9:41.92 |
| 2000 | Sophomore | 5K | Cross Country | 15:28.3 |
| 2001 | Sophomore | 1600m | Track & Field | 4:17.43 |
| 2001 | Sophomore | 3200m | Track & Field | 9:15.25 |
| 2001 | Junior | 5K | Cross Country | 15:06.0 |
| 2002 | Junior | 1600m | Track & Field | 4:13.16 |
| 2002 | Junior | 800m | Track & Field | 1.54.72 |
| 2002 | Senior | 5K | Cross Country | 15:24.2 |
| 2003 | Senior | 1600m | Track & Field | 4:18.56 |
| 2003 | Senior | 800m | Track & Field | 1:54.93 |
| 2003 | Senior | 3200m | Track & Field | 9:12.19 |