If there were ever a list of guys that radiate the never-give-up personality in track and field, William Solon Bill Dellinger would be one of them. He ran the 5000 meters in the 1956 Summer Olympics, Melbourne, Australia, and was knocked out in the heats. Four years later, the man tried again in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, and yet the Olympic gods were not on his side. But this track and field athlete knew better than to give up. When the Summer Olympics took place in Tokyo in 1964, this man, at age 30, on a rainy cinder track, executed a powerful run to claim bronze in a personal-best time of 13:49.8. A fond memory to draw inspiration from as the man leaves behind his legacy on his journey to a higher place.
Bill Dellinger, one of the most accomplished figures in the history of American distance running and an architect of Oregon’s storied track and field legacy, passed away this week at the age of 91. Apart from being a great track athlete, Bill has also been the head coach of Oregon’s track and field team since 1973. In the next 3 decades, athletes under him broke 18 American records, won 12 individual NCAA titles, and made 17 Olympic appearances.
Fans have been saddened by the demise of the 91-year-old. Former TV sports anchor and Arkansas graduate, Hayden Herrera, also joined in saying, “Always enjoyed covering the Dellinger Invitational, Bill still showed up even in his later years and people loved seeing him. Dellinger was portrayed by Ed O’Neill in the movie Prefontaine and by Dean Norris in the movie Without Limits.” Steve Prefontaine and Bill Dellinger were deeply interconnected. Dellinger took most of the responsibility for the development of Prefontaine. Their relationship and behavior together were often said to be (as Moore writes in Bowerman) “like brothers.”
Always enjoyed covering the Dellinger Invitational, Bill still showed up even in his later years and people loved seeing him.
Dellinger was portrayed by Ed O’Neill in the movie Prefontaine and by Dean Norris in the movie Without Limits. https://t.co/1P1mboP1ww
— Hayden Herrera (@haydenherrera) June 27, 2025
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