Keith Alan "KB" Brantly (born May 23, 1962) is an American former professional

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who contended in the men's

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

at the

1996 Summer Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

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. Brantly finished twenty-eighth of one hundred and eleven runners who completed the race, in a time of 2:18:17.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Keith Brantly
Retrieved November 4, 2012. He is recognized for his extensive distance-running career that encompasses nearly three decades at distances that range from one mile to a marathon. He graduated from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

with a bachelor's degree in exercise and

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in 1986, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."F Club, Hall of Fame
Gator Greats
Retrieved December 18, 2014.

Running career

High school (1976-1980)

When Brantly was at Winter Haven High School in 1976, he joined the cross-country team, coached by Buck Dawson. Dawson is a member of

Morehead State University Morehead State University (MSU) is a public university in Morehead, Kentucky, United States. The university began as Morehead Normal School, which opened its doors in 1887. The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, a two-yea ...

Hall of Fame who later went to coach high school cross-country and track in 1979 where he guided two runners to be future Olympians. When Brantly's running career soared as an individual in the fall of his senior year during the cross-country season, Dawson saw the potential he held. Brantly and one of his most memorable competitors, Basil Magee from Largo High School, challenged each other in multiple encounters such as the 1979 Astronaut Invitational and the 1979 Winter Haven Invitational, with Brantly falling just seconds behind Magee in both encounters. Towards the seasons end, there were two teams preparing for battle at the cross-country state championships in

DeLand, Florida DeLand is a city in and the county seat of Volusia County, Florida, United States. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. It is ...

, Largo High School and Astronaut High School. All the while, Brantly was preparing for the title as champion. In the Florida class 4A High School State Cross Country Championships, Brantly (14:18) took an early lead to finally defeated Magee (14:30) in a rigorous five thousand meter footrace. Throughout the remainder of his senior year, Brantly and Magee grew closer in ability and competitiveness that carried into the spring track season. In 1980, Brantly would go to the Florida class 4A High School State Track Championships and win the 2-mile event in the time of 9:13. Brantly and Magee's competitive relationship did not stop at the state level, but at the national level where Magee (9:02) would outkick Brantly (9:03) at the 2-mile Postal Meet for the win. *1979 - Florida Class 4A High School State Cross Country Champion (14:18) *1980 - Florida Class 4A High School Track and Field 2 mile Champion (9:13)

College (1980-1986)

Brantly attended the

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesv ...

, where he would run collegiate cross-country and track under Coach John Randolph. As a college student athlete, naturally, it was easy to get distracted and lazy Brantly said. Randolph helped instill the discipline that he lacked. During his time as a Gator, Brantly continued to thrive as a runner by winning two

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

(SEC) 10,000 meter championships. In an interview he explains that these were no easy feat, “The University of Florida places a high emphasis on the SEC so winning was a very big deal.” Winning at this level played a huge role in his running career because it would later aid him in his quest for the Olympic team. *1982 - SEC 10,000 m Champion (30:18.23) *1982 - 5th place in 2 mile at NCAA Indoor Championships (8:49.92) *1983 - SEC 10,000 m Champion (29:48.1) *1983 - 5th place in 10,000 m at NCAA Championships (29:45.95) *1983 - SEC Cross Country Champion *1984 - 7th place in 10,000 m at NCAA Championships (28:39.82)

After College (1986-1998)

Following his collegiate career with the Florida Gators, he was mentored by David Martin who compiled his knowledge to transform him “from a talented runner to a seasoned competitor” Brantly said. His competitive spirit and love for the sport continued to push him to further distances. The furthest distances he competed in before were the 5,000 meters, the 10,000 meters and an eighteen-mile training run. Brantly would run his first marathon (2:20:35) in

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, and found that the training for this distance alone was a challenge in itself. In the 1993

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fini ...

, Brantly (2:12:51) continued to improve placing fifth behind the elite marathoners. In the 1994

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

(2:13:00), he trained to finish in the top five but fell behind at the halfway point, finishing twentieth. With years of experience and failing to make the United States Olympic team twice in previous years, Brantly's drive to make the team in 1996 was his main focus. At the 1996 Olympic Trials Marathon, Brantly used his previous failed attempts and knowledge from the New York and Boston Marathons to strategize making the team. “My strategy at the 1996 Trials was to sit back, draft and stay warm until the final three players became clear.” Brantly said. Paul Zimmerman led the race until the fifteen mile marker where Bob Kempainen, Mark Coogan, and Keith Brantly would take control for the final 10,000 meters. Brantly would finish in a time of 2:13:22 placing third and locking him into the US Olympic team. At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, Brantly gathered his thoughts and strategies for the biggest stage an athlete can compete on. He finished representing the United States in a time of 2:18:27 placing twenty-eighth.

Competition record

Personal records

References

;General * Cohen, Gary. "Keith Brantly Interview." ''Garycohenrunning''. 1 May 2009. Web. 25 Oct. 2015. Keith Brantly at the 1998 Men's National Marathon Championship. Digital image. ''Brantly Running the Art and Science of Success''. Keith Brantly, 2008. Web. 25 Oct. 2015. *http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Brantly.aspx *"1979 National Team Championship "Largo HS, FL vs. Astronaut HS, FL" Read More: News - 1979 National Team Championship "Largo HS, FL vs. Astronaut HS, FL"" ''RunnerSpace.com''. XCNATION.com, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2015. *Kemp, Bill. "Winter Haven Coach Harry Wooddell to Be Inducted into Hall." (n.d.): n. pag. ''Polk Preps''. 7 Jan. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2015. *Brown, Rick. "Polk Hall of Fame Welcomes Five Inductees." (n.d.): n. pag. ''The Ledger''. 17 June 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2015. ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:Brantly, Keith 1962 births Living people American male marathon runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Florida Gators men's cross country runners Florida Gators men's track and field athletes Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States Morehead State Eagles track and field 20th-century American sportsmen