JOHN MURPHY (Athlete, Class of 1999)

John Murphy was one of the nation’s cross country and track standouts, earning All State and All American honors while in high school and capturing numerous awards while starring at Harvard University.

But, before becoming a world-class runner, he tried his hand at baseball and was a member of three Little League championship teams.

Then as a freshman at Portsmouth Abbey, John was named All Class D in cross country and All Class D Two in the mile run.  The next season he was an All State cross country harrier and again achieved All Class D honors in the mile run.

In 1975 he came into his own in cross country.  Undefeated and setting the course record in the state meet, John was named All State and All American. 

That same year he won at the National Junior Olympics and placed first in New England and regional American Amateur Union tournaments.

Undefeated in the regular cross country season of 1976, John brought his unbeaten dual meet victory string to forty-four despite fighting what was diagnosed as tendonitis in his ankle.  At the state meet he was leading when his ankle snapped two hundred yards from the finish line; somehow he got to his feet and limped home in second place.

John went on to Harvard University where he received the McLaughlin Trophy as Harvard’s top freshman runner in 1978 and the Jaako Mikkola Bowl for effort and improvement the following year.

He was named All Ivy League in cross country in 1978 and 1979.  In the 1979 track season he had a spectacular series of performances, culminating with his being named All American in indoor track.  He had run the indoor mile in 4.02.66 (the second fastest time ever in New England indoor competition) and won the Ivy League’s 1500-Meter Championship after posting a time of 3.48.1.  John was named the Outstanding Athlete at the Greater Boston track meet after winning the mile and the one thousand-meter run and anchoring the two-mile relay win.  He was a member of the two-mile relay team that set a Millrose Games record of 3.31.2 and finished third in the NCAA championships.

Having set six cross country records while simultaneously overcoming numerous stress fractures and a torn Achilles tendon, John was a winner at the Heptaganol Games in both cross country and track (mile and distance medley).