Track and Field History

STANFORD, Calif. -- The Stanford track and field program dates back to 1893, in just the second spring of the University's existence, and 2024 marks its 130th season. 

Through the 2022-23 academic year, Stanford's teams -- men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, and cross country -- have combined for 13 national team championships, 92 NCAA individual titles, and 1,006 All-America honors by 300 different athletes. 

Stanford's programs have won 62 conference team titles and 435 individual conference championships by 276 different athletes.

Stanford has produced 70 different track and field Olympians, including 21 different medalists and 10 gold-medal winners, including Tokyo 2020 women's discus champion Valarie Allman and 2016 women's pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi. In Tokyo, Stanford was represented by eight track and field alumni. At the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Stanford had eight alumni and two active athletes competing. 

Two alums broke American records in 2022: Allman in the discus (234-5, 71.46m) and Grant Fisher in the men's 10,000 (26:33.84). And Alyssa Jones, a freshman in 2023, broke the American under-20 record in the long jump (22-6 1/4, 6.86m) at her first NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In 2023, Stanford's men placed third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the Cardinal women were fourth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. That marked that first time in program history that both the men's and women's programs earned podium (top-four) track and field team finishes in the same year. Another first in 2022-23: winning NCAA individual titles in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field in the same academic year -- six in all. 

The following is a rundown of achievements, honors, and links illustrating Stanford's outstanding track and field tradition: