Jeffrey Scuffins (June 16, 1962 - March 20, 2021) was a former distance runner. He set a course record at the 1987 Marine Corps Marathon, which still stands.[2]

Jeffrey Scuffins
Personal information
Born(1962-06-16)June 16, 1962
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
DiedMarch 20, 2021(2021-03-20) (aged 58)
Williamsport, Maryland, U.S.
Sport
SportTrack, long-distance running
Event(s)10,000 metres, half marathon, marathon
College teamClemson University
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)10,000m: 28:40.0[1]
Marathon: 2:14:01[1]

Running career

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High school

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Scuffins attended North Hagerstown High School, where he ran cross country and track. In 1980, he set the school and county record in the boy's 1600 meters at 4:18.84.[3] The Hagerstown county record stood for 32 years until it was broken by Williamsport High School runner Evan Hardy in 2012.[4]

Collegiate

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After graduating from North Hagerstown, Scuffins attended Clemson University, where he graduated in 1985. He finished among the top 100 men at the 1984 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships.[5]

Post-collegiate

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On May 25, 1985, he was the men's winner over runner-up Sosthenes Bitok at the Travel Run 10K run in Crystal City, Virginia, in a time of 29:13. He was given $2,500 in prize money for the victory.[6] On November 8, 1987, Scuffins finished in first place among men at the Marine Corps Marathon, setting a course record of 2:14:01.[7] His first half marathon split was 1:06:49, with the race temperature hovering above 60 degrees fahrenheit.[7]

Honors

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Scuffins was inducted into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame in 2008 for his course record of 2:14:01.[8]

Death

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Scuffins was found dead in his apartment in Williamsport, Maryland, the morning of Saturday, March 20, 2021, according to his friends. The cause of death was unknown.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jeff SCUFFINS - Athlete Profile". IAAF.
  2. ^ "History". Marine Corps Marathon.
  3. ^ Andy Mason (October 24, 2008). "Scuffins headed to Hall". Herald-Mail. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  4. ^ Andy Mason (June 8, 2017). "Hagerstownsports.com: All-County Boys Track & Field: Goretti's Jones makes his mark". Herald-Mail Sports. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  5. ^ [1] MileSplit USA: NCAA DI Cross Country Championships - Complete Results. November 19, 1984.
  6. ^ Steve Nearman (May 26, 1985). "Scuffins and McGovern Run and Take the Money". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Dickson Mercer (August 20, 2013). "Marine Corps Marathon eliminates large hill (not THAT one)". RunWashington. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  8. ^ "Hall of Fame". Marine Corps Marathon.
  9. ^ Mason, Andy. "Washington County running legend Jeff Scuffins dead at 58". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 2021-03-30.