Among the most elite runners in the history of Massachusetts high school cross country and track before graduating from Wayland High in 1976, Alberto Salazar went on to become a star of the highest magnitude at the national and international level. Alberto still holds the Wayland school indoor record in the 1,000 (2:19), mile (4:19.2) and two mile (8:53.8), which he set at the Penn Relays high school meet. His state record in the two mile lasted over 25 years. After finishing runner-up his junior year, Alberto won the state cross country championship as a Senior. As a 16-year-old Junior, he ran in the National AAU Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee and, despite being the youngest competitor in the field of 25, finished second to North Carolina State Freshman Ralph King in 14:11.8. That July 4th, ALberto went on to defeat teammate King and the Russians in the USA-USSR Junior Meet in Lincoln, Nebraska, capturing the 5,000 in 14:30.3, despite temperatures on the track estimated at 122 degrees. Alberto also ran in the USA-USSR Junior Meet in the Soviet Union his Senior year of high school. After a standout collegiate running career at the University of Oregon, he burst on the marathon scene with three consecutive New York Marathon wins (1980-82) and the famous "Duel in the Sun'' victory over Dick Beardsley in the 1982 Boston Marathon.
Class: 1976 Inducted: 2004