Bob Soth

Bob Soth’s best finish at the AAU Meet was third in the 1959 6-miles. He also placed fourth in the 5K in 1956 and 1960. Soth won a bronze medal in the 10K at the 1959 Pan American Games. He ran for Drake and the Southern Cal Striders. Soth later became a teacher.

Soth is actually best known for a race he did not finish. In 1959 the USA-USSR dual meet was held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia and Soth was one of the two American entrants in the 10K, along with Max Truex. It was a brutally hot day, and the pace was slow. At around 8 km, Aleksey Desyachikov of the Soviet Union led, followed by Hubert Pyarnakivi, and then Soth. Pyarnakivi was then overcome by the heat and slowed down to 80-second laps as Soth moved into second. But Soth shortly also fell victim to the heat, running in an odd, backward lean indicating he was in serious trouble. After almost a full lap of that, he collapsed and became unconscious. Fortunately he fully recovered and no long-term damage ensued.

Personal Bests: Mile – 4:12.0 (1957); 2 miles – 8:55.5 (1959); 5000 – 14:18.6 (1960); 10000 – 30:21.8 (1959).