Forrest Towns

American hurdler

Forrest Towns

Personal information
Born| February 6, 1914
Fitzgerald, Georgia, U.S.
Died| April 9, 1991 (aged 77)
Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Height| 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight| 75 kg (165 lb)
Sport
Sport| Athletics
Event| 110 m hurdles
Club| Georgia Bulldogs, Athens
Achievements and titles
Personal best| 110 mH – 13.7 (1936)[1][2]

Medal record

Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
| 1936 Berlin | 110 m hurdles

Forrest Grady "Spec" Towns (February 6, 1914 – April 9, 1991) was an American Track and field athlete and coach. He was the 1936 Olympic champion in the 110 m hurdles and broke the world record in that event three times.[1]

Born in Fitzgerald, Georgia, Towns grew up in Augusta, Georgia, where he played football in high school at Richmond Academy. In 1933, he earned a football scholarship to the University of Georgia (UGA) after a sports journalist had seen him high jumping in his backyard.[1]

Rather than high jumping, Towns specialized in the high hurdles. While competing on the UGA Track Team from 1933 to 1937, Towns won five Southeastern Conference individual titles and two NCAA titles.[3] He won both the NCAA and AAU titles in the 120 y hurdles event in 1935. It was the beginning of a 60 race winning streak, lasting until 1937.

In 1936, Towns was named to the American Olympic team, becoming the first Georgian to achieve this. During the Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Towns became the world record holder with 14.1, and he won the Olympic gold in 14.2. Also, he became the first Georgian to earn Olympic Gold. Shortly after the Games, he became the first hurdler under 14 seconds. At a race in Oslo, he dramatically improved the world record to 13.7 – a time that would stand until 1950.[1]

After college, Towns became head track and field coach at his alma mater, Georgia, a position he held until 1975. In 1991, he died of a heart attack in Athens, Georgia at age 77. He was honored at the University with the naming of the Spec Towns Track in 1991, and an annual meet called the Spec Towns Invitational.[3]

Towns was voted into the Georgia Hall of Fame (1967), the USATF Hall of Fame (1975), the University of Georgia Athletic Association’s Circle of Honor (1997), and in 2025, Towns became the first University of Georgia track athlete to be named to the Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame.[3]

Towns was the official starter for the first-ever Peachtree Road Race on July 4, 1970.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Olympic medalists in athletics (men)

Greek bibliography: Andreou,Evangelos: "The star of champion shone..." Ed. EUARCE 2011 ('"Forrest Towns" p. 30,105') Ευάγγελος Ανδρέου, Το αστέρι του πρωταθλητή άναψε... / ο βαλκανιονίκης του μεσοπολέμου Γιάννης Σκιαδάς, EUARCE 2011 ISBN 978-960-99566-0-4 ("Φόρεστ Τάουνς/Forrest Towns" σ.30,105)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Forrest Towns Archived 22 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
2. ^ Forrest Towns. trackfield.brinkster.net
3. ^ a b c Cincola, Lily (February 28, 2025). "Georgia track legend Forrest 'Spec' Towns inducted into USTFCCCA Collegiate Hall of Fame". The Red & Black. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
4. ^ "How it All Starts".

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Forrest Towns.

* Extensive biography
* Georgia Sports Hall of Fame profile Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
* Forrest “Spec” Towns at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
* Forrest Towns at the USATF Hall of Fame (archived)

* v
* t
* e

Olympic champions in men's 110 metres hurdles

* 1896:  Thomas Curtis (USA)
* 1900:  Alvin Kraenzlein (USA)
* 1904:  Frederick Schule (USA)
* 1908:  Forrest Smithson (USA)
* 1912:  Fred Kelly (USA)
* 1920:  Earl Thomson (CAN)
* 1924:  Daniel Kinsey (USA)
* 1928:  Sid Atkinson (RSA)
* 1932:  George Saling (USA)
* 1936:  Forrest Towns (USA)
* 1948:  William Porter (USA)
* 1952:  Harrison Dillard (USA)
* 1956:  Lee Calhoun (USA)
* 1960:  Lee Calhoun (USA)
* 1964:  Hayes Jones (USA)
* 1968:  Willie Davenport (USA)
* 1972:  Rod Milburn (USA)
* 1976:  Guy Drut (FRA)
* 1980:  Thomas Munkelt (GDR)
* 1984:  Roger Kingdom (USA)
* 1988:  Roger Kingdom (USA)
* 1992:  Mark McKoy (CAN)
* 1996:  Allen Johnson (USA)
* 2000:  Anier García (CUB)
* 2004:  Liu Xiang (CHN)
* 2008:  Dayron Robles (CUB)
* 2012:  Aries Merritt (USA)
* 2016:  Omar McLeod (JAM)
* 2020:  Hansle Parchment (JAM)
* 2024:  Grant Holloway (USA)

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* e

US National Championship winners in men's 110 m/120 yd hurdles

1876–1878
New York Athletic Club|

* 1876: George Hitchcock
* 1877–78: Edwards Ficken

1879–1888
NAAAA|

* 1879: Edward Haigh
* 1880: H.H. Moritz
* 1881–82: James Tivey (GBR)
* 1883–84: Silas Safford
* 1885–87: Alexander Jordan
* 1888Note 1: Al Copland

1888–1979
Amateur Athletic Union|

* 1888Note 1: Alexander Jordan
* 1889: George Schwegler
* 1890: Fred Ducharme
* 1891: Al Copland
* 1892–93: Fred Puffer
* 1894–95: Stephen Chase
* 1896: William Rogers
* 1897: John Thompson
* 1898–99: Alvin Kraenzlein
* 1900: Ralph Hutchinson
* 1901: Walter Fishleigh
* 1902: R.H. Hadfield
* 1903: Frederick Schule
* 1904: Frank Castleman
* 1905: Hugo Friend
* 1906: William Armstrong
* 1907: Forrest Smithson
* 1908: Arthur Shaw
* 1909: Forrest Smithson
* 1910: John Case
* 1911: Arthur Shaw
* 1912: John Nicholson
* 1913: Fred Kelly
* 1914: Harry Goelitz
* 1915: Feg Murray
* 1916: Robert Simpson
* 1917: Harold Barron
* 1918: Earl Thomson (CAN)
* 1919: Robert Simpson
* 1920: Harold Barron
* 1921–22: Earl Thomson (CAN)
* 1923: Karl Anderson
* 1924: Ivan Riley
* 1925: George Guthrie
* 1926: Leighton Dye
* 1927: Chuck Werner
* 1928–30: Steve Anderson
* 1931: Percy Beard
* 1932: Jack Keller
* 1933: John Morriss
* 1934–35: Percy Beard
* 1936: Forrest Towns
* 1937: Allen Tolmich
* 1938: Fred Wolcott
* 1939: Joe Batiste
* 1940–41: Fred Wolcott
* 1942–43: Bill Cummins
* 1944: Owen Cassidy
* 1945: Charles Morgan
* 1946–47: Harrison Dillard
* 1948: William Porter
* 1949: Craig Dixon
* 1950–51: Dick Attlesey
* 1952: Harrison Dillard
* 1953–54: Jack Davis
* 1955: Milt Campbell
* 1956–57: Lee Calhoun
* 1958: Hayes Jones
* 1959: Lee Calhoun
* 1960–61: Hayes Jones
* 1962: Jerry Tarr
* 1963–64: Hayes Jones
* 1965–67: Willie Davenport
* 1968: Earl McCullouch
* 1969: Willie Davenport & Leon Coleman
* 1970: Thomas Hill
* 1971–72: Rod Milburn
* 1973: Thomas Hill
* 1974: Charles Foster
* 1975: Jerry Wilson
* 1976: Thomas Hill
* 1977: James Owens & Charles Foster
* 1978–79: Renaldo Nehemiah

1980–1992
The Athletics Congress|

* 1980: Renaldo Nehemiah
* 1981: Greg Foster
* 1982: Willie Gault
* 1983: Greg Foster
* 1984: Tonie Campbell
* 1985: Roger Kingdom
* 1986–87: Greg Foster
* 1988–90: Roger Kingdom
* 1991: Greg Foster
* 1992: Jack Pierce

1993–present
USA Track & Field|

* 1993: Jack Pierce
* 1994: Mark Crear
* 1995: Roger Kingdom
* 1996–97: Allen Johnson
* 1998: Reggie Torian
* 1999: Mark Crear
* 2000–03: Allen Johnson
* 2004: Terrence Trammell
* 2005: Allen Johnson
* 2006: Dominique Arnold
* 2007: Terrence Trammell
* 2008: David Oliver
* 2009: David Payne
* 2010–11: David Oliver
* 2012: Aries Merritt
* 2013: Ryan Wilson
* 2014: Devon Allen
* 2015: David Oliver
* 2016: Devon Allen
* 2017: Aleec Harris
* 2018: Devon Allen
* 2019: Daniel Roberts
* 20212020 OT: Grant Holloway
* 2022-23: Daniel Roberts
* 2024: Grant Holloway
* 2025: Ja'Kobe Tharp

Notes|

* Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships

* 120 yd hurdles 1876–1927, 1929–31, 1953–55, 1957–58, 1961–63, 1965–67 and 1969–71; 110 m hurdles otherwise.

* First place was shared in 1969 and 1977.

* The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.

* 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's 60 m hurdles
(70 yards hurdles, 65 m hurdles, 60 yards hurdles, 55 m hurdles)

1927–1979
Amateur Athletic Union|

* 1910: John Hartranft
* 1911: John Eller
* 1913: James Wendell
* 1914: John Eller
* 1915: Derrill Trenholm
* 1916: John Eller
* 1917:  Earl Thomson (CAN), Arthur Engels (2nd)
* 1918: Harold Barron
* 1919: Walker Smith
* 1920: Walker Smith
* 1921: Harold Barron
* 1922: Harold Barron
* 1923: Karl Anderson
* 1924: Herbert Meyer
* 1925: Harold Osborn
* 1926: George Guthrie
* 1927: George Guthrie
* 1928: Weems Baskin
* 1929: Monty Wells
* 1930: Lee Sentman
* 1931: Percy Beard
* 1932: Percy Beard
* 1933: Percy Beard
* 1934: John Collier
* 1935: Percy Beard
* 1936: Sam Allen
* 1937: Sam Allen
* 1938: Forrest Towns
* 1939: Allan Tolmich
* 1940: Allan Tolmich
* 1941: Allan Tolmich
* 1942: Fred Wolcott
* 1943: Robert Wright
* 1944: Ed Dugger
* 1945: Ed Dugger
* 1946: Ed Dugger
* 1947: Harrison Dillard
* 1948: Harrison Dillard
* 1949: Harrison Dillard
* 1950: Harrison Dillard
* 1951: Harrison Dillard
* 1952: Harrison Dillard
* 1953: Harrison Dillard
* 1954: Jack Davis
* 1955: Harrison Dillard
* 1956: Lee Calhoun
* 1957: Lee Calhoun
* 1958: Hayes Jones
* 1959: Elias Gilbert
* 1960: Hayes Jones
* 1961: Hayes Jones
* 1962: Hayes Jones
* 1963: Hayes Jones
* 1964: Hayes Jones
* 1965: Ralph Boston
* 1966: Willie Davenport
* 1967: Willie Davenport
* 1968: Earl McCullouch
* 1969: Willie Davenport
* 1970: Willie Davenport
* 1971: Willie Davenport
* 1972: Rod Milburn
* 1973: Rod Milburn
* 1974: Thomas Hill
* 1975: Charles Foster
* 1976:  Guy Drut (FRA), Tom Hill (2nd)
* 1977: Larry Shipp
* 1978: Charles Foster
* 1979: Renaldo Nehemiah

1980–1992
The Athletics Congress|

* 1980: Rod Milburn
* 1981:  Alejandro Casañas (CUB), Rod Milburn (2nd)
* 1982: Tonie Campbell
* 1983: Greg Foster
* 1984: Greg Foster
* 1985: Greg Foster
* 1986:  Mark McKoy (CAN), Al Joyner (2nd)
* 1987: Greg Foster
* 1988: Greg Foster
* 1989: Tonie Campbell
* 1990: Tony Dees
* 1991: Greg Foster
* 1992: Tony Dees

1993–present
USA Track & Field|

* 1993: Tony Dees
* 1994: Tony Dees
* 1995: Allen Johnson
* 1996: Courtney Hawkins
* 1997: Reggie Torian
* 1998: Duane Ross
* 1999: Reggie Torian
* 2000: Terrence Trammell
* 2001: Terrence Trammell
* 2002: Allen Johnson
* 2003: Allen Johnson
* 2004: Allen Johnson
* 2005: Joel Brown
* 2006: Terrence Trammell
* 2007: Ron Bramlett
* 2008: David Oliver
* 2009: Terrence Trammell
* 2010: Terrence Trammell
* 2011: Omo Osaghae
* 2012: Aries Merritt
* 2013: Omo Osaghae
* 2014: Omo Osaghae
* 2015: Aleec Harris
* 2016: Jarret Eaton
* 2017: Aries Merritt
* 2018: Jarret Eaton
* 2019: Devon Allen
* 2020: Aaron Mallett
* 2022: Grant Holloway
* 2023: Freddie Crittenden
* 2024: Trey Cunningham

Notes|

* Distances have varied as follows: 70 yards from 1910-32 and 1940-41, 65 m from 1933-39, 60 yards from 1942-86, 55 m from 1987-90, 60 m since 1991.

* v
* t
* e

1936 USA Olympic track and field team

Qualification|

* 1936 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

Men's track
and road athletes|

* Ellison "Tarzan" Brown
* Harold Cagle (r)
* Ernest Crosbie
* Glenn Cunningham
* Glen Dawson
* Tom Deckard
* Foy Draper (r)
* Al Fitch (r)
* Glenn Hardin
* Chuck Hornbostel
* Johnny Kelley
* Ernest Koehler
* Don Lash
* James LuValle
* Albert Mangan
* Harold Manning
* Joe McCluskey
* Billy McMahon
* Ralph Metcalfe
* Eddie O'Brien (r)
* Jesse Owens
* Bob Packard
* Joe Patterson
* Eino Pentti
* Fritz Pollard
* Mack Robinson
* Archie San Romani
* Dale Schofield
* Harold Smallwood
* Roy Staley
* Forrest Towns
* Gene Venzke
* Archie Williams
* Harry Williamson
* John Woodruff
* Stanley Wudyka
* Frank Wykoff
* Bob Young (r)
* Louis Zamperini

Men's field athletes|

* Dave Albritton
* Lee Bartlett
* John Brooks
* Billy Brown
* Ken Carpenter
* Bob Clark
* Henry Dreyer
* Gordon Dunn
* Don Favor
* Sam Francis
* Bill Graber
* Cornelius Johnson
* Earle Meadows
* Malcolm Metcalf
* Glenn Morris
* Jesse Owens
* Jack Parker
* Rolland Romero
* Bill Rowe
* Bill Sefton
* Alton Terry
* Delos Thurber
* Jack Torrance
* Dudley Wilkins
* Walter Wood
* Dimitri Zaitz

Women's track athletes|

* Harriet Bland
* Anne O'Brien
* Tidye Pickett
* Betty Robinson (r)
* Annette Rogers
* Simone Schaller
* Helen Stephens

Women's field athletes|

* Alice Arden
* Betty Burch
* Evelyn Ferrara
* Kathlyn Kelley
* Annette Rogers
* Helen Stephens
* Gertrude Wilhelmsen
* Martha Worst

Non-competing relay pool members|

* Marty Glickman
* Olive Hasenfus
* Louise Stokes
* Sam Stoller
* Josephine Warren

Coaches|

* Lawson Robertson (men's head coach)
* Dean Cromwell (men's assistant coach)
* Brutus Hamilton (men's assistant coach)
* Billy Hayes (men's assistant coach)
* Dee Boeckmann (women's coach)

* v
* t
* e

Georgia Bulldogs head track and field coaches

Director|

* Petros Kyprianou (2016–2021)
* Caryl Smith-Gilbert (2022– )

Men's|

* John Mahan (1897–1898)
* William Ayres Reynolds (1903)
* C. O Hiedler (1908)
* W. A. Cunningham (1913–1916)
* Herman Stegeman (1921–1937)
* Weems Baskin (1938)
* Forrest Towns (1939–1974)
* Lewis Gainey (1975–1989)
* John Mitchell (1990–1999)
* Wayne Norton (2000–2015)

Women's|

* Bill Katz (1980–1981)
* Steve Sitler (1985–1987)
* Mike Sheeley (1985–1987)
* Lewis Gainey (1988–1989)
* John Mitchell (1990–1999)
* Wayne Norton (2000–2015)

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