Colorado University Athletics
CU Athletic Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2012
- Class:
- 1996
- Seven-Time All-American
- 1996 NCAA 5,000 Meter Champion
- Seven-Time U.S. Champion
- 2000, 2004 U.S. Olympian
He ran four seasons for the Buffs (1992-93 through 1995-96), lettering in cross county, indoor and outdoor track before turning professional ... He was a seven-time All-American at CU, earning the honor three times on the cross country course (1993-95) and in the 1,500 (1994), indoor mile (1996), indoor 3,000 (1996) and outdoor 5,000 (1996) ... He was the 1996 NCAA champion in the 5,000-meter run in 1996 ... He still owns the CU record in the 1,500 at 3:39.77, set in 1996 at Lincoln ... After graduation he went on to have a very successful professional career, becoming a seven-time U.S. champion ... He won three 12k cross country championships (1999, 2003, 2007), two 10k titles (1999, 2003), a 5k (2002) and the 2004 marathon ... Culpepper represented the U.S. twice at the Summer Olympics, running the 10k in 2000 and the marathon in 2004 ... When he switched gears to the marathon, his time of 2:09.41 at Chicago tied him with Alberto Salazar for the fastest American debut in U.S. history ... In 2005 he placed fourth at the Boston Marathon which was the highest finish for an American in 20 years ... He followed it up the next year with a fifth-place finish at the Boston Marathon and won the Denver Half-Marathon ... He was inducted into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame in 2009 ... Married to former Buff and fellow Olympian Shayne Willie.
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