Len R. Krichko
Athletic Biography
Len Krichko excelled in high school, college and post-collegiate competition in middle and long-distance running. During his high school career at Hickory High School, 1972-75, he competed in three PIAA Class A State Championships for cross-country and track. He was a two-time District 10 Champion for the 880 and mile runs and was a four-time Mercer County Champion in cross-country (team and individual). He finished his high school career by winning seven varsity letters, setting six school records and was voted top male athlete his senior year.
During his collegiate career, 1976-1980, he was part of seven National Collegiate Championships for
Track and Cross Country and became a four-time NJCAA National Champion, National Record Holder
and was First Team All-American. He set 12 school records at the Community College of Allegheny
County, Clemson University and Slippery Rock University. He was invited and competed in the USA Hall
of Fame Track & Field Invitational Meet.
At Slippery Rock University, he set a field house record in the 1,000 yard run of 2:12.8 (indoor track) in 1979 and went on to set three school records in the two mile run of 9:00.9 (indoor track – record retired); the 1500 meter/metric mile run of 3:54.4 (outdoor track) and the 5000 meter run of 14:25 (outdoor track) during his senior year in 1980. While competing for SRU at the University of Akron Relays outdoor track meet he set a meet and stadium record of 3:50 for the 1500 meter run. He was a team member on two SRU undefeated track teams for indoor track, 7 wins 0 losses and outdoor track, 4 wins and 0 losses in 1980. The SRU track team went on to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship for Outdoor Track in 1980.At the PSAC Len ran an impressive 3:47 for the 1500 meter and would have won but was disqualified for bumping a competitor. He was one of four SRU student athletes and the only distance runner to qualify and compete in the 5000 meter run at the 1980 NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field National Championship at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He competed nationally for the Allegheny Nike and Puma USA Teams from 1978-1985 and competed in four National Championships for the 10k, 15k, 10 mile and 25k distances. He was the CAN-AM (Canadian-American) 10k Champion; International Peace Race 10k Runner-up; winner of 25 USA races and set 10 course records.
At the International Peace Race in 1978 with 17 countries represented, Len finished an impressive second place in the 10k and was the second American. More amazing, Krichko had an emergency appendectomy only six weeks prior to competing in the international field. He won the CAN-AM (Canadian-American) 10k in 1979; he beat Jeff Galloway (USA Olympian) and Carl Hatfield (AAU National Champion) and several All-Americans.
At the New Haven 20k (12.4 miles), he finished third two years in a row 1979 & 1980. In 1980, Mike Roche (USA Olympian) won, Bill Rodgers (USA Olympian, Boston & NY City Marathon Champion) finished second and Len finished a close 11 seconds behind Rodgers. He coached cross-country and track runners at the University of South Carolina 1980; New England prep schools, Choate Rosemary Hall, Cheshire Academy and Southern Connecticut State University 1981- 1985. In 2007, Len was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame Athletic Association in western Pennsylvania as an outstanding athlete.
Len served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan from 1997-2017 and Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Ohio from 1987-1997. In recognition of his work, he received national, regional, state and local awards. In 2017, he was recognized as a Master and Mentor by Boys & Girls Clubs Professionals, its highest honor and one of only four individuals nationwide that year.
During his Boys & Girls Clubs professional career, Len was very fortunate to have been involved with Major League Baseball World Series 2006 (Detroit), the National Football League Super Bowl XL 2006 (Detroit) and Major League Baseball All-Star Games in 2005 (Detroit) and 1997 (Cleveland), as well as the Boston Marathon, Cleveland Revco-Marathon and the PGA’s Ben Hogan and Nike Junior Golf Tours.
He is a graduate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Thomas G. Garth Executive Leadership Program held at Duke University and the Executive Management Program at Case Western Reserve University. He has a Masters Degree from Southern Connecticut State University, a Bachelors Degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and an Associate Degree from the Community College of Allegheny County. Len is the proud father of two daughters, Katie and Lucy.
August 2023