Charles Beetham

Charles Beetham (April 30, 1914 – January 28, 1997) was an American middle-distance runner. He was United States champion in the 800-meter run in 1936, 1939, 1940 and 1941 and NCAA champion in 1936; he entered the 1936 United States Olympic Trials as one of the favorites, but fell in the final and failed to qualify for the Olympics.

Early life and collegiate career

Beetham was born in Cadiz, Ohio on April 30, 1914. He studied at North High School in Columbus, Ohio and became a good runner there, guided by his older brother Rupert. After graduating from high school Beetham attended Ohio State University, where he was coached by Larry Snyder; his teammates included Jesse Owens and Dave Albritton.

As a sophomore at Ohio State, Beetham won the 1935 Big Ten championship in the 880-yard (804.7 m) run. He also won the 880 yards in a dual meet against the University of Southern California on June 15, 1935; his winning time, 1:52.0, was the fastest in the world that year. Beetham entered the 1935 NCAA championships as the favorite, but dropped out early on the second lap.

In 1936 Beetham defended his Big Ten half-mile title in a meeting record 1:52.4 and won the NCAA 800-meter championship in 1:53.0. At the national outdoor championships of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) a week before the Olympic Trials Beetham won a close race against John Woodruff; his winning time, 1:50.3, broke Ben Eastman's meeting record by one-tenth of a second.

The 1936 United States Olympic Trials were held at Randall's Island Stadium in New York City; Beetham entered the 800 meters as a leading favorite. He placed third at the 1937 NCAA championships as Woodruff won in a fast race; Beetham's time, 1:50.8 for 880 yards, was his lifetime best. In August 1939 he anchored an American 4 × 800 metres relay team to an unofficial world record of 7:35.2 in a race against the French team in Paris.

Beetham lost another opportunity to qualify for the Olympics when the 1940 Summer Games were cancelled due to World War II.