About Jan Merrill
Born 1956. Jan Merrill is an American athletics competitor.
Janice "Jan" Melbourne Merrill (born June 18, 1956) is a retired American runner. She was the dominant long-distance runner of the middle 1970s, a notable front runner, her uniform with the large "M" on her chest would usually break away to an insurmountable lead in domestic meets. She was equally untouchable in self-promotion or dealing with the media, often deferring to her coach, Norm Higgins. At various points in time she held the American record in the 1500 meters (4:02.61 set on July 29, 1976) during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. She lost other record opportunities because the only times she could get a decent race in the United States was against men. 3000 meters 4 times, twice in the indoor mile, twice in the indoor 2 mile and twice in Cross Country. After retiring from competitions she became a high school and college track coach.
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Important facts
People in Jan Merrill's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jan Merrill's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jan Merrill?
American distance runner
When was Jan Merrill born?
Jan Merrill was born on 18 June 1956 in New London.
What is Jan Merrill's occupation?
Jan Merrill is an athletics competitor.
What nationality is Jan Merrill?
Jan Merrill is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jan Merrill. https://biography.guide/jan-merrill/
MLA: "Jan Merrill." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jan-merrill/.
Chicago: "Jan Merrill." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jan-merrill/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.
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