Doug Kyle's competitive career at UBC, while relatively short, was in fact the launching pad for one of the most impressive track resumes in the history of the sport in Canada.
Transferring from the University of Saskatchewan in the fall of 1952, the Geological Engineering student's running times immediately improved due to expanded training opportunities and good competition. In late '52 he led UBC to the Stanley Park cross-country title followed by a bronze medal victory representing UBC at the Pacific Northwest College Cross-Country Championships during which local sports scribes wrote "One of the most remarkable performances... was the feat of UBC's Doug Kyle."
Kyle also found time in the fall of '52 to row for UBC's J.V. crew under the coaching of Frank Read.
During the spring of '53 the 128 pound Kyle really blossomed. In the year's first meet he established a new UBC two mile record then won the same race again at the Evergreen Conference Championships re-establishing his own record with a time of 9.44. Under the UBC coaching of Bill Parnell, Kyle then lowered his own two mile record at the Vancouver Relays, winning in a time of 9.43 while at the same meet helped UBC set a 4 X 1 mile Canadian Open record, running the anchor leg.
The fall of '53 saw Kyle, the native of Saskatoon, pace UBC to the team title at both the YMCA cross-country race and the New Westminster cross-country, winning both races. He then finished a close second at the Oregon Intercollegiate Cross-country Championships, a meet which featured ten NCAA Division I schools. At the completion of the '53 season UBC's Kyle was selected to the Pacific Northwest Conference seven man cross-country All-Star team and was also named to the 1953 All-Canadian track and field team.
In December of '53 Kyle solidified his status as one of Canada's best by breaking the Canadian Open record in the six miles, chopping an amazing 44.8 seconds off the old mark.
In the spring of '54 Kyle continued his victorious ways winning the three mile event at the Vancouver Relays then set a UBC one mile record of 4.21 winning that race at the UBC/Washington/VOC meet. At the Evergreen Conference Championships, Kyle running for UBC won both the one and two mile races breaking the Conference record in the two mile by 19 seconds. Kyle finished the '54 season by breaking the Canadian Open three mile record (set previously by future UBC Hall of Famer, Al Fisher) winning the event at the Vancouver Island Championships. He then lowered his own UBC record for the mile with a time of 4.19.
In March '54 the track and cross-country star graduated with his third and fourth Big Blocks in just two years at UBC.
For the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Kyle now one of Canada's "stars", was selected to run for this country in both the three and six mile events. At the trials, Kyle lapped all runners but one to win the six mile race in Canadian record time.
Described as a "modest, tenacious youngster" Kyle completed his UBC career by being presented the Fred Tees Award as Canada's outstanding track and field athlete for 1953/54.
The training and competition opportunities offered at UBC had successfully launched Kyle to even greater heights. He would represent Canada at both the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games as well as the 1959 and 1963 Pan American Games despite the fact he held a full-time job in Calgary and trained on his own time and money. At the '59 Pan Ams he won a silver medal in the 10,000 meters and a bronze in the 5,000 meters. He would win 14 Canadian Open Championships ranging from 3 miles (5,000 meters) to marathon (26 miles) between the years 1954 while at UBC, and 1964. During this time he held 11 Canadian records and one U.S. record in distances ranging from 3,000 meters to 25,000 meters including the Canadian 15 mile record originally set in 1908 by the great Tom Longboat. At one time or another Kyle held all Canadian track records for races between two and 15 miles.
In addition to the Tees Award in '54 Kyle was voted Canada's Outstanding Track Athlete in 1956, 1957 and 1959. He received the Crowe Award as Canada's Outstanding Amateur Athlete of 1956 as he was the holder of four Canadian records that year, and has since been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1967 Kyle was named head coach of Canada's track team for the Pan Am Games as well as coach of Canada's 1968 Olympic track team.
In 2008, over 50 years after competing at UBC Kyle confesses, "If it hadn't been for UBC I would never have realized my dreams in track and field!"
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
