Late '60s early '70s two-sport star at UBC -- 5 years with the soccer team and record-setting middle distance runner with UBC track teams. Led UBC track to three Canada West championships setting several UBC and Canadian University records. Was the first UBC student to run the mile in under four minutes ('73). Ran for Canada internationally including the 1972 Olympics.
Ken Elmer is one of the very few UBC athletes since the 1950s to excel at two different university sports. This is in addition to the fact that while at UBC, Elmer competed as an Olympian and was the recipient of the prestigious Bobby Gaul Award.
Elmer entered UBC in 1966 after graduating from Vancouver Island's Port Alberni High School in British Columbia. During his freshman year he turned out for coach Joe Johnson's Thunderbird soccer team and for the next five years, until 1970/71, was a starter on soccer teams that were among UBC's finest. These were the days when UBC soccer was played in the Pacific Coast League - THE soccer league in Canada - and with Elmer and John Haar leading the way, UBC won the PCL championship twice in a row. These teams were also perennial winners of the US college soccer tournaments, dominating the competition both in California and St. Louis.
In 1968/69 while still playing soccer, Elmer took up running in a serious way and began training under UBC Hall of Famer, Doug Clement. In 1969/70, Elmer found himself to be among a growing number of outstanding track and field and cross-country competitors attending UBC. He led UBC to the Western Canadian University track and field championship that year, finishing first in the 600 yards (1:14.7) and first in the triple jump (41'8-1/2").
In 1971/72 and 1972/73 Elmer again led UBC to Canada West championships, finishing first in both the 800 and 1500 meters in 1973. He was also on the winning cross-country team at these 1973 championships finishing third in the individual cross-country standings. Elmer at this time was one of the pillars of coach Lionel Pugh's track and cross-country team, as he along with six other members of the UBC contingent had been named to Canada's 1972 Olympic team. Elmer had run a 3:40.9, 1500 meters to qualify for Canada's team.
A UBC track and field highlight occurred in 1973 when Elmer became the first UBC student to run the mile in under 4 minutes, clocking a personal best and a UBC best, 3:58.5. He remains one of the few Canadians to have achieved this feat and at the time set a Canadian University record.
Elmer was also the holder of Canadian University records in both the 1000 and 2000 meters, as well as possessing for 20 years the UBC 1500 meter record and for more than a decade the school 800 meter record.
Not only is his record in university track impressive but also is his international track experience especially since he didn't start running seriously until his third year and that much of his time was spent playing on the Varsity soccer team. From 1971 through 1974, the Physical Education student competed for Canada vs. Italy, for Canada vs. the Soviet Union, the 1972 Olympics, the 1973 Pan Pacific Games and the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Following graduation, he competed at the 1975 Pan American Games.
Graduating from UBC with a Masters degree in Physical Education (Human Kinetics), Elmer also taught an undergraduate course in track and field for four years while a student at UBC. In his last two years at UBC he was also the manager and assistant coach of UBC's cross-country team.
Another Elmer highlight occurred in the Spring of 1974 when he was awarded his eighth Big Block and the Bobby Gaul Award as the outstanding and exemplary male athlete on campus.
Elmer, who even while at UBC organized racing tours in Europe, currently teaches school while directing the Harry Jerome Classic and the ever-growing Vancouver Sun Run, the latter Canada's most popular road race. Each year working to improve this sport's profile as well as encourage fitness, Elmer's quest is to "...help this sport make a comeback in this country... and I'm going to stick around till it does."
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
