Jon Rankin

{{Short description|American track and field runner}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = lightblue | name = Jon Rankin | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image =  | nationality = American and Caymanian | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|02|09|df=y}}<ref name="World Athletics">{{cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/cayman-islands/jon-rankin-14249142|publisher=World Athletics|title=Athlete Profile - Jon Byron Rankin|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="UCLA">{{cite web|url=https://uclabruins.com/news/2013/4/17/208206878.aspx|publisher=UCLA Bruins|title=Player Bio: Jon Rankin - UCLA Official Athletic Site|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> | birth_place = Spring Valley, San Diego, California<ref name="UCLA"/> | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|1.78|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="UCLA"/> | weight = {{convert|65.8|kg|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="UCLA"/> | spouse = | life_partner = | website =  | country = {{CAY}} | sport = Track and field | rank = | event = | collegeteam = | universityteam = UCLA Bruins | club = Nike Team Run LA | team = | turnedpro = | partner = | former_partner = | coach = Joaquim Cruz<ref name="hawi"/> | retired = 2012 | pb = '''800m''': 1:47.01 '''1500m''': 3:35.26 '''Mile''': 3:54.24 | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = 2001 USA Track & Field Junior National Championships (1,500 m – 1st) | olympics = | highestranking = | show-medals = | updated = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics}} {{MedalCountry| {{USA}} (until September 2009) {{CAY}} (since October 2009)}} {{MedalCompetition|CAC Championships}} {{MedalBronze |2011 Mayagüez|1500 m}} }}

'''Jon Byron Rankin''' (born 9 February 1982) is an American born retired Caymanian middle and long-distance track and field runner. The highlight of his track and field career was winning the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships at 1500 metres and the 2007 Emsley Carr Mile in England. He is the CEO of Go Be More, who design apparel. He is also a copywriter working for various organisations and for himself.

==Early life and amateur career==

Rankin graduated from Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California.<ref name="UCLA"/> He then went on to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language.<ref name="UCLA"/> In 2004 he became UCLA's number one runner for the season and was an All-American.<ref name="hawi"/><ref name="NBMA">{{cite web|url=https://blackmarathoners.org/2015-hall-of-fame |website=blackmarathoners.org/|title=2015 National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> On 9 April 2005, he became then the 17th African American and 268th American overall to run a sub four-minute mile.<ref name="runnerstribe">{{cite web|url=https://www.runnerstribe.com/latest-news/jon-rankin-the-sub-4-miler-who-survived-terminal-kidney-disease/|website=runnerstribe.com|title=Jon Rankin: the sub-4 Miler who Survived Terminal Kidney Disease|date=26 August 2020 |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="hawi">{{cite web|url=http://hawimanagement.com/jon.html|website=hawimanagement.com/|title=Jon Rankin|access-date=15 March 2021|archive-date=6 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206052212/http://hawimanagement.com/jon.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He graduated from UCLA in 2005.<ref name="hawi"/>

==Professional career== ===Athletics career=== After graduating, he turned professional as a sponsored athlete with Nike. Rankin trained and raced throughout the US and Europe.<ref name="runnerstribe"/> On 11 August 2007 he won the Emsley Carr Mile in Manchester, England in a personal best time of 3:54.24,<ref name="World Athletics"/> A year later in 2008, at the time of the United States Olympic Trials, he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), although his official diagnosis didn't come about until the end of 2008.<ref name="podcast">{{cite web|url=https://go-be-more-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/jons-kidney-disease-story-ep-31|website=simplecast.com|title=Jon's Kidney Disease Story (Ep 31)|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> FSGS is estimated to occur in 2-3 persons per million, with males and African peoples at higher risk.<ref name=":14">{{cite journal | last1 = Tucker | first1 = JK | date = Feb 2002 | title = Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in African Americans | url = | journal = Am J Med Sci| volume = 323 | issue = 2| pages = 90–3 | doi = 10.1097/00000441-200202000-00006 | pmid = 11863085 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Kitiyakara | first1 = C | last2 = Kopp | first2 = JB | last3 = Eggers | first3 = P | year = 2003 | title = Trends in the epidemiology of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis | url = | journal = Semin Nephrol | volume = 23 | issue = 2| pages = 172–82 | doi = 10.1053/snep.2003.50025 | pmid = 12704577 }}</ref> Later in 2011, Rankin underwent an experimental stem cell surgery to reverse his disease.<ref name="NAYS">{{cite web|url=https://nays.org/sklive/features/go-be-more/|publisher=National Alliance for Youth Sports|title=Go Be More|access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref>

Earlier, on 1 October 2009, Rankin decided to switch his allegiance to the Cayman Islands, "Jon is eligible to do this because both of his parents were born in the Cayman Islands," wrote his manager, Merhawi Keflezighi.<ref name="runnerstribe"/> He retired from professional competitive racing at the end of 2012.<ref name="Zintro"/> In 2015 Rankin was inducted into the National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame by the National Black Marathoners’ Association.<ref name="NBMA"/>

====Personal bests==== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Distance !! Time !! Place !! Date |- | 800 metres || 1:47.01 || Indianapolis, USA|| 11 June 2008 |- | 1500 metres || 3:35.26 || Stockholm, Sweden || 26 July 2005 |- | One mile || 3:54.24 || Stretford, England || 11 August 2007 |- | 5,000 metres || 14:08.09 || Los Angeles, USA || 11 March 2011 |- | 10k || 30:44 || New York City, USA || 15 May 2010 |- | 15k || 47:53 || Jacksonville, FL, USA || 9 March 2013 |- | Half marathon || 1:08:59 || Carlsbad, CA, USA || 24 January 2010 |- | Marathon || 2:34:29 || Sacramento, CA, USA || 5 December 2010 |- |}

All Information taken from World Athletics profile.<ref name="World Athletics"/>

====Competitions==== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes|NotesOff=yes}} |- !colspan="5"|Representing {{USA}} |- |2001 |USA Track & Field Junior National Championships |Sports Backers Stadium, Richmond, Virginia, USA<ref name="Backers">{{cite web|url=http://oldserver.usatf.org/events/2001/JuniorNationals/results.asp|publisher=USA Track & Field|title=2001 Junior National Championships - Results (Men's 1,500 Meter Run)|access-date=1 August 2021|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801055157/http://oldserver.usatf.org/events/2001/JuniorNationals/results.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> |bgcolor=gold|1st<ref name="UCLA">{{cite web|url=https://uclabruins.com/news/2013/4/17/208206878.aspx|publisher=UCLA Bruins|title=Player Bio: Jon Rankin - UCLA Official Athletic Site|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |1500 metres |- |2007 |Emsley Carr Mile |Stretford Stadium, Manchester, England |bgcolor=gold|1st<ref name="Emsley">{{cite web |url= http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmcstorydisplay.aspx?storyid=309 |website= britishmilersclub.com |title= Stretford Grand Prix |access-date= 2021-03-14 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071101003407/http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmcstorydisplay.aspx?storyid=309 |archive-date= 1 November 2007 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}</ref> |Mile |- |2008 |United States Olympic Trials |Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, USA |6th<ref name="Trials">{{cite web|url=https://www.letsrun.com/2008/finalot0707.php|website=LetsRun.com|title=LetsRun.com's Recap of Final Day of 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="US Trial">{{cite web|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20795431/olympic-track-trials-results/|publisher =Hearst Magazine Media|title=Olympic Track Trials Results|date =July 2008|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |1500 metres |- |2009 |Fifth Avenue Mile |Fifth Avenue, New York City, USA |13th<ref name="NYRR">{{cite web|url=https://results.nyrr.org/event/a90926/finishers#g=M&page=1|publisher=New York Road Runners|title=Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile-Professional |access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |Mile |- !colspan="5"|Representing {{CAY}} |- |rowspan="3"|2010 |UAE Healthy Kidney 10K |New York City, USA |23rd<ref name="Lets">{{cite web|url=https://www.letsrun.com/2010/healthy-kidney0515.php |website=LetsRun.com|title=Gebre Gebremariam Breaks Central Park Course Record, Pockets $27,500 at 2010 Healthy Kidney 10k|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |10,000 metres |- |rowspan="2"|Commonwealth Games |rowspan="2"|Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, India |14th<ref name="CGF"/> |800 metres |- |17th<ref name="CGF">{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/59025|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|title=Jon Byron Rankin|access-date=14 March 2021}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |1500 metres |- |rowspan="4"|2011 |IAAF World Cross Country Championships |Punta Umbría, Spain |98th<ref name="WA2">{{cite web|url=https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/39th-iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-7021583/results/men/senior-race/final/result|publisher=World Athletics|title= World Athletics Cross Country Championships|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |Cross country |- |Central American and Caribbean Championships |Mayagüez Athletics Stadium, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico |bgcolor=cc996|3rd<ref name="World Athletics"/> |1500 metres |- |rowspan="2"|Pan American Games |rowspan="2"|Estadio de Béisbol Charros de Jalisco y Atletismo, Zapopan, Mexico |7th<ref name="World Athletics"/> |800 metres |- |4th<ref name="World Athletics"/> |1500 metres |- |rowspan="2"|2012 |UW (University of Washington) Invitational |Dempsey Indoor, Seattle, Washington, USA |5th<ref name="TFRRS">{{cite web|url=https://www.tfrrs.org/results/22375/1445343/UW_Invitational/Mile/ |publisher=Track & Field Results Reporting System|title=UW Invitational|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |Mile |- !colspan="4"|{{center|Retired From Professional Athletics}} |- |2013 |Jacksonville River Run |Jacksonville, Florida, USA |49th<ref name="River Run">{{cite web|url=http://www.gate-riverrun.com/grr13overallres.htm |website=gate-riverrun.com/|title=Gate River Run 2013 15K Results|access-date=14 March 2021}}</ref> |15,000 metres |}

===Career outside of athletics===

Since graduating, outside of athletics, Rankin has been a freelance senior copywriter, and since 2018 he has been the chief executive officer of both Go Be More and Catchy Content Co.<ref name="Zintro">{{cite web|url=https://www.zintro.com/profile/jon-rankin1|website=zintro.com/|title=Jon Rankin|access-date=14 March 2021}}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210308114733/https://gobemore.co/jon-rankin/ Go Be More profile of Jon Rankin]}} *{{iaaf name|14249142}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rankin, Jon}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Track and field athletes from San Diego Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:African-American track and field athletes Category:UCLA Bruins men's track and field athletes Category:American men middle-distance runners Category:American men long-distance runners Category:American men cross country runners Category:American men marathon runners Category:American people of Caymanian descent Category:Caymanian middle-distance runners Category:Caymanian long-distance runners Category:Caymanian men athletes Category:Caymanian marathon runners Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century British sportsmen Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen