Elaine Van Blunk

Van Blunk attended Archbishop Prendergast High School,[3] and later Saint Joseph's University.[4] She graduated from Saint Joseph's in 1986.[1] She is married to Jim Van Blunk, who was an athlete and later admissions director at Saint Joseph's University.[4] Jim Van Blunk won the 1986 and 1987 Broad Street Run races.[5] Van Blunk has lived in West Deptford Township, New Jersey,[4] and Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.[6]

Whilst at Archbishop Prendergast High School, Van Blunk competed in Catholic League girl's athletics competitions. In 1981, she finished third in the cross country event,[7] and in 1982, she won the 3,200 meter race in a meeting record time of 11:09.4.[8] Whilst at Saint Joseph's University, Van Blunk qualified for the 1985 NCAA Championships,[3] and in 1986, she became an all-America athlete.[9] After graduating, Van Blunk worked as an accountant,[1] and later as an investigator in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the office of the New Jersey Attorney General.[4] She gave up the role to pursue athletics full time,[4] although she also worked part-time as a track assistant at Saint Joseph's.[1] Van Blunk was sponsored by Nike.[4]

She was the 1989 winner of the 3000 meters event at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships.[10] In the same year, Van Blunk finished sixth in the Penn Relays mile run.[9] She also won a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) race in Park Avenue, New York City,[9] and a 3.1 miles (5.0 km) event at the Metropolitan Athletics Congress.[9] In 1990, Van Blunk won the 10,000 meters event at the Penn Relays. She finished second in the event in 1991, albeit in a faster time.[4] In 1990, Van Bluck won the 8 km road race at the United States Championships.[11] She competed at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Seville, Spain,[4] and placed seventh in the 10,000 meters event at the 1991 Pan American Games.[12] In 1992, Van Blunk won a Dukes invitational 5,000 meters race in a time of 16:04.7.[13] In 1993, Van Blunk set a course record of 1:12:11 at the Fairfield Half-Marathon.[6] She also won the Broad Street Run,[5] in a course record time of 53:15,[14] and the half marathon event at the United States Championships.[11] She also finished 21st in the 10,000 meters event at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics.[15]

In 1994, Van Blunk finished third at the Chicago Marathon, 51 seconds behind winner Kristy Johnston. It was Van Blunk's second career marathon.[16] In 1995, she won the 25 km road race at the United States Championships,[11] and competed in the marathon event at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, but did not finish the race.[17] In 1997, Van Blunk won the Broad Street Run for the second time.[5][14]

• Old Kent River Bank Run: 1995[23]
• Cooper River Bridge Run: 1994[23]
• Broad Street Run: 1993, 1997[23]
• Pittsburgh Great Race: 1989[23]

• USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
  • 3000 m: 1989[10]

• Elaine Van Blunk at World Athletics