Photo: Associated Press—Public domain
Janice Merrill
- Born
- Jun 18, 1956 (70 years old)
- Birthplace
- New London, United States
- Events
- 1500 m · 3000 m
- Height
- 1.65 m
- Weight
- 52 kg
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. She won the U.S. title at 1500 meters twice outdoors, 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.
As of Nov 6, 2026: 1500 m 4:02.61 (#310 all-time), 3000 m 8:42.6h=, 1986 season best 52:55 (Jul 13, 1986, Utica, NY (USA)) · 70 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 15Kilometr | 52:55 | – | Jul 13, 1986 | Utica, NY (USA) |
| 1986 | 10MilesRoa | 56:11 | – | Apr 6, 1986 | Washington, DC (USA) |
| 1985 | 15Kilometr | 51:28 | – | Jun 30, 1985 | Portland, OR (USA) |
| 1985 | 10MilesRoa | 55:54 | – | Mar 31, 1985 | Washington, DC (USA) |
| 1984 | 1000m-short-track | 2:48.5h | – | Mar 2, 1984 | – |
| 1984 | 1000m-short-track Indoor | 2:48.5h | – | Mar 2, 1984 | Daly City, CA (USA) (i) |
| 1984 | 1000m Indoor | 2:48.5h | – | Mar 2, 1984 | Daly City, CA (USA) (i) |
| 1984 | Mile Indoor | 4:33.4h | – | Feb 10, 1984 | Inglewood, CA (USA) (i) |