Track Career
In 1979, while a student at Villanova University. Paige ran an indoor American Record of 2:20.3 for 1000m and a few months later ran a personal best of 3:54.6 for the mile. In June he pulled off a rare 800m/1500m double at the NCAA championships, becoming only the third man to win both events after Ron Delany (1958) and Ross Hume (1945). (In the 800, run only 35 minutes after the 1500m final, he ran a rare negative split race of 54.3/51.9, while in the 1500 he closed his last lap in a swift 53.7, the last 200 being covered in 26.2 seconds.) Two weeks later Paige ran a personal best for the 1500 of 3:37.4, good for 10th place on the all-time U.S. list at that time, in finishing second to Steve Scott at the AAU championships. 1979 culminated with him winning the 1500 meters title at the Pan American Games.
In 1980, Paige won the 800 at the USA Olympic Trials on 23 June 1980 in Eugene, Oregon, but was denied participation at the 1980 Olympic Games because of the USA boycott. In the race he set the world best year performance in the men's 800 metres in 1980 at 1:44.53 U.S. After the Olympics, he defeated the 800 meter Olympic silver medalist and world record holder Sebastian Coe by 0.03 seconds in an 800 meter race in Via Reggio, Italy and was later ranked number one in the world for the 800m in 1980 by Track & Field News magazine. As some small consolation for missing the Olympics, he also won the 800 m at the Olympic Boycott Games.
His personal best in the same event came three years later: 1:44.29, achieved on 4 September 1983 in Rieti, Lazio, Italy.
Paige ran 3:54.19, his lifetime best for the mile, on May 16, 1982.
In 1984, Paige failed to qualify for the Olympics finishing fifth in the 800 m final at the Olympic Trials.
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Gives token of a goodly day tomorrow.”
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