Eddie Hart
Track & Field · Team USA
Track & Field · Enshrined Legend
Eddie Hart
Olympic gold medalist and "World's Fastest Human" — world-record anchor of the 1972 U.S. 4×100-meter relay and a lifelong mentor to East Bay youth.
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Olympic Gold Medal, 4×100m Relay
9.9s
Equaled the 100m World Record
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Years His Masters World Record Stood
The Backstory
Born in Martinez, Raised in Pittsburg
Pittsburg High and Contra Costa College
Won the 100- and 200-yard dashes at the California Junior College State Meet before transferring to Cal.
UC Berkeley NCAA champion
Captured NCAA titles in the 100-yard dash and the 4×110-yard relay in 1970 alongside teammate Isaac Curtis.
Eddie Hart All In One Foundation
Co-founded in 2003 with his wife Gwen and son Eddie Jr., mentoring disadvantaged youth through sports, music and education.
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See Eddie Hart in Action
1970 → Today
Career Timeline
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1970
NCAA champion at Cal
Won NCAA titles in the 100-yard dash and the 4×110-yard relay — a historic chapter in Cal track and field history.
Two Chapters
From the California JC State Meet to Munich, and then back again as a masters world champion.
Olympic gold medalist — 1972 U.S. 4×100m relay, world-record time
Equaled the 100m world record of 9.9 seconds — U.S. Olympic Trials
NCAA champion, 100-yard dash and 4×110-yard relay — Cal, 1970
California JC State Meet champion, 100 and 200 yards — Contra Costa College
Masters world champion in the 100 and 200 meters — After returning from open competition
Masters 100-meter world record — Stood for 14 years
Every award, on the record
Honors & Awards
Olympic Gold Medalist
Anchored the U.S. 4×100-meter relay to gold in world-record time in Munich.
"World's Fastest Human"
Equaled the 100-meter world record of 9.9 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
NCAA Champion, 100-Yard Dash
Won for the California Golden Bears.
NCAA Champion, 4×110-Yard Relay
With teammate Isaac Curtis at Cal.
Masters World Champion, 100 & 200 Meters
World titles after returning to the sport in the master's division.
Hometown Hero, City of Pittsburg
Honored by his hometown.
More To Know
Deeper Cuts on Eddie Hart
His full name is Edward James Hart, and he was born in Martinez, California on April 24, 1949.
He told his own side of the 1972 Munich saga in a 2017 memoir, 'Disqualified: Eddie Hart, Munich 1972, and the Voices of the Most Tragic Olympics,' published by Kent State University Press.
The missed race in Munich traced back to coach Stan Wright working off an outdated printed schedule that had the wrong start time.
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