Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame
It doesn't matter where David Berdan runs. On a track, wooded trails, or the streets of Baltimore, he always does it fast.
One of a key group of runners to pump life back into Elizabethtown College's cross country and track & field programs, Berdan helped the cross country team to the 1999 Middle Atlantic Conference championship – its first conference title in 34 years. The Blue Jays would add three more conference cross country championships during Berdan's career, with the Dingmans Ferry, Pa., product taking home the individual crown and MAC Runner of the Year honors in 2001
Berdan, a three-time All-Mideast Region finisher, is the only runner in Blue Jay men's cross country history to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships four times and was instrumental in the team capturing its first ever NCAA DIII Mideast Regional Championship in 2002. Berdan twice finished in the top 50 at the national meet with a best finish of 44th in 2002.
As a member of the track & field teams, Berdan took home a pair of All-America honors with a runner-up finish in the 10,000-meter run and a sixth in the 5,000-meter run at the 2004 NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships. He also qualified for nationals in the 10k in 2001. Berdan's second-place finish in 2004 remains the highest finish by a Blue Jay at nationals in a track event.
Berdan continues to hold the College's indoor and outdoor records in the 5,000-meter run, along with outdoor benchmarks in the 3k and 10k. He was a member of teams that won MAC indoor championships in 2003 and 2004 and a MAC outdoor title in 2004.
A nine-time All-MAC performer and seven-time medalist at conference championship meets, Berdan won gold in the 5k at the 2001 indoor championships.
Berdan's post-Elizabethtown career includes a pair of Baltimore Marathon victories (2013 and 2015) and he is now the head men's/women's cross country coach at Stevenson University.
