Would you vote for Bernie Sanders if you knew he was a former track star?
Bernie Sanders, 74, was the captain of his high school track and field team and was one of New York City's top runners when he was young.
Would knowing one of the U.S. presidential candidates was a standout runner in high school influence your vote in 2016?
Bernie Sanders, 74, ran a 4:37 mile in high school and was also the captain of his high school cross-country team. Running a 4:37 mile on a cinder track is very fast for a high school athlete.
“I came in third in my junior year in the New York City public school one-mile,” Sanders told CNBC. “I think my best was 4:37, which is not superstar, but it’s pretty good.”
Sanders attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. before attending the University of Chicago. He’s now a Democratic candidate for President of the United States and, if elected, would be the oldest person to take the office at 75.
There is also proof to back up some of the performances that Sanders alludes to.
“I was captain of my cross-country team, won a lot of cross-country meets and certainly won a lot of races,” Sanders told CNN.
Watch Sanders discuss his high school track and field career below:
Sanders is not the only U.S. politician with a running background.
Paul Ryan, currently the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, made headlines in 2012 when he claimed he ran a 2:50 marathon. After the time was questioned, Ryan later admitted that he ran 4:01:25.
Dating further back, George W. Bush ran 3:44:52 at the 2003 Houston Marathon.
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