Allen Tolmich

Who is Allen Tolmich?

Allen Tolmich was a track and field athlete.

Tolmich was born in Detroit, Michigan, and is Jewish. He attended Wayne State University, joined its track team as a walk-on in 1934, and was captain of it in 1936 to 1937. He was an All American from 1937–41, and a National Amateur Athletic Union Champion in 1937, 1939, 1940, and 1941.

Between 1936 and 1941, he set 10 world and United States indoor track and field records, including the 60-yard hurdles, 110-meter hurdles, and 120-yard hurdles, and tied 5 of them. He was a National AAU Champion in 1937, 1939, 1940 and 1941.

While at Wayne State, in 1937 he twice broke the world record in the 200 meter hurdles at the AAU Championships, and won the national 110 meter high hurdles.

In 1939, he won the AAU national indoor 65-meter hurdles in 8.4 seconds.

In 1940, he set a new world record in the indoor 60-yard hurdles at Madison Square Garden, at 8.4 seconds, breaking his own record by .01 seconds, as well as world records in indoor 50 low hurdles the and the 70 high hurdles. In 1941, he set a new world record in the indoor 45 low hurdles, breaking a 40-year-old record, and tied the world record in the 45 high hurdles.