Men's Cross Country | 7/16/2026 8:00:00 AM

Most Hall of Fame distance runners spend years training before college. Kevin Doyle didn't. In fact, his first cross country race came as a freshman at Saint Francis. Four years later, he left as one of the greatest runners in program history.
 
From 1998-2002, Doyle was one of the leaders of a blue-collar program that prided itself on hard work and commitment.
 
"As far as pure talent, I'd say Kevin is the best to come through Saint Francis. He had an internal engine that could just run and run without fail. His talent and consistency are what set him apart," former teammate Ben McCulloch said.
 
The road to Loretto began in Butler, Pennsylvania. A standout athlete at Knoch High School, Doyle played soccer for six years before joining the track and field team.
 
He set a high school record scoring 19 goals.  Just as dominant on the track he held the record in the 1600- and 3200-meter events.
 
"Coach Donner had contacted me before track season, but I wasn't immediately interested," said Doyle. "Even though I didn't run cross country I had the times on track."
 
Doyle would go on to win the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship in 1998. That earned him a trip to the state meet, where he once again bumped into Donner. Fortunately for Saint Francis, other college offers didn't materialize, and Doyle packed his bags for Loretto.
 
"I joined a team that had talented runners across the board," Doyle said. "Fortunately for me I was able to slowly build my miles. We ran 60 miles a week my freshman. Then 80 as a sophomore."
 
The team pushed and motivated each other.
 
"His friendship far outweighs anything he did athletically," McCulloch said. "The first time I broke 15 minutes for a 5k, Kevin pulled me along for two miles. He then proceeded to bury me the last mile, but it was his effort and patience the first two miles that help me achieve a personal best at that time."
 
In 1999, the cross-country team captured the Northeast Conference Championship. The following year, they put the rest of the country on notice.
 
It was at the Michigan Open, the last regular-season meet of the year. Thanks to the likes of Doyle, and teammate and fellow Saint Francis hall of famer Brian Sell, Saint Francis finished second among 12 elite programs. Ahead of such schools as Washington, UCLA, Michigan, Purdue, Florida and Tennessee, and only slightly behind Texas. 
 
"We were the ragtag bunch of guys, no matching uniforms. The Michigan team probably had three times as many athletes as us. They passed us in the warm ups like we were standing still. I think there were some snarky remarks from the Michigan crew," Doyle said laughing.
 
They may have lost the warm up, but they earned everyone's respect after crossing the finishing line.
 
Coach Donner called the 2000 team, which is also in the SFU Hall of fame, the closest-knit group he ever coach. The lack of resources also helped forge that brotherhood.
 
"We had that icy, snowy hill that runs along the Pine Bowl that we called the indoor track, because we didn't have an indoor track. That's where we ran all our workouts," Doyle said.
 
"At the time Saint Francis really had nothing to show regarding facilities when I visited as a high school athlete, but meeting the team and Kevin made me want to sign," McCulloch said. "There was something in the way they carried themselves, that blue collar attitude that made a kid from Altoona want to go to Saint Francis."
 
Equally impressive on the track, in Doyle's senior year he won the 5000-meter race in a time of 13:55. A school record that still stands today.

"His times still rank as some of the all time best in school history 25 years later despite the track facilities being faster and the technology of shoes," Donner said.
 
After graduation he trained with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Michigan, which is an elite post-collegiate Olympic development program.
 
Doyle would represent the United States at the Ekiden marathon relay races in Japan.
 
And he remains heavily involved in the sport. Doyle and his Julie own and operate their own running and fitness store. "Up-N-Running" has locations in Ebensburg and Valencia.
 
It is always remarkable when a Saint Francis athlete or team achieves national recognition. All these years later, Kevin Doyle's runs still have people talking.