Hiram College

Blankenship is by far the most outstanding distance runner in the College's history. When he graduated, he held Hiram records for the 1 mile, half-mile and steeplechase. He would have held the 880 record; but did not run the distance (he was a half-miler in high school). Most importantly, David made All-American his junior year in the steeplechase by finishing fourth or fifth in the NCAA meet. He did not run track his senior year because he was married and had other responsibilities.

During the course of his running career at Hiram he earned 11 letters in track, indoor track and cross country and frequently finished in the top 3 or 4 places in the conference track and cross-country championships. 

After graduation, David continued to run road races and marathons. He dominated road racing in West Virginia and Ohio during the 70's and early 80s, and was sponsored by NIKE. He qualified to run in a 50 person 10,000 meter race at Lake Tahoe, winner take all for $500,000, that was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports (he finished 24th). He has also run in several races featured on ESPN. This year he won the Ohio Masters
Championships in the one mile and half-mile (or metric equivalents). Perhaps his greatest honor came this fall when he won the national masters division steeplechase championships in Indianapolis.·

At age 41, he continued to represent his alma mater with distinction. As of his induction, Blankenship was a librarian at the Northeastern Ohio College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio.