Support, encouragement helped propel Pat O’Malley to success in the running world
10/14/2026 9:33:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Hall of Fame
Orono, Maine -- As a senior at Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, Pat O'Malley made a decision that would change his life.
Rather than play baseball, he joined the track team because of his interest in a girl on the squad. He started out training with the distance runners to get in shape.
In his first meet, O'Malley won the mile and two-mile, opening the door to a remarkable stint at the University of Maine. His coachability, tenacity and competitive fire produced success on the track and trails and inspired an impressive career as an athletic footwear executive.
Those achievements secured O'Malley a spot in the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame.
"UMaine changed my life," said O'Malley, who earned finance and MBA degrees, graduating in 1990.
He won three letters each in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. He was a three-time cross country captain and captained both track teams as a senior.
O'Malley's UMaine highlights include winning the 10,000 meters at the 1989 America East outdoor championships in a record 30 minutes, 42.21 seconds. He claimed All-America East cross country honors in 1988 and was named Maine College Runner of the Year by "New England Runner." He was a multiple-time selection to All-New England and All-North Atlantic Conference track and cross country squads.
"I must have had some natural talent there that I didn't realize I had, but the environment around me set me up to succeed," O'Malley said.
His first running mentor was Tim Wakeland, who invited O'Malley to work out after his high school graduation. The future college All-American, who later qualified for the Olympic Trials in the steeplechase, saw O'Malley's potential.
"It was pretty awesome to see his interest grow and his talent improve," Wakeland said. "He was a hard worker and I always appreciated that about him."
O'Malley soaked in all the information he could as he began to find his stride over the next three or four years.
"Tim took me under his wing. He showed me what it took to be an elite runner," said O'Malley, who initially attended UMaine-Farmington, which did not sponsor track or cross country.
With a growing desire to compete, he considered transferring to a Division III program. Wakeland suggested that he try walking on at UMaine.
"He said, 'if you go DI, at least you'll know,'" said O'Malley, who arrived at UMaine midway through his sophomore year.
Coach Jim Ballinger had him run unattached in an invitational at Colby, as O'Malley wasn't officially on the roster yet.
"It was really intimidating because this was my first college race and I had just assumed that I was going to get embarrassed," said O'Malley, who won the 5,000 meters.
Having jumpstarted his college career, he started logging 100-plus miles a week.
"I went from some dude that was out there running road races for the hell of it to, all of a sudden, running Division I," he said.
At UMaine, he received positive encouragement from numerous people and he looks back on those relationships with great appreciation.
"Coach Ballinger at UMaine was so welcoming, just the perfect coach for me because he was easygoing," O'Malley said.
He also benefited from the support of roommate Mark Snow, who later was a fellow cross country co-captain.
"Pat just was relentless training and running," Snow said. "His focus and dedication is, I think, the thing that put him over the top. He just kept at it."
O'Malley also remembers assistant coach Rolland Ranson for his unwavering positivity.
"He gave me permission to dream big," O'Malley said.
At the prestigious 1989 Penn Relays, he was unexpectedly invited to run the 10,000 — less than a week after competing at that distance. He ran a career-best 30:24.00, then the second-fastest time in UMaine history.
"That was a magical night," O'Malley said.
Prior to his graduate year, he worked weekdays at the Guilford of Maine woolen mill. On weekends, he commuted to Freeport to work in Nike's new retail store.
After completing his MBA, O'Malley optimistically applied for a job at Nike but wound up back in Freeport, earning $5.25 per hour.
His persistence paid off. Within 18 months, he was working for the footwear giant in Oregon. It was the start of a vocation that included 10 years at Nike, four years at Reebok and 14 with Saucony, the last two as brand president.
"For a guy like me who loves running, to be able to get up every day and work on running was just a dream come true," he said.
O'Malley has since co-founded "think," a business strategy and creative advisory firm, and has done some coaching. He and his wife Erin Flynn have a 12-year-old son, Flynn, and live in Kennebunk.
O'Malley will be inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame on Nov. 8.
The University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet will take place on Friday, Oct. 16 at Jeff's Catering in Brewer, Maine. For tickets, please visit GoBlackBears.com/Tickets. The banquet will also be live streamed at www.youtube.com/@MaineBlackBears/streams.
