Hall of Fame
Fairchild, Melody

Melody Fairchild
- Induction:
- 2017
- Class:
- 1996
One of the nation’s premier prep distance runners of all time, Melody Fairchild overcame an assortment of obstacles to claim the 1996 NCAA indoor 3,000-meter crown as a senior. She set the school record at that distance, 9:07.25, a mark that still stands sixth on the UO career chart. She followed her indoor season by winning the 10,000 meters at the 1996 Pac-10 championships and earning her second All-America honors of the year by finishing ninth in the 10,000 meters at the 1996 outdoor NCAA Championships. The Boulder, Colo., native also ran a collegiate-best 10,000 meters that season, 33:18.99, which at the time was the No. 4 mark in program history and still ranks sixth on the Ducks’ all-time list some two decades later. She also won All-America honors in cross country by virtue of her ninth-place finish at the 1995 NCAA Championships, where she helped the Ducks finish fifth. She was a key member of Oregon’s 1995 Pac-10 cross country championship team. After college, she went on to compete in the 5,000 meters at the 1997 IAAF World Championships. At age 38, she finished eighth at the World Mountain Running Championship and was a member of the gold medal team. Since turning 40, she has won six national Masters championships: 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, 15,000 meters (twice), half-marathon and cross country.
Duck Insider 9-16-25
Tuesday, September 16
Isaiah World: "Ready for any situation."
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Tuesday, September 16
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