The man behind Furman’s track resurgence

Chris Borch, a 1978 Furman graduate, earned a spot on the Paladin cross country team as a walk-on in 1974. It was tradition back then for each runner to receive a pair of blue Onitsuka Tiger running shoes upon making the team. The symbolic gesture resonated with Borch, a successful businessman who created the Blue Shoes scholarship program at the university in 2005. The Blue Shoes initiative has brought new life to Furman track and cross country, not only through scholarships and facility improvements but through the excitement of new running events and world class athletes coming to Greenville.  Borch was featured in Runner’s World magazine.