Princeton University Athletics
Faculty Fellow Phil Felton Wins Silver at World Masters Indoor Championships
April 16, 2025 | Men's Track and Field
GAINESVILLE, FL. – Princeton Athletics Fellow Phil Felton earned a silver medal at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships on Sunday, March 30th in Gainesville, Fla.
Competing for Team USA, Felton and his fellow runners took second in the 4x200 relay, clocking in at 2:18.93.
The 2-25 championships marked Felton's fifth, and his silver completed his full set of medals in three different relay races.
Last year, Felton competed at the World Masters in Gothenburg, Sweden, earning bronze in the 4x100 with the U.S. team.
He also won gold in the 4x400 at the World Masters in Buffalo in 1995, his first time running at the event.
Felton, a molecular biology lecturer at Princeton, is a fellow of the Princeton track & field and cross country teams. Felton was one of the original faculty fellows when the program began, also coaching the sprinters before then since he came to Princeton in 1985.
Born and raised in rural Wales, Felton's journey into academics and athletics began at the University of Leeds in Northern England, where he earned his doctorate in Physical Chemistry.
In 1974, Felton joined the University of Sheffield as a post-doctoral fellow. He initially came to Princeton on a sabbatical in 1983, and after a one year departure back to the University of Sheffield, he returned to campus in 1985.
As a senior research scientist and lecturer, Felton ran the Engine Research lab in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. Since the close of the Engine lab in 2002, Felton has served as a lecturer in the Molecular Biology department.
In 2013, Felton was awarded the Marvin Bressler Award, given annually to a member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University's student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief that lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission.
While building his impressive academic resume, Felton has managed to build an equally successful career in the sport of track and field.
In addition to his medal-winning championships, Felton also ran at the World Masters in Durban, South Africa in 1997 and at the indoor championships in Kamloops, Canada in 2010.
Felton has been running since he was in high school in the 60s. He ran for Sheffield in the UK while at university and transitioned to Masters track when he reached 40.
Felton, now 76, hasn't stopped running yet.
In Florida for this year's World Masters, Felton grandchildren were there to watch as he added another medal to his collection.
"Running track is part of my life," said Felton. "It's hard to imagine not doing it."
Beyond competing himself, Felton also serves as the Masters coordinator for the Penn Relays, the largest track and field meet in the U.S.
"I forget he's not 40," said Wallack, who has been running alongside Felton for 15 years.
Matthew Wallack, friend and training partner of Felton, shared that Felton was doing work to prepare for the upcoming Penn Relays while in his hotel room in Florida, preparing to compete in the World Masters Championships.
An accomplished track athlete with passion for the sport and for Princeton, Felton has made a lasting impact on generations of Tigers with his support and model of success in his own career.
Competing for Team USA, Felton and his fellow runners took second in the 4x200 relay, clocking in at 2:18.93.
The 2-25 championships marked Felton's fifth, and his silver completed his full set of medals in three different relay races.
Last year, Felton competed at the World Masters in Gothenburg, Sweden, earning bronze in the 4x100 with the U.S. team.
He also won gold in the 4x400 at the World Masters in Buffalo in 1995, his first time running at the event.
Felton, a molecular biology lecturer at Princeton, is a fellow of the Princeton track & field and cross country teams. Felton was one of the original faculty fellows when the program began, also coaching the sprinters before then since he came to Princeton in 1985.
Born and raised in rural Wales, Felton's journey into academics and athletics began at the University of Leeds in Northern England, where he earned his doctorate in Physical Chemistry.
In 1974, Felton joined the University of Sheffield as a post-doctoral fellow. He initially came to Princeton on a sabbatical in 1983, and after a one year departure back to the University of Sheffield, he returned to campus in 1985.
As a senior research scientist and lecturer, Felton ran the Engine Research lab in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. Since the close of the Engine lab in 2002, Felton has served as a lecturer in the Molecular Biology department.
In 2013, Felton was awarded the Marvin Bressler Award, given annually to a member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University's student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief that lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission.
While building his impressive academic resume, Felton has managed to build an equally successful career in the sport of track and field.
In addition to his medal-winning championships, Felton also ran at the World Masters in Durban, South Africa in 1997 and at the indoor championships in Kamloops, Canada in 2010.
Felton has been running since he was in high school in the 60s. He ran for Sheffield in the UK while at university and transitioned to Masters track when he reached 40.
Felton, now 76, hasn't stopped running yet.
In Florida for this year's World Masters, Felton grandchildren were there to watch as he added another medal to his collection.
"Running track is part of my life," said Felton. "It's hard to imagine not doing it."
Beyond competing himself, Felton also serves as the Masters coordinator for the Penn Relays, the largest track and field meet in the U.S.
"I forget he's not 40," said Wallack, who has been running alongside Felton for 15 years.
Matthew Wallack, friend and training partner of Felton, shared that Felton was doing work to prepare for the upcoming Penn Relays while in his hotel room in Florida, preparing to compete in the World Masters Championships.
An accomplished track athlete with passion for the sport and for Princeton, Felton has made a lasting impact on generations of Tigers with his support and model of success in his own career.
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