Janet Smith (runner)

{{short description|American long-distance runner}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

{{MedalTableTop|sport= Women's athletics|country_code=USA|medals=

{{Medal|Competition|World Cross Country Championships}}

{{Medal|Gold|1987 Warszawa |Team}}

}}

Janet Smith is an American former long-distance runner who competed in the 5000-meter run, 10000-meter run and cross country.

From Edison, New Jersey, Smith attended J. P. Stevens High School, and is one of the most accomplished New Jersey high school cross country runners of all time. She won three individual state cross country championships.{{Cite web |date=November 2024 |title=NJSIAA girls cross country history 1972-2024 |url=https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2023-10/Girls%20Cross%20Country.pdf |website=NJSIAA}} She was named girls high school MVP at the 1984 Penn Relays{{Cite web |title=Adobe Acrobat |url=https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:af56ea5e-ef48-3027-b528-95de9d055464 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=acrobat.adobe.com}} and is the only runner from New Jersey to win the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (1983).{{Cite news |last=Malinconico |first=Joseph |date=1984-01-22 |title=AND A RUNNER STRESSES DETERMINATION |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/22/nyregion/and-a-runner-stresses-determination.html |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |title=DyeStat.com - News - Janet Smith-Leet Reflects On Historic High School Kinney Cross Championship Win In 1983 |url=https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=556044 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=www.runnerspace.com}}

While attending NC State she became a ten time All-American in both cross country and track.{{Cite web |title=NC STATE CROSS COUNTRY RECORD BOOK 2024 |url=https://gopack.com/documents/2024/6/26/NC_STATE_CROSS_COUNTRY_RECORD_BOOK_2024.pdf |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=NC State University Athletics }}{{Cite web |title=T&F Record Book - Updated 3/28/24 |url=https://gopack.com/documents/2024/3/28/T_F_Record_Book_-_Upd._3_28_24.pdf |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=NC State University Athletics }}

Smith was selected to represent her country for the 1987 and 1990 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The 1987 team won the gold medal with Smith finishing 23rd.{{Cite web |title=NJSIAA - JANET SMITH |url=https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-03/Janet%20Smith%20article.pdf}}