Steve Plasencia

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

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Steve Plasencia

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = American

| sport = Athletics

| event = long-distance

| club = Athletics West/Nike West

| birth_date = October 28, 1956

| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =180 cm

| weight =66 kg

}}

Steven Micael Plasencia (born October 28, 1956) is a former American long-distance runner. Plasencia competed in the 10,000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics. In the closest 1-2 finish in the race's history, Plasencia edged out Keith Brantly by one second to win the 1992 California International Marathon (2:14:14).{{cite web|url=http://www.runcim.org/data/marhistory.html |title=CIM History |access-date=May 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116234223/http://www.runcim.org/data/marhistory.html |archive-date=January 16, 2009 }} Plasencia won the Oct 1997 USATF National Masters Marathon Championship at age 40.National Masters News, Nov 1997, page 1. [https://www.mastershistory.org/NMN/11_1997.pdf] Retrieved Apr 20, 2023 His 14:02.86 5000 metres at the Drake Relays at the age of 40 was the American Masters record until 2014 when it was broken by Bernard Lagat.

Plasencia was the head cross-country and assistant track and field coach at the University of Minnesota, until his retirement in 2021, where he won three Indoor Big Ten Track and Field Championships (2009, 2010, 2011) and two Outdoor Big Ten Track and Field Championships (2009, 2010) .{{Cite web |url=http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/plasencia_steve00.html |title=Steve Plasencia Bio – University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site |access-date=2012-01-23 |archive-date=2015-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326183723/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-xc/mtt/plasencia_steve00.html |url-status=dead }} He was also an All-American runner for the Minnesota Golden Gophers track and field team, finishing 5th in the 5000 m at the 1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.{{cite web |url=https://www.ustfccca.org/records-lists/meet-history-by-event?gender=1&series=3369&event=11 |title=5000 meters at the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships |website=USTFCCCA |access-date=28 December 2024}}