Steve Carnohan Biography

High School | Class of 1976 Huntington
Classification: AAA
Specialty: 800 meters / Mile / Cross Country
College: Marshall University | Marketing

Steve Carnohan: Hutington’s Middle-Distance Sensation of the 1970s

In the mid-1970s, Steve Carnohan of Huntington High School emerged as one of West Virginia’s premier middle-distance runners, specializing in the 800 meters and the mile. Known for his fierce finishing kick, discipline, and relentless work ethic, Carnohan became a fixture at the state’s biggest meets and one of the most respected competitors of his era.

Originally a hurdler, Carnohan transitioned into middle-distance running and steadily refined his racing instincts. He learned how to stay patient through fast early laps, conserve energy, and strike decisively when races were on the line. That tactical intelligence, paired with natural speed, would define his career.

One of the earliest signs of Carnohan’s national-level competitiveness came at the Covington (Ky.) Catholic Invitational, one of the most prestigious and deepest cross-country meets in the region. Facing a massive field of more than 300 elite runners, Carnohan shocked the field by winning the championship, an unexpected and emphatic victory that announced his arrival on a much bigger stage.

At the state level, Carnohan proved himself among West Virginia’s elite in cross country. In his 11th-grade year, he finished third at the state meet, missing the championship by just two seconds in one of the closest finishes of the decade. As a senior, he followed that performance with a fourth-place finish, consistently placing himself at the front of championship races.

His most defining performance on the track came at the Ray McCoy Invitational, a race that would become legendary in West Virginia high school track history. Carnohan lined up against an elite field that included David Bowman, the reigning cross-country state champion, mile state champion, and two-mile state champion. Bowman was widely regarded as the state’s dominant distance runner and was expected to control the race.

Carnohan ran with patience and confidence, staying composed through the early and middle laps. When the bell rang, the race narrowed to a head-to-head duel. In the final straightaway, Carnohan unleashed a devastating sprint, outkicking Bowman and pulling away to the finish. He crossed the line in 4:16.5 for the full mile, setting a new West Virginia high school state record. Converted to metric distance, the performance equates to a 4:15 1600 meters, underscoring the exceptional quality of the run.

That performance was no accident. Carnohan’s success was built on demanding—but intelligent—training. He once experimented with a 120 mile training week, later realizing it was excessive. Learning from that experience, he refined his approach and settled into a peak workload of approximately 80 miles per week, frequently doubling workouts and training year-round to sharpen endurance and speed.

Throughout his high school career, Carnohan captured multiple titles in the 800 meters and mile, earning a reputation as a dangerous closer capable of defeating even the most accomplished distance specialists. Coaches and teammates admired his quiet intensity and consistency—he led by example and never stopped pushing himself to improve.

By the end of his career at Huntington High School, Carnohan had attracted interest from numerous collegiate programs, including Marshall University, Tennessee Tech, Cincinnati, Akron, Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia University. He ultimately continued his running career at Marshall University, carrying with him the same discipline and competitive fire that defined his high school success.

Steve Carnohan’s legacy is defined not only by records and titles, but by moments that reshaped expectations. From winning the Covington Catholic Invitational, to missing a state cross-country title by seconds, to out-sprinting the state’s best for a record setting mile, his career stands as one of the finest of the 1970s. In the history of West Virginia high school track and field, Steve Carnohan remains a standard by which excellence is measured.

Cross Country Results:

Junior Year – 1974 WV State Cross Country Meet
Location: Cato Park, Huntington, WV | Course: 2.3 miles

Individual Top 10:

SENIOR YEAR - 1975 WV State Cross Country Meet

Location: Cato Park, Huntington, WV | Course: 2.2–2.3 miles

Individual Top 10:

High School and College Track Times

1)State Record at Ray McCoy Invitational: 4:16.5 mile (4:15 1600 meters)

2)1975 State Champion Mile: 4:19.78 (c)

3)1976 State Runner-Up Mile: 4:21.87

4)800 meters State Runner-Up: 1:56.9

5)Marshall University 10,000 meter run: 29:46

*Marshall University won the Southern Conference Cross Country Championship in 1977 at VMI

Life After Running

After graduating from Marshall University, Steve built a 38-year career in the medical device industry, retiring in 2021 as a Senior Business Manager with Glaukos. Though he no longer runs competitively, he remains deeply connected to the sport and continues to attend track and cross-country meets with lifelong friends.
Steve and his wife Karen, married since 1982, have endured profound loss with the passing of their youngest daughter, Lindsay, in 2019—a tragedy that deeply shaped their family. They have two children, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and have lived in Hoover, Alabama, since 1989.

Final Summary

Steve Carnohan’s legacy is defined by more than times, places, and records—it is defined by moments. From winning the Covington Catholic Invitational, to missing a state cross-country title by seconds, to out-kicking the state’s dominant champion for a record-setting mile, Carnohan consistently rose to the occasion when the stakes were highest.

Though time nearly buried his name, his performances never lost their meaning. Through careful research and preservation, his story now stands restored—where it belongs. In the history of West Virginia high school track and field, Steve Carnohan remains a standard of excellence.

Research, documentation, and historical preservation by Todd McMillion, historian and genealogical chronicler of the McMillan lineage