Orinthal Striggles is entering his first season at Allen University in 2024-2025.
A native of Girard, Georgia, Striggles was a standout three-sport athlete in cross country, track, and wrestling at Screven County High School in Sylvania, Georgia. He went on to compete collegiality at Benedict College as a member of the both the cross country and track and field teams. During his time at Benedict, Striggles became the school's first male athlete to win an SIAC individual championship by winning the 5000 at the 2003 SIAC Track and Field Championships. Over the course of his collegiate career, Striggles was a national qualifier in both cross country and track.
Striggles has ran competitively at nearly every distance from the mile to the marathon in his life. Over the last 20 years, he has ran over 100 marathons and averaged 55 road races per year. In 2004 and 2009, he was selected as the USATF South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year, and added masters awards in 2020, 2021, and 2024. Striggles also serves as the national running coach for Black Men Run, and is noted for having started a Black Men Run chapter in Kenya.
A father of five, Striggles holds a master's degree and also works as a mental health counselor at the South Carolina Department of Mental Health. He is also a published author, having written a book titled "The I in Running", which recounts his running life and the effect it has had on his development as a person, family man, and professional.
