ROSCOE — Russell Arden Hodge, a Roscoe resident, former Olympic decathlete and one-time world record holder who carried Sullivan County onto the international track and field stage, died Wednesday, May 6, at Wilson Hospital in Johnson City. He was 86.

Hodge represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he placed ninth in the decathlon, one of track and field’s most demanding events. Two years later, in July 1966, he set a decathlon world record at the Los Angeles Times International Games with 8,230 points, a mark that stood until the following year.

Born Sept. 12, 1939, in Monticello, Hodge was the son of Russell V. Hodge and Alice Arden Hodge. He lived in Roscoe and was remembered in his obituary as a lifelong area resident, entrepreneur and one of the brightest figures in American track and field during the 1960s and early 1970s.

His Olympic story was also part of a rare family distinction. His mother, Alice Arden Hodge, competed for the United States in the high jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In 2003, Russell Hodge and his mother were jointly recognized by the Sullivan County Historical Society with its “History Maker” award, commemorating what was described as their unique distinction as the only mother-son Olympians in United States history.

An archival Sullivan County Democrat clipping from that recognition noted that Alice Arden Hodge was a member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic team, while Russ Hodge was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Tokyo.

Hodge’s success extended beyond the Olympics. According to his obituary, he was a consistent national competitor throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, earning multiple top-four finishes at the AAU National Championships and placing second in 1965, 1966, 1970 and 1971. He also competed in the Pan American Games, finishing fourth in 1963 before winning a silver medal in the decathlon in 1971 in Cali, Colombia.

Hodge was also a member of the UCLA Bruins track program, where he earned All-American honors. Injuries prevented him from returning to the Olympics after 1964, but his competitive record left him with a lasting place in American track and field history.

The decathlon combines 10 track and field events over two days: the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run. The event requires speed, strength, endurance and technical skill across disciplines.

For Sullivan County, Hodge’s career remains a rare athletic achievement. He was not only an Olympian from Roscoe, but a world-record holder whose family’s Olympic connection stretched across two generations.

Hodge is survived by his wife, Pamela Bleasdale Hodge of Roscoe; his children, Seth Hodge of Binghamton, April Hodge of Seattle, Heather Hodge of Seattle, Alice Arden of Seattle, Laura Hodge of Lakewood, Washington, and Russell Hodge of Roscoe; two grandchildren, Mateo and Aitana; and one brother, James Hodge of Washington.