Douglas Padilla (born October 4, 1956 in Oakland, California) is a former middle and long distance runner from the United States, who won the overall Grand Prix 1985 and the World Cup 5000m race in 1985. He finished fifth in the 5000m final at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, and seventh in the 5000m final at the 1984 Summer Olympics.^[2] In the 1983 World Championships 5,000-metre final, Padilla was among the favourites, but he succumbed to the radically accelerating pace of top runners, such as Ireland's Eamonn Coghlan, East Germany's Werner Schildhauer and Finland's Martti Vainio, during the last lap. He lost to the winner, Coghlan, by 3.55 seconds, but managed to defeat another unlucky favourite, West Germany's Thomas Wessinghage, by 0.38 seconds. By contrast, the fast 1984 Olympic 5,000-metre final was tough for Padilla already after 3,000 metres, and he painstakingly defeated New Zealand's John Walker who finished eighth.^[3] He was ranked number 1 in the world in 1983 for the 3000-meter distance.

Doug Padilla retired in August 2014 as BYU Track and Field Director of Operations. Over the years he has played an important role in the success of the track program and in the lives and development of hundreds of student-athletes.

Padilla was actively involved in promoting track and field in the state of Utah. In addition to being meet director of all BYU track and field and cross country meets, he was director of the BYU high school Invitational and the Utah UHSAA State Track and Field Championships. Under his leadership the presentation and execution of BYU track meets has risen to the level of some of the very best in the country. BYU was selected to host the 2006 NCAA West Region Championships and three High Performance Olympic Qualifier meets.

Said Padilla, “I have had 15 outstanding years on the best campus in the world. We have great coaches and an excellent athletic director who supports our efforts toward excellence. We have been able to do some fun and exciting things. I will greatly miss my association with this inspired institution.”

Padilla graduated from BYU with a B.S in 1983. in electrical engineering. He and his wife Lynette have four children and reside in Utah. He worked for BYU with their sports programs, he also volunteers with the Utah South Area athletic council in coordinating 5k and 10k races.^[7]

Padilla is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints^[8] and currently serves in the bishopric of a young single adult ward.^[9] He was one of three return missionaries to participate in the 1988 Summer Olympics along with Henry Marsh and Ed Eyestone.^[10]