Many think the USA boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow was the end of the age of innocence for road racing.
From The Bible of the Sport, August 1980. – JDW
Gary Bjorklund Rejuvenated
Duluth, MN, June 11 – When we last checked in with Gary Bjorklund, he was depressed, discouraged, distraught, disgusted and dismayed. Shaken by the peanut farmer’s boycott of the Olympics, the 29-year-old Bjorklund seriously considered retirement.
He has apparently decided against it, judging by his victory in the 4th annual Grandma’s Marathon in 2:10:19, a time that makes BJ equal-third among Americans (with Tony Sandoval) and behind only Bill Rodgers (2:09:27) and Jeff Wells (2:10:15). It also puts him equal-twelfth on the all-time world list.
The race was never in doubt, nor were Bjorklund’s intentions. He covered the initial mile in 4:44 and had a seven-minute lead at ten miles over Australian Bob Wallace. Bjorklund passed the halfway point in 1:03:30. He slowed in the final ten kilometers after a brief rain shower, but in the final five kilometers, he picked up the pace again.
Seemingly, he has done the same for his attitude and career: “Now I feel like I can run for another five years at least.”
Bjorklund’s preparation for the race was admirable. “I had never before dedicated myself to a race like I did to this one,” said the ’76 Olympian. “I put in 140 miles per week, I cut out all fats from my diet. I cut out coffee, ice cream, and beer – which I really like. All my little pleasures.”
Seemingly all, all except winning.
New Zealander Lorraine Moller ran her second, and slowest, marathon but the course record holder (2:37:37) still retained her title with 2:38:28. “I wanted to treat this as a long training run rather than a race,” she said.
Nice workout.
HOT FEATS
There are those who think road racing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
John Jeansonne of Newsday relates that Craig Virgin says he didn’t run the 5000 at Eugene because he wanted to train for the Peachtree road race and also because of reduced media attention to the Trials.
“You know as well as I do that there aren’t as many newspaper and magazine writers here as there would be if we were going to Moscow,” Virgin said. “Back east, this [Olympic Trials] will get only medium exposure. Commercially, this isn’t as big as Peachtree or some of the other big road runs.”
To which Marty Liquori winced. “To miss this so he could beat 25,000 joggers. A road race is only rock-and-roll. [The Trials] is Carnegie Hall. To me, Peachtree isn’t the real thing, but I guess he gets his picture on the front page of the paper.”
Talk about your shoe battles back in the day!
There is a finish line. It’s just you never really know where it is.
I like this photograph of Dick Beardsley and Mr. Bjorklund too much to omit.
A couple of warriors right there.
