My column for Track & Field News ran about a dozen years.
“On The Road” began with this note in August 1980.
Never has the ever-increasing importance of the road circuit been more pointedly illustrated than at the “Olympic Trials,” when 10,000 winner Craig Virgin skipped the 5000, with its June 29 final in order to prepare for the July 4 Peachtree race.
“I’m committed to the future of road racing,” says Virgin.
Arch-rival Herb Lindsay, currently slightly ahead of Virgin on the roads this year, also skipped the 5000, opting instead to run on the roads one hundred miles up the pike on the same day in the Cascade affair.
LINDSAY ADDS CASCADE WIN
Portland, June 29 – Before the start of the Cascade Run-Off, a reporter tried to get Bob Bright, director of New Jersey’s Midland 15K, to compare his awesome list of entrants with the equally-incredible field spread out before him.
“They are two different races, both with super runners,” he said. “There is no need to compare.”
Indeed, there is not. As road racing continues to grow in stature and enthusiasm, each event seems to be better than the last. Each new field seems to include still-greater runners. And more of them. So it was at this year’s Cascade.
The one constant was Herb Lindsay, who just keeps on winning. He added this fifteen-kilometer crown to ones he has already won this year at Midlands, Wheeling, Nike Club and Trevira.
Canadian “Olympic” steepler Paul Williams, here to make a name for himself with road race directors, took the lead immediately. Still-famous Henry Rono, looking fifteen (15) pounds lighter than he had in New Jersey in May, stayed close, as did some thirty other notables.
It was Steve Floto and Peter Pftizinger who pulled the pack through a 4:24 first mile. Benji Durden was about to take the lead at three thousand meters (3000m) when he crashed heavily to the pavement – earning the Atlantan the honor of being the first Olympic marathoner ever to injure himself slipping on volcanic ash.
After a 9:10 two-mile, the pace began to slow as the course began to climb (14:14 3M). George Malley surged twice but with little effect, passing five kilometers (5K) in 14:42 with a three-stride lead.
Then the real running began, as the next two-and-a-half miles were almost entirely uphill. Canadian ten kilometer (10K) champ Peter Butler took it upon himself to test both the talent and the determination of everyone. The leaders – Butler, Lindsay, Williams and Malley – covered the two uphill miles in 4:59 and 4:58. Malley dropped off with Pfitzinger in fifth and an ominous-looking Rono lurking in sixth.
Butler put in a big move at the hill’s crest and the Canadian duo, plus Lindsay, cruised six miles (28:59) and ten kilometers (29:52) together. Rono had moved to a distant fourth (4th), but decided to call it a day at six-and-a-half miles and began his now-familiar jog to the finish.
Butler’s effort took its toll and he dropped off the pace at seven miles (7M) (33:23). Pfitzinger had outlasted a cramp and now drove past Butler, but there would be no catching Lindsay and Williams.
They ran stride-for-stride, linked in a battle reminiscent of Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. Running 4:38 and 4:31 for the eighth and ninth miles. Lindsay-Williams ran as one. Then, flush with the confidence of an earlier sprint victory over the Canadian, Lindsay dashed the final hundred meters (100m) to win in a course record 43:50 for the certified route. Williams finished a single second later.
Lindsay covered the final 5000 in 13:58.
The women’s race was far less competitive.
Oh, Joan Benoit tried, rushing a 4:55 first mile, but when she hit two miles (2M) in 10:10, there was Patti-Catalano alongside and pulling away. She rarely let up, covering the last three miles at 5:00-5:15 pace.
Ecstatic over her performance Patti crossed the finish line shouting, “I told you I could do it!”
And she did it, setting an American Record 49:43, destroying Benoit’s old standard of 51:28.
Jacqueline Gareau was second in a still-admirable 51:16, while New Zealand’s Lorraine Moller (51:23) beat a fading Benoit (51:42) for third.
Everybody was surprised by Patticat’s performance.
Everybody except Patti Catalano.
Joe didn’t want me to go for sub-fifty. He told me not to take the lead until 8 miles. If I were in position.
Ha! Lack of sleep, full of adrenaline and a goal. Out of my way.
Jaqueline Gareau remains a fan of the Run-Off.
Hi Jack, here’s what I can say about that great event. I loved that race because of the uphill and downhill course, it suited me completely. Also, I do remember the beautiful city and some hosts who were so pleasant where I learned about bonsai.
I do remember the nice friendship among the runners. Also, thanks to that race who gave for the first time prize money. This was a first class race!
Benji Durden has definitely not forgotten this race.
A group of us who were spectators at the 1980 USA Olympic Track Trials had taken a bus from Eugene to Portland to run the Cascade Run-Off 15K.
The race started out quickly, but I felt comfortable and was hoping to have a top-five finish. As I crashed to the ground because Rono had leaned into me as we were about to turn to the left to begin our uphill climbs of about 6K. I was pushed into the gutter where the ash from Mt. Saint Helens had been washed in an effort to clean the road. I slipped and crashed.
My first thought was that I was going to get trampled. Jeff Wells was in about 50th place, running more as a recreation – he was there on his honeymoon – when he came upon me sprawled on the ground. He grabbed my singlet and yanked me up. I began to try to recover myself and rejoin the race.
By the finish I had recovered enough to finish eighth in a personal record 44:44.
As the adrenaline was finally fading away, I warmed down. It was then I realized I had bruised or cracked some ribs on my right side. And it hurt.
I rode on the bus back to Eugene, hugging a substantial bag of ice.
I was sore for the next five weeks.
Five days after Cascade I ran 29:36 for sixth at Peachtree in a pretty hot race and hurt with each breath.
I quit racing for the next four weeks and healed.
August 2nd, I ran the Maggie Valley Moonlight Five-Mile – downhill, uphill – five miles in 24:04 for third and I was back.
Mike Roche finished 11th in 44:59.
I had run the Trials Steeple Final the night before in Eugene. I was exhausted but wanted to support friend Chuck Galford’s event. Drove up to Portland that evening.
Chuck tells a funny story about Henry Rono being shown the course that evening and asking if he should wear spikes. After the course tour they ask Rono what he thinks. “Nice course,” says Rono. They later show him to his room and hand him his key and he says, “Nice key.”
The next morning about thirty minutes before the start, I realize I forgot my number at hotel restaurant and have to run back (not far) to retrieve. I find my number at table and notice Henry sitting down to a HUGE breakfast. The next time I saw him he went flying by just before the first mile in heavy LDV Nike trainers. I guess he started going backwards shortly thereafter.
Another memory is Benji Durden falling hard after slipping on Mt. St. Helen wet ash around a turn early in the race. Once again, I was mainly just trying to keep contact during the race.
Loved the event and the city. I jogged the next years’ ARRA/Cascade event and ended up retiring due to injuries shortly afterwards.
I was in the press truck. I saw the whole damn thing.
Much more nerve wracking than running the race.