Ignore, then, whether you are tall and thin or short and stock, whether they laughed at you at home (where they are often unkind) or at school (where they are mostly blind, anyway). Indeed – to hell with the lot of them if you ‘feel’ you can do it. – Percy Cerutty

As a matter of introduction, I can simply say, these exceptional people all inspired me personally and for those who offered friendship, I am honored. – JDW.

The Original Gangsters Of Running (Volume 2)

• Buddy Edelen
• Ron Daws
• Steve Hoag
• Jack Fultz
• Tom Fleming
• Greg Meyer
• Frank Shorter
• Jon Anderson
• Ruth Wysocki
• Paul Geis
• Nina Kuscsik
• Jim Pearson
• George Sheehan
• John Dimick
• Chuck Smead
• Bobbi Gibb
• Miki Gorman
• Dr. Joan Ullyot
• Carl Hatfield
• The Supplemental OGOR

Buddy Who?

Buddy Edelen might’ve been the original Original Gangster Of Running.

“When he ran, a change came over him,” Fred Wilt wrote about Edelen. “You could see the amiability in him right to the time the gun sounded. Then his eyes darkened, his features flattened, his chest expanded, he stood up a little straighter. As the race progressed he had a quality almost like meanness. He just would not let up.”   

STRAIGHT MAN IN A TWISTY RACE

A Forgotten Expatriate, Buddy Edelen Returns To Yonkers To Prove He Is The Best American Marathon Runner Ever.

JOHN LOVESEY for Sports Illustrated. June 1, 1964

Marathoners are a breed unto themselves, and Buddy Edelen (he pronounces the name eedalen), the forgotten American who has run the fastest and third-fastest marathons of all time and may become the first from his country to win the event in the Olympics since Johnny Hayes’s victory in 1908, is no exception. He runs races minus socks. Whenever he eats a beef sandwich he first removes the top layer of bread to rip all the fat from the meat. In competition, before pinning an identifying number to his chest he will tear off any excess paper from around the actual numeral itself, on the theory that the least amount of weight or wind resistance to overcome is best for his time.

His eccentricities begin early. His first action upon awakening each morning, even before he springs out of bed, is to reach for his wrist and check his pulse to see that it is throbbing along at a steady 38 per minute. His pulse, his weight, his hours of sleep, details of his workout and numerous other items concerning his well-being that day will be carefully recorded on paper before he turns in that night and eventually mailed to Fred Wilt, the old Indiana long-distance runner. Wilt is now an FBI man but he has never lost his taste for track, and in what spare time he has left from chasing down bank robbers and most-wanted criminals he carries on a voluminous correspondence with coaches and athletes around the world. He has coached Edelen by mail since 1960, and last Sunday the thousands of words and hundreds of 15¢ postage stamps seemed eminently worthwhile. In a U.S. Olympic marathon trial, Edelen fought off humid, 90° temperatures on the hilly 26-mile 385-yard Yonkers, N.Y. course and won by almost four miles, thereby becoming the first track man to be selected for the U.S. Olympic team.

Hardly a facet of marathon running exists that Wilt and Edelen have not investigated at some time, including running in training without taking a breath. Edelen reached a stage where he could exhale and sprint 300 yards before gasping another lungful. He once tried running to music by carrying a transistor radio, but the problem was keeping the set on the correct station as he pounded along. “I would love to run to the music of Quo Vadis,” says Edelen, “but I get bebop.” Wilt even had Edelen hypnotized, planting the suggestion in his mind that pain is pleasure, but the precaution was useless. If Edelen had not already become convinced of that masochistic theory he probably would not be running marathons in the first place.

Edelen’s odd behavior could, with little trouble, guarantee him a place in the first ranks of health faddists. This, however, is exactly what he is not. Like almost no other finely conditioned athlete you have ever heard of, Edelen drinks beer almost every day, smokes occasionally to calm his nerves, has a fine sense of humor and pursues—and is pursued by—pretty European girls, who often grow quite emotional over “Boody’s” light brown hair, hazel eyes, long, pointed ears and narrow, whimsical chin. A Midwesterner who went with a gang of roughnecks in his youth, skirting the edge of juvenile delinquency, Edelen has taught English to English schoolchildren at King John’s School in Thundersley since 1960, and by living the way he does has done more to enhance the image of athletics in England than any other performer since Chris Chataway, who smoked a cigar in front of the Russians after beating iron man (and ulcer ridden) Vladimir Kuts.

But all is not just fun and games for Leonard Graves Edelen IV, a former resident, among numerous places, of Sioux Falls, S. Dak., where high schoolers spent their Saturdays this spring washing cars to raise money to bring him to Yonkers. At 7 a.m. on a damp English morning an alarm clock breaks the silence of his bed-sitting room in Westcliff in Essex, and he rises. Normally he would sleep naked, but to keep warm in his cold room he goes to bed wearing his running shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. This is useful because when he gets out of bed all he has to do is pull a sweat shirt over his head and put on his soft running shoes. Bunched up slightly, as if to ward off the chill, he next moves across the room, which is decorated with trophies, to a stove. He brews himself enough coffee for two cups, makes some toast, on which he spreads honey, and reads the morning newspaper. About an hour later, after pinning his door key to his shorts and pulling a woolen hat down over his ears, he goes downstairs to the street.

As Edelen snaps into action he looks somewhat like a surprised rooster in full flight. His feet peck at the ground with a precise rhythm, but he seems to be sitting back on his heels, and his arms frequently move as if they are in a transport of their own. The style is ugly and defies logic, but the pace is as regular as a Beatle beat.

The run takes him to school, where he has left the clothes he will teach in that day. It is four and a half miles long and most of it steadily uphill. When he arrives after 25 minutes he does 25 to 30 situps in the school gym before taking a shower. At lunchtime all he eats is a single cheese sandwich. If he ate more, he says, he would not be ready for the training runs he takes after school.

Each Sunday, Edelen goes for a 23-mile run in the morning, and then generally increases the total mileage for the day to 28 by going out in the evening to do a steady two-mile run followed by 10-times-110 easy strides followed by a two-mile run home. On Tuesdays he follows his run home from school with roughly a dozen quarter miles at about 64 to 65 seconds each, with a minute’s jog between. After school on Wednesday he does a 15-mile run at a faster pace than the 23-mile run on Sunday. He totals about 120 miles of running a week, and when it is warm he sometimes has a swim in the sea. Frequently his training carries him from Westcliff-on-Sea into neighboring Southend, which is a minor sort of Coney Island, with gaudy signs advertising amusements, novelty hats—on which are printed slogans like “I am a Virgin (Islander)”—fish and chips, eels and oysters. In the summer when the promenade is crammed with holiday-makers, the sight of Edelen grinding out his relentless schedule provokes occasional laughter. In a rare moment of bitterness Edelen remarked: “You wonder where the hell they were in January.”

Edelen’s evenings are spent either with an English family or in a local pub. He drinks beer because his stomach cannot take food too soon after his vigorous workouts. Normally he manages two or three pints of his favorite drink, Guinness stout, which contains a mixture of vitamins, mineral salts and protein that not only replaces Edelen’s lost body fluid but provides sustenance in an easily assimilated form. It also helps Edelen, an insomniac, to sleep and, as Edelen points out, England’s national health service prescribes Guinness for nursing mothers.

Before dropping into bed each night Edelen cooks his main solid meal of the day, normally just a piece of grilled meat or fish. The only other usual items of his diet are a few peanuts and chocolate. Despite this, he seems almost absurdly convinced that he is a compulsive eater, but his concern is understandable. Marathon runners have to be thin, since a thinner body gets rid of heat more quickly.

By such strenuous methods Buddy Edelen has developed himself into the best marathon runner the United States has ever had. An American, however, could not be faulted for wondering whether, after Edelen’s long residence in England, he was still an American at all. To hear him talk you would not think so. He says “shan’t” when he probably should say “won’t.” He calls his apartment a flat. He refers to his track clothes as his kit. He speaks with a broad accent, causing his pupils in school to remark that while he does not sound entirely English, he does not really sound Yankee either. Touring Russia last summer with the American track team, he proved a source of amusement to his comrades because of his queer speech. After several weeks of associating only with Americans, however, his accent began to fade. “You’re starting to sound almost human again,” his teammates informed him.

Buddy Edelen was born in Harrods-burg, Ky., and his early life was a series of disturbing upsets and crushing frustrations. His mother was put in a hospital when he was only 7, and he has not seen her since. His father, now a successful Sioux Falls television executive, worked on the road during Buddy’s youth and had little time for his son. Buddy lived for a while with his mother’s sister. When his father moved to Wisconsin, he put Buddy into a Roman Catholic boarding school where, although not a Catholic, he began to contemplate a life as a priest. His father eventually remarried, and it was after this that Buddy, never getting on too well with his stepmother, came close to becoming a delinquent.

A life of crime eventually faded in favor of a life of track. In running Buddy Edelen found peace of mind. “No one really accepts you as being sane if you run as much as I do a week,” he confesses. “But if I rest a day or two after doing this tremendous amount of exercise. I feel very irritable and nervous. It’s as if something has been stolen from me. Training gives me a feeling of tranquillity.

“The reason I took up distance running as opposed to sprinting is merely that I’m virtually devoid of any natural speed,” he says (although the facts do not support him). “I’m just a plodder. Track runners consider me very, very slow. They say I have no kick, and that if they’re with me in the last 400 yards they’re bound to get past. Marathon men, on the other hand, think I’m fantastically fast. “Beware of Edelen in the last mile,’ they say. But this is only because I mix track running with marathon running. The fastest I’ve run the mile is about 4:16 or 4:17 on the way to two miles. I would say the more speed you have the faster you will be able to run the marathon. If you have God-given speed to run a mile in four minutes and the mental tenacity to develop the endurance, there’s no predicting what times are possible. I foresee men running the marathon in 1 hour and 50 minutes.”

Edelen’s first sport was not running but football. His father remembers him as a left end who “wasn’t very good, but once he got the ball no one could catch him.” Buddy scoffs at anything that tends to damage his largely self-made image as a plodder. Actually, he played tackle on the C squad at St. Louis Park High School in Minneapolis, where his family lived for a short while. A hernia operation before his sophomore year ended an unpromising football career. He was then four inches below his present height of 5 feet 10 inches, but weighed 155 pounds and was known, not always flatteringly, as “Butterball Bud.” His stepmother urged him to run track to slim down. Though now 135 pounds, he still has a weight problem and can put on 10 pounds merely by not training for two days.

Edelen worked hard during his last two years of high school, spent in Sioux Falls, won the mile in the South Dakota state championships and received scholarship offers from Minnesota and Nebraska. He chose Minnesota, but because his father’s financial condition was good, he could receive only partial aid. He had to work to support himself, and one of his summer jobs almost proved fatal. Repairing a roof in 120° heat, he collapsed. Rushed to a hospital, he was found to be almost completely dehydrated. He had also developed acute lung congestion and kidney trouble which even now bother him when he has pushed his training too hard.

At Minnesota, Edelen set several records in winning Big Ten track and cross-country titles and might have done better if he had not been dogged by injuries. The conference track championships in 1959 at Purdue altered his career. There he met Fred Wilt. Soon after, Wilt arranged through a Helsinki businessman for Edelen to travel to Finland that summer to work and compete in track meets. He was severely trounced by the more mature European distance runners, but he learned fast, returned to the United States, set an American record for 10,000 meters and then, stunningly, finished far back in the Olympic trials. Wilt blames the failure on Edelen’s obsession with his weight. “I think he didn’t eat enough,” says Wilt. “He had a blood test right after the race and we discovered his hemoglobin count was down to 12.5 grams per 100 cc. This means he was even more than anemic.”

Wilt later arranged Edelen’s present teaching job through Derek Cole, an English friend. Edelen arrived in England in 1960 and, except for one brief visit to America to run in several indoor track meets, he has not been home since. Says Edelen: “I was so happy living in England that at the end of six months I decided to stay on longer. I kept saying to myself that next year I’d be going back home, but I never have.”

In England he first gained prominence in 1961 by winning an important 20-mile road race. Then in April 1962, he won a 10-mile race in 48:31.8. This was the fourth fastest time in history and an American record. That June he ran the first marathon of his life, the classic Windsor to Chiswick race on the outskirts of London, a race that is occasionally started by the Queen.

Edelen says, somewhat facetiously, that he entered the event just for the chance to meet the Queen. After being introduced to Queen Elizabeth, it was all downhill, and he finished a bedraggled ninth. Edelen swore off the marathon. “I didn’t ever want to go through as much pain, torture and hell again,” recalls Edelen. “I was actually crying.”

Swearing off the marathon is something that all marathoners do but, like alcoholics recovered from a lost weekend, promptly forget. Edelen’s school headmaster persuaded him to have another go. In a gale-force wind, Edelen won the Cardiff marathon in 2 hours 22 minutes, missing Jim Peters’ course record by mere seconds. “That’s when I decided I’d found my event,” says Edelen.

He truly had. Last May he entered the Athens marathon and won in 2 hours 23.6 minutes, cutting 38 seconds off the previous course record set by 1960 Olympic Champion Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia. Within four weeks he lined up for the Windsor to Chiswick marathon again. The Queen was not there this time, unfortunately, for Edelen was in good form. “I knew I was moving with tremendous mechanical efficiency,” he said later. “At 15 miles I thought to myself, ‘Not much more than 10 left,’ and I went.” With a slight breeze to push him, he averaged just over five minutes for each mile and won in 2 hours 14:28 minutes, a time that was 47.8 seconds faster than the world’s best previous performance, by Toru Terasawa of Japan.

The English papers groused for a while over whether or not the course was 60 yards short, a purely academic discussion since, because of varying terrains, no official world records are accepted in the marathon. But the importance of Edelen’s performance could not be overlooked, nor could the fact that he duplicated his form at Kosice, Czechoslovakia, Europe’s most famous marathon, four months later. There, before 30,000 spectators at the finish line (with perhaps double that number having watched him on the course), Edelen won by half a mile over Russia’s Sergei Popov in 2 hours 15:09.6 minutes, the fastest time ever recorded on an out-and-back course and the third best marathon of all time.

Despite its obvious propaganda value, hardly a word of Edelen’s victory leaked out to the United States. But then marathon running, outside of Boston, has rarely excited the juices of the American public. “Quite honestly they couldn’t care less how I run over here,” Edelen said before leaving England for the Yonkers’ Olympic trials, “and you can rest assured the AAU will not lift a finger to bring me back no matter how well I run. I’m looking out for No. 1, myself, now, and I shall remain in the environment I enjoy until just before the trials.”

A man of his word, Edelen arrived in Yonkers three days before the race. The midsummer weather could not have been worse for a person who had trained in the cool of an English spring, but Edelen ignored the heat that all but fried his nearest competitors. He finished a full 20 minutes ahead of Adolph Gruber and announced, “I did it on my alcoholic reserve.”

Edelen is now confident that he is in the best condition of his life. “I believe in the theory,” he says, “that if a man is subjected to a certain degree of stress over a period of time, his body gradually adapts itself to tolerate the strains. I think that each year you must become stronger and stronger. You either get better in this game or you get worse. You must move on to harder and faster training every year, to a certain degree. I have found over the past few years, apart from a few days and some minor pains, I haven’t really been forced out of action at all. The longest period of time I’ve gone without training has been three days in the last four years.”

If only because he has brought a stimulating originality to the exhausting world of long-distance running, Edelen would be a most welcome winner at the Olympics. After his triumph at Kosice another American marathoner, Hal Higdon, whose training habits are impeccable but who barely got back into the stadium to witness the award ceremony, was astounded to see the conqueror of the Soviets pull out a pack of cigarettes.

“That does it,” sighed Higdon. “I’m taking up beer and cigarettes.”

“No, no,” pleaded Edelen. “First you must train bloody hard. Think of how good I might be if I didn’t have these vices.”

What Follows Immediately Is By Ben Fish For VintageRunning.Com

America’s Buddy Edelen is one of marathons forgotten heroes, and is relatively unknown even in his homeland. What makes this so bizarre is the fact that in 1963, he became America’s first world record holder in the marathon since 1925 and thus became the nation’s first sub 2hr 20 and 2hr 15 marathoner.

Most runners will have heard of Frank Shorter or Bill Rodgers, but if one was to mention Buddy Edelen the common reply would be “Buddy who?”, a comical yet tragic quote that he used to joke about with his friend and former rival, Hal Higdon.

So why is Buddy Edelen such an unknown?

There are two main reasons; he spent his prime years (1960 – 1964) living and working in England, meaning that most of his phenomenal performances went unnoticed in the US. Another reason was the fact that he didn’t compete in the Boston marathon, which in those days, was “the” marathon to win and was virtually an unofficial world championship race.

Buddy’s unusual career had a straightforward start; he was a promising middle distance collegiate runner at the University of Minnesota and boasted solid personal bests of 4:29 for the mile and 9:03 for two miles in 1958. After graduating, Buddy was keen to carry on pursuing his running career and it was around this time that he met his coach and mentor, Fred Wilt.

Wilt was an ambitious coach who was hoping to spot talented young athletes with a strong work ethic in a bid to improve the standard of distance running in the States, which had fallen behind world standards over the past 20 years. He was influenced by the tough training regimes of Jim Peters and Emil Zatopek in the 1950’s. His idea was simple but brutal; Zatopek sessions of high intervals, Peters’ regular hard running at race pace, along with a weekly long run close to marathon distance on the road. In Buddy Edelen, he had a runner who could put those ideas into practice.

After meeting Fred Wilt, Edelen’s life started to take a completely different path. At his coach’s suggestion, he moved to Finland and trained out there for a few months, so that he could train and race with better runners whilst doing placement work as a teacher. Shortly after, he had an opportunity to teach in London and after consulting Wilt, was urged to do so as it would be perfect for his running.

It was 1960 and Britain was the leading nation in distance running after a post war boom in all events from the half-mile to marathon. Buddy embraced the British tradition of cross country running and initially fellow rivals and spectators thought it was an interesting novelty witnessing an American competing on the boggy cross country courses in a harsh winter, but it wasn’t long before he was a genuine threat in the big races. Edelen kept a thorough training diary and would post off his weekly training to his coach, which would duly be sent back with detailed feedback and plans for future schedules. Wilt was very impressed with his progress; he was now doing over 100 miles per week consistently and was competing with some of Britain’s best on their home turf.

His performances on the track had also improved and he managed to be the first American to beat the modest mark of 30 minutes for 10k. Despite establishing himself as a competent runner at world level, his exploits went largely unnoticed across the pond.

It wasn’t long before Edelen attempted his first marathon, which proved to be an unpleasant experience due to naive preparation, largely due to doing two tough sessions in the final week and an ill-advised smoked mackerel lunch on the day of the race! He staggered in with 2hr 31, over 10 minutes behind the winner, Ron Hill. Determined to make amends, he signed up for the Welsh marathon a month later and his form was good, in the lead up to the race he ran a solid 28:26 in the AAA’s six-mile championships, whilst it only gave him 9th place, it did give him a new US record.

In the final week, he still did sessions on Tuesday (40x 400m in 73’s) and Wednesday (2x 2 mile: 9:54, 9:57), though not as hard as previously. He then rested on Thursday and Friday and avoided mackerel before the race. His main rival would be Salford Harrier’s notorious runner, John Tarrant. The pace was initially reserved, covering the first 5 miles in 29:41, then it picked up with Edelen and Tarrant pulling away from the rest of the field. After 15 miles, Edelen made his move and was out in front on his own, he went on to win in 2hr 22:33, just a few seconds off Jim Peters’ course record.

With renewed confidence, Buddy started to focus more on the marathon. He got an invite to compete in the Kosice marathon in October 1962 and he ran solidly in windy conditions only losing out on victory in a sprint finish against Kantorek in 2hr 28:29. Only a couple of months later, he was competing in the Fukuoka marathon. Mamo Wolde set off at a fast pace, 30k was passed in 1hr 37:33 with Edelen only 50 seconds behind in 3rd. Buddy held on to 3rd, just finishing ahead of Kantorek by one second in 2hr 18:56, the first time an American had broken 2hr 20!

Things got even better in 1963, he ran in the AAA’s 10 mile in a tough battle against Mel Batty, the first mile was covered in 4:41 and halfway was reached in a blistering 23:59. Edelen couldn’t stay with Batty in the final stages, but held it together to finish less than 20 seconds behind in 48:28, which again, was another US record. Later in April he went on to win the Finchley 20 comfortably in 1hr 45:12. By now he was up there with the world’s best and had high hopes of competing in the much coveted Boston marathon, it would be the perfect opportunity to garner some much deserved recognition from his home nation. Unfortunately the organiser, Jock Semple was unable to raise enough funds and Buddy couldn’t afford the cost of arranging his own travel across. He did get an invite to compete in the Athens marathon, which obviously had a huge amount of prestige, but with a course record of 2hr 23:44 set by Bikila, it clearly wasn’t a fast course.

Edelen felt he had a chance of bagging the record and he reached 30k out in front and on schedule in 1hr 42. He ran the next 12k solidly and just about managed the record in 2hr 23:06, his best result to date. Next month was the Polytechnic marathon and he would be up against defending champion Ron Hill, who finished well ahead of him last year. This time Buddy was a very different marathoner and was prepared to go out at whatever pace was necessary. 5 miles was reached in 26:15 and 10 miles was passed in 52:20. The race was shaping up as a battle between Edelen, Hill and Juan Taylor, with the group picking up the pace, passing 15 miles in 1hr 17:03. Shortly after, Edelen started to pull clear with Hill trying to give chase, but Buddy was still increasing the gap, which had extended to nearly two minutes by 21 miles (1hr 47:55). He went on to finish in 2hr 14:28, not only was it a course record, but he’d knocked 47 seconds off the world record! It had been nearly 40 years since an American last achieved this momentous feat!

Not one to rest on his laurels, Edelen then went on to compete in the Kosice marathon again and this time he came out a convincing winner, setting a course record that would last for over 20 years. This phenomenal running still didn’t seem to impress the AAU (American Athletic Union) enough to allow Edelen to miss the US trails for the Tokyo Olympics; he would have to compete and win the Yonkers marathon. Whilst this may have seemed a straight-forward task, Edelen had a huge disadvantage against the other Americans; the most obvious one being that he’d have to travel thousands of miles on a budget with limited time off work. Not only this, but he’d have to acclimatise to the hot conditions, something that would be difficult when living in England. His way of dealing with the latter issue was to train heavily layered up in long sleeve tops and sweatshirts with jogging pants when out running, with the aim of getting used to running hard and being uncomfortably hot!

There was still plenty more racing throughout 1963 and within a couple of months he set another American record for 6 miles, running 28:00 for 4th in the AAA’s. The next marathon was Kosice in October, where he would be up against previous world record holder Sergey Popov of the Soviet Union and Britain’s Basil Heatley. There was also two Ethiopians running, Biratu Wami and Demissie Wolde. For the first 20k, the race was being disputed by these five competitors, but shortly after half-way, Popov was dropped. The Ethiopians constantly threw in 200 yard surges and managed to drop all but Edelen and in the last few miles, he unleashed a surge of his own, pulling away to win in 2hr 15:09, a course record that would last until 1978. It was a performance that Buddy rated as being better than his world record run, due to the nature of the course and the tough competition.

1964 would be the biggest year of his career; all the training and racing he had done was geared towards the Olympics in Tokyo, and the ultimate goal was the gold medal. First he would have to make the team, world record holder or not, for an American runner to represent their country they had to qualify for the team in a trial. This year it would be in the Yonkers marathon, in temperatures likely be in excess of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The race was in May, so Edelen got to it and prepared as best he could, which meant running over 135 miles per week. Though it seemed crazy, it clearly worked; as it was indeed very hot in the race; 91 degrees Fahrenheit! He would be up against America’s finest; Johnny Kelley, who was still only 33 years old despite being a class marathoner for nearly a decade, who had an incredible record of eight consecutive wins in this race. The conditions forced the race to a cautious start and 10 miles was covered in a reserved 55 minutes. Edelen then started to increase the pace and moved away from Kelley and Hal Higdon with Norm Higgins managing to stay close to him until 15 miles, but then ended up blacking out after 20 miles! Edelen still didn’t let up and finished well in 2hr 24:25, but the statistics that really impress was that he won by a whole 20 minutes from Adolph Gruber and Johnny Kelley, and out of the 128 competitors only 37 finished!

Now Tokyo bound and one of the favourites for the gold medal in October, Edelen received some much deserved recognition from the American press. Sadly it was after the Yonkers marathon that things would start to go wrong. In that summer he started get niggles and twinges in his hips, legs and lower back, which was starting to hamper his training; the early signs of sciatica. It meant that Edelen was going into the Olympic marathon with less than ideal preparation; June and July was patchy by his standards and he was only able to get together some consistent training by late August.

By the time of the race, Edelen felt he was close to his best form, but the injury issues had planted a seed of doubt. The biggest threat was the defending champion, Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia. Australia’s track star, Ron Clarke took the field through 5k in 15:06, then 10k in 30:14. Bikila started to take over at 15k (45:35). Over a minute behind was Edelen, struggling with his sciatica and finding the pace tough. Bikila started to edge away from the field with only Jim Hogan giving chase at 20k (60:58), halfway was reached in a rapid 64:28, well under world record pace. Hogan gamely held on until 35k, when he ran himself to a standstill and was unable to finish. Buddy was managing to move through, but a medal was starting to look unlikely. By the end he managed to claw his way back to 6th in 2hr 18:24, but it was a distant six minutes behind Bikila who ran a new world record of 2hr 12:11. Britains Basil Heatley was 2nd in 2hr 16:19 and Japan’s Tsuburaya was 3rd in 2hr 16:22.

The sciatica continued to be a problem; in 1965 he won the Kefield marathon in Germany comfortably in a routine 2hr 21. Then it was another crack at the Polytechnic marathon, which would be a showdown against three Japanese runners; Teresawa, Shigematsu and Okabe. There would be no Ron Hill, Heatley (who retired) or Brain Kilby, so the British support was for the resident American. Early on Edelen fought hard to keep with the Japanese runners; 15 miles was covered in just over 1hr 15 and by 16 miles he could hold on no longer. Shigematsu won in 2hr 12 flat, a new world record with Terasawa 2nd in 2hr 13:41. Edelen finished 3rd in 2rh 14:34, only six seconds off his personal best, but it came with a heavy price; he later stated he “died a thousand deaths” in that race and the sciatica was terribly painful between 10 and 16 miles.

After five years in England, it was time for Buddy Edelen to return to the US, but by then his injury troubles only worsened. In 1966 he won the Denver marathon, despite the altitude and the conditions, it must still have been a very depressing result to cross the line in 2hr 51. It was the final nail in the coffin for Buddy, after all the hard work, his body couldn’t take anymore. The sub 2hr 15 result in London 12 months ago seemed a distant memory. It would prove to be his last race, and as with many class athletes, the final result didn’t do justice to such a great champion.

After his running career ended, he taught Psychology at Adams State, Colorado for a number of years. His life ended tragically short by cancer in 1997, he was just 59 years old.

Training

Edelen’s training was ahead of it’s time and one of the earliest examples of mixing fast paced runs, long runs and high interval sessions into a regime of over 130 miles per week. Even in the present day, his training is still relevant and provides a great example of how someone can run sub 2hr 15 marathons whilst holding down a full-time job. Here’s an example from 1963, the two weeks leading up to his world record:

Sun 2nd June: 11 miles steady road run. Mon 3rd: 23 miles steady in 2hr 04. Tue 4th: Session: 7 x (55 yrd jog, 55 yrd sprint, 110 jog, 110 sprint, 150 jog, 150 sprint, 220 jog, 220 sprint. Wed 5th: 11 miles in 55 minutes. Thur 6th: am: 6 miles hard. pm: Session: 4 x (440 yrd fast, 440 jog, 440 fast, 330 jog, 440 fast, 220 jog, 440 fast, 110 jog, 440 fast, 5 min walk). Averaged 64 secs on reps. Fri 7th: 20x 440 yrd (70 – 71) with 45 sec jog between each. Sat 8th: Club Match, Harlow: 1 mile (2nd in 4:23), 880 yrd (3rd, 2:07), then a 110 yrd leg in relay.

Sun 9th June: 23 miles in 2hr 01. Mon 10th: 4.5 miles home steady. Tue 11th: am: 4.5 miles to work fast. pm: Session: 25 x 440 yrd (66 / 67’s) with 220 jog between. Wed 12th: am: 4.5 miles to work. pm: 11 miles hard in 56 minutes. Thur 13th & Fri 14th: Rest. Sat 15th: Polytechnic Marathon, 1st, 2hr 14:28.

In 1964, a typical week looked like this:

Sun 23rd May: 28 miles in 2hr 39. Mon 24th: Rest. Tue 25th: am: 4.5 miles to work. pm: Session: 20x 440 yrd in 69-70 secs. 220 jog between. Wed 26th: am: 4.5 miles to work. pm: 15 miles in 1hr 18. Thur 27th: am: 4.5 miles to work. pm: Session: 25 x 220 fast with 220 jog. Fri 28th: am: 4.5 miles to work. pm: 11 miles in 58 minutes. Sat 29th: am: Session: 5 x 110 yard sprints, 10 x 770 yards in 1:55 with 350 slow jog between. pm: Session: 15x 150 yrd strides on grass.

Performances

6 miles: 28:00

10 miles: 48:28

Marathon: 2hr 14:28

My Buddy, Buddy Edelen By James Lujan

I just wanted to say..I knew Buddy…as a high school distance runner in Alamosa, Colorado in the 1960’s. I met buddy in 1965, one day on the road, seemingly just two runners who loved to run. We ran mile after mile until we ended our run that day…Silent, the two of us pushing each other.

He was past his prime by then…but still had hopes of earning a medal at the 68′ Mexico games. . As humble a man as I ever met. He invited me to run with him during his afternoon runs. He understood back then, the roads were empty of other runners and it got lonely and a training partner was refreshing. Buddy taught me his training techniques and cross training principles that helped me excel in my own right.

He taught about the four phases of training, and encouraged me more than anyone to keep the faith and enjoy the run. I will never forget that experience. Two years we ran together often…and before the entering into my senior years of high school, through his coaching and mentorship, he helped me unofficially break both the mile and two mile Colorado state records with times of 4:17, and 9:11, before going into the fall cross country season.

Unfortunately just days later I severely injured my ankle playing basketball- with torn ligaments in my right foot, I would not be able to run for months. So discouraged after nearly two years of daily training I never really recovered emotionally…before I decided to join the Army where I ended up going to Vietnam in 1968 just before the summer games. I knew Buddy came to Alamosa because of the high altitude that was similar to Mexico City’s at 7600 ft. above sea level.

But more than this, the high altitude, Buddy told me required less mileage than training at a lower altitude and this was to preserve unnecessary stress on an ailing back injury that had slowed him down in recent years. after setting the World Record and the first man to break 2:15 in the Marathon. Still, Buddy had hope of reaching his dream of an Olympic Medal, but his back injury would not allow him to do so… This was a great disappointment to him as he told me later when I came home from Vietnam.

But I will never forget him and what he taught me. Here’s to Buddy, my good friend, mentor and the most dedicated runner I had ever met…

BUDDY WHO? By DON SIKORSKI Special to the Bulletin. Mohegan Striders.

New Zealand’s Rod Dixon had just won a major road race in Tulsa, Oklahoma when a Race Official offering congratulations approached him. “My name is Buddy Edelen”, he said, to which Dixon’s reply was “Buddy Who?” Dixon meant no disrespect. It was just that Edelen, despite previously holding eight American track records and a marathon world best, wasn’t exactly a household name, even amongst the running community.

Leonard “Buddy” Edelen was born on September 22nd, 1937 in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He moved to South Dakota, where he excelled as a high school distance runner, running 4:28 for the mile and going undefeated during his senior year in 1955. He went on to run at the University of Minnesota on a partial scholarship and raced with some decent success, but it wasn’t until Edelen’s postcollegiate years, living in Chelmsford, England and being coached but former two-time Olympian Fred Wilt, that he saw the results of his continuous hard work.

Buddy Edelen’s training regime was intense, with twice a day running, a ton of fast interval work, and long, steady weekend runs, all of which would commonly add up to about 135 miles per week. As a school teacher, Buddy would rise early to run 4.5 miles to school, then run home after school and add on grueling track workouts (20 x ¼ mile repeats at 70-71 seconds each with 45 second jog recoveries was a standard workout) or additional mileage often run at 5:00 per mile pace or better.

Buddy enjoyed racing cross-country as part of England’s club system, and owned personal bests of 28:00.8 for 6 miles and 48:28.0 for 10 miles on the track. He also became the first American to break 30:00 for the 10,000 meter run. But despite his heavy interval regime, Buddy soon discovered that his best event would be the marathon. At the 1962 Fukuoka Marathon, Buddy would finish a strong 4th in a time of 2:18:56.8. Nine years after Jim Peters of Great Britain broke the 2:20 mark for the 26.2-mile distance, Buddy Edelen became the first American to do so.

Buddy’s training and lifestyle contradicted what many envision that of the typical distance runner. Edelen would drink coffee before and after his morning run, then follow most of his evening interval workouts with a few pints of Guinness stout at the local tavern. Edelen’s stomach couldn’t handle solid foods immediately following a hard workout, so his dinner followed the stout (plus, Edelen swore by Guinness’ blend of vitamins and iron recommended even for nursing mothers. It also helped him sleep). On Friday, June 14th, 1963, Buddy Edelen followed his lunch (a cheese sandwich, ice cream, and a chocolate bar) with a steak dinner washed down with three pints of stout. He awoke the next morning after 8 ½ hours of sleep to a breakfast of 4 soft-boiled eggs, 4 pieces of toast, a large cup of coffee with milk, and two more chocolate bars.

In weather conditions of 73 degrees, sunny and still, Buddy Edelen ran and won the 50th annual Polytechnic Marathon in Chiswick, England in a time of 2:14:28, good enough for a new British all-comers, American, course, and world record. He had become the first American since Al Raines in 1909 to hold the world record for the marathon distance. It wouldn’t be until Alberto Salazar’s 2:08:13 in the 1981 New York City Marathon that another American would achieve that same honor.

Edelen would go on to win the 1964 Yonkers Marathon in brutally warm conditions, 91 degrees and high humidity for the noontime start. The winner would be awarded a spot on the 1964 Olympic Marathon team. Buddy won the trials race in 2:24:25, a time not especially impressive until you consider that the 2nd place finisher was almost 3 ½ miles behind Buddy, finishing in a time of 2:44:11.

Two local residents were also strong contenders in the Yonkers race; Johnny Kelley, the 1957 Boston Marathon winner who was considered the king at Yonkers by virtue of his eight Yonkers Marathon wins, and Norm Higgins, who Edelen had considered a potential threat to win it all. Kelley managed a 3rd place finish in 2:46:46, while Higgins, who at 15 miles trailed Buddy by a mere 100 years, fell back by 4 minutes at 20 miles and subsequently blacked out and did not finish. Of the 128 starters, only 37 runners finished within the established 4-hour time limit.

But soon the years of pounding out hard intervals and high mileage with little or no rest (despite repeated warnings from Coach Wilt) took a toll on Edelen’s body. His admitted insecurities made him uncomfortable cutting back on training volume to peak for specific races. The motivations that made Buddy Edelen a world class distance runner were now beginning to break him down. He would go on to finish 6th in the 1964 Olympic Marathon in 2:18:12 despite being slowed by a painful sciatica throughout the race and during his last years of competition. Considering his physical injuries leading up to the Games, Edelen’s Olympic performance was a true testament to his mental strength as an athlete.

Buddy’s running career finally came to a close in 1967. By the time his career was finished, Buddy Edelen had won 7 of the 13 marathon races he competed in, most against strong international competition. In an era when most Europeans laughed at the performances of American distance runners, Buddy Edelen used the laughter as his motivator to train harder than anyone, and his performances showed the merits of his hard work.

Upon his “retirement” from competitive racing, Edelen earned his master’s degree and obtained a teaching position at Adams State University in Alamos, Colorado. In 1971, Buddy Edelen was in an automobile accident in Montana, suffering a broken shoulder, a broken pelvis, and a damaged diaphragm. Although not expected to survive, Edelen made a miraculous recovery and was told that he would have to be on crutches through Christmas of that year. Edelen discarded the crutches in September and was back running in October.

He taught for 15 years before moving to Tulsa, where he worked for the state. Buddy Edelen died of cancer in February 1997 at the early age of 59. His athletic biography is illustrated in Frank Murphy’s “A Cold Clear Day”. He was one of the true heroes in American distance running.

Buddy’s New York Times Obituary

Leonard Edelen, 59, A Runner

Feb. 23, 1997

Leonard (Buddy) Edelen Jr., the first American marathoner in nearly four decades to set a world record, died of cancer in Tulsa, Okla., on Wednesday. He was 59.

Edelen cut 48 seconds off the world record when he won Britain’s Polytechnic Marathon, covering the 26 miles 385 yards in 2 hours 14 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 1963. It was the first marathon record by an American since Albert Michelsen ran 2:29:02 in 1925. Afterward, Edelen was called ”America’s great hope” for a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. But a sciatic nerve condition caused him severe back pains, and he finished sixth. Edelen ran 13 more marathons, winning 7. He stopped competing at age 28.

In the four years leading up to the 1964 Olympics, Edelen made $120 a month teaching in a private school in England and lived in a one-room apartment with no telephone and no refrigerator. When he lacked the $650 needed to go to the United States for the 1964 Olympic trials, youngsters in a Y.M.C.A. in Sioux Falls, S.D. — the city where Edelen spent part of his childhood — raised the money through car washes, dances, basketball games and donations.

”I was about 13 years too early,” he said, reflecting on the money that became available to top marathoners. Edelen’s training habits also stood out in contrast with the austere regimens used by other runners. He drank beer nightly and smoked a cigarette occasionally, although he logged 130 miles a week. ”Think how good I might be if I didn’t have these vices,” he once mused.

As his running career was winding down, Edelen earned a master’s degree in psychology at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo., and went on to teach psychology at the school. He later worked as a promotions coordinator for Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in Tulsa and for the state Department of Human Services.

He is survived by his wife, Glenda; a son, Brent; four stepchildren, Yvonne Allen, Cindy Marsh, Teresa Waszut and Claudia Brashears, and 10 grandchildren.

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An Earlier OGOR – Ron Daws

“…When you reach the 20-mile mark of a marathon feeling utterly spent, but finish somehow, you suspect you can conquer other seemingly unbearable events in life. After you discover you can set tough goals and prevail, you realize you can accomplish almost anything you put your mind to.

“You don’t have to look to the marvels of the Benoits, the Coes, the world-class to find your heroes; look inward to your own struggle and discover yourself. What you find may startle you, it may expose you to a whole gamut of emotions, but it will never bore you. And, as Theodore Roosevelt promised, your place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”– from Running Your Best, Epilogue by Ron Daws

Got the idea on Steve Hoag’s birthday. He would’ve been seventy-three the day I thought, hold it, you write about gone folks you never knew all the time. Like you write about people you never talked to. I reference my legendary Mike Ditka piece. https://www.jackdogwelch.com/?p=8786

Anyway, where was I? I can do the same thing with runners. I can, too. And because Ron Daws was so important to Steve Hoag, pulled together what I could, wasn’t a lot… I am gonna start with him.

I pretty much did start with Daws myself. Burfoot, Vitale and Jobski. Buddy Edelen. Started with them.

Ron Daws (1937-1992)

(from the 1996 Souhrada Family Newsletters and various sources)

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Ronald (Ron) Harold Daws

Born: June 21, 1937

Died: July 28, 1992

Father: Harold Earl Daws (1910-1942)

Mother: Bernice Kelly Daws (1891-1983)

Wife: Marlene Larson Slettehaugh

Three Children: Kathleen (Kathy), Darryl, Aaron

Ron is the grandson of Barbara (Souhrada) Daws

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He was so slow in the first year of high school track, he quit the team. A teammate insisted he give it one more try and he managed to run 5:22 as a soph. Hard work led to 5:02 as a junior and 4:41 his senior year. More hard work didn’t help all that much. Think 4:30 and a 9:43 two-mile as a collegiate. “I started off so slow,” he was known to say, “I couldn’t help but get better.”

Ron Daws Personal Records

1M: 4:25

2M 9:09

3M 14:09.8

10K 31:15

10M 51:09

20K 1:04:07

15M 1:18:10

25K 1:21:14

Marathon 2:20:23 (4th place Boston 1969)

Ron Daws Boston Marathon Training, circa 1967

by Twin Cities Track Club

Excerpt from April 1967 issue of The Long Distance Log, one year before Daws would place third in the Olympic Marathon Trials in Alamosa and earn a spot on the 1968 Olympic Team. Daws eventually authored a few training books, including The Self Made Olympian, Running Your Best, and others. He also coached many local athletes, including coaching Steve Hoag to a second-place finish in the 1975 BAA Boston Marathon, where Hoag ran a near 5-minute personal best, 2:11:54.

Daws would place 18th in the 1967 BAA Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:28:42, about 5 minutes off his personal best. His best finish at Boston was in 1969 when he finished 4th place, in a career best of 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 23 seconds. You can read his interview from the 1967 issue of the Long Distance Log, HERE. Page 11.

In preparing for the Boston Marathon I go through three phases of training, starting from scratch
with 5-mile runs. (In November after 4 weeks rest).

1st phase- Long runs to get in good general condition. Up to 125 miles/week. (8-10 weeks)

Example Week
Sunday- 20 miles
Monday- 15 miles
Tuesday- 18 miles
Wednesday- 12 miles fartlek
Thursday- 18 miles
Friday- 15 miles
Saturday- 15 miles

2nd phase- 2-3 days interval work on indoor track & hill work (8 weeks)

Example Week
Sunday- 22-25 miles
Monday- 6-7 sets of 10 x 110y each (15 seconds)
Tuesday- Hill workout (Lydiard)
Wednesday- Interval workout
Thursday- Lydiard’s hill workout
Friday- Hill workout
Saturday- On track: 1-3 mile time trial or intervall workout

3rd phase- Marathon Training.

Example Week
Sunday- 30 miles
Monday- Hill or 80 x 110 yards
Tuesday- Hill workout
Wednesday- Interval workout
Thursday- 18 miles
Friday- 15 miles
Saturday- Longer intervals (i.e. 10 x mile or 3 x 5-mile)

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“In Alamosa Colorado, seven days before the ’68 Olympic Trials, all the runners herded into the college dorm to watch the ’64 Games film. During the marathon coverage, Abebe Bikila came into focus as he “floated” down the Japanese thoroughfare…”Bikila’s expression was intense, not a frown but forever unsmiling as he patiently drew away from Ron Clarke and the rest of the world. He was immune to the noisy crowd, the other runners, his healing appendectomy…everything. His gaze on the road ahead never faltered and his cheeks and lips quivered with each stride as though he were counting. His determination and excellence were classi and so intense that a shudder went through me. My eyes collected water until it seemed I was watching through a rain-streaked window. “in that moment, I knew I had to get into the Games. I wasn’t sure how I would do it, but I knew I had to be a part of them.”

Random quote from snowshoemag.com. Minnesotan Ron Daws used one technique in training that Zátopek favored when Daws unexpectedly qualified for the U.S. marathon team for the 1968 Mexico Olympics: wearing heavy clothing to acclimate and simulate the heat in a summer race.

Here’s the complete, never-before-fully-told story of that event by Amby Burfoot. https://www.rrca.org/news-articles/news-archives/2018/07/26/alamosa-1968-the-historic-first-u.s.-olympic-marathon-trials Promise me you’ll come back.

“There is more to failing than picking yourself up out of the dust, brushing off the grime, and trudging onward. For every defeat, there is a victory inside waiting to be let out if the runner can get past feeling sorry for himself.”

SYNOPSIS OF RUNNING CAREER OF RON DAWS

1953 Began running at Central High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota

1960 Declared Outstanding Cross Country Runner at University of Minnesota

1967 National Marathon Champion-represented USA at Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada

1968 Placed third in National Marathon

1968 Member of USA Olympic Team running 22nd in Mexico City, Mexico

1969 Placed 4th in Boston Marathon (placed 1st from USA)

1969 Represented USA in Korean Marathon

1969 Raced at London, Ontario, Canada

1970 Achieved 2nd place in National Marathon

1973 Placed 1st of the Americans who ran in Kosica, Czechoslovakia

1974 Placed 21st in Boston Marathon

1978 Ran Choysa Marathon in Auckland, New Zealand

1980 Ran 10 Mile in New Zealand

1980 Ran Half Marathon in London, England

1980 Ran Marathona Atlantica Boavista, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

1981 Ran Marathona Atlantica Boavista, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

1982 Ran 10 KM Road Race in Auckland, New Zealand

1986 Inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame

Ron Daws was a runner who competed in the 1968 Olympic Marathon in Mexico. Daws helped organized the Minnesota Road Runners Club.  He began training intensively for the 1968 Olympics about four years beforehand. He finished 22nd of 82 runners in Mexico City on October 20, 1968.  For a period of five or six years, following the Olympics, Ron took his family with him for two weeks into the mountains near Colorado Springs, to a Running Camp. Here he lectured and coached runners. He continued running marathons until 1983 and took many pupils under his wing.  From the mid-1960s to the middle-1980s there wasn’t anybody who ran in Minnesota who didn’t come into contact with Ron Daws. He was the guru of the running community.

In Ron’s first book, The Self-Made Olympian, he explained the New Zealand runner and coach Arthur Lydiard’s system. His second book, Running Your Best, also included workout charts, quotes and anecdotes gathered from 25 years at the top of his sport. He also wrote articles for Runner’s World magazine. He was commissioned by the magazine to paint watercolor collages of five or six famous runners. His work was published in the magazine’s 1988 Olympic section. He also illustrated his second book. 

He continued to run 10k and 5-mile races but fell in love with cross-country skiing. He said running was great but skiing far excelled it.

Joe Henderson’s Writings

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Ron Daws

(This piece is for my latest book titled Pacesetters: Runners Who Informed Me Best and Inspired Me Most. I am posting an excerpt here each week, this one from August 1992.) [Joe is currently in rehab, recovering apace – long and slow -from a big stroke. – JDW]

OLYMPIAN DAWS. 

History repeats. Suddenly it is 1984 all over again for me.

That year’s Olympics had just begun in Los Angeles when my car radio reported, “A famous running author has died while running in Vermont. Jim Fixx…”

Now the Games had just opened in Barcelona when I came home to find a note: “Call Jim Ferstle. Has sad news.”

The running writer from the Twin Cities told me, “Ron Daws died last night.” The news hit me like an aftershock.

Fixx was my friend, yes, but beyond that he was a friend to every runner who read his books. So was Daws. They’d started out much differently as runners, but their stories ended much the same way.

Jim Fixx was a late-starting runner. He’d been an overweight smoker in his mid-30s, then became a 10-mile-a-day runner who still couldn’t outrun his old habits or a terrible family history of heart disease. He was 52 when he died from blocked arteries.

Ron Daws started running as a kid and never stopped. He made the 1968 Olympic team as a marathoner, and few Americans have ever gone further on less talent.

Ron never smoked, was never heavy and had no worrisome family history. He had just turned 55 when he died from what the autopsy report said was advanced coronary disease.

Such attacks seldom if ever come without warnings, says Dr. George Sheehan. Ron had warnings scattered among some very good runs. He had to stop and walk during a five-mile race in June.

Yet he later took a 37-mile trail run while vacationing in Canada. His last weekend, he complained of slowness and stomach pain during a 14-mile run on Friday. Yet he came back on Sunday, his next-to-last day, to run trouble-free for 2½ hours.

Jim Fixx was a cerebral man whose last moments were active. Ron Daws was a restless man who died in his sleep.

Two memories of Ron stand out. The first was meeting him at the Olympic Village in Mexico City before he ran his marathon. He was studying the assembly-line shoes in a shop and pointing out why those he cobbled himself at home were superior.

The second memory was working with him as editor of his book, The Self-Made Olympian. He hated the title I gave it, disputed much of the editing and didn’t swallow his objections quietly.

In both cases I remember the somewhat wild look he got in his pale blue eyes when he mounted a crusade. Ron was seldom pleased with things as they were, whether constantly tinkering with shoes, with training systems or working on his book.

Lorraine Moller heard of Ron’s passing as she was about to run the Olympic Marathon in Barcelona. She was once married to Ron Daws, who as her coach introduced Lorraine to this event.

It would be nice to think that as she ran that marathon, she remembered the words Ron ran by – and later wrote and coached by: “You can do better than this.” At age 37 she upset all forecasts by winning the bronze medal.

UPDATE. Before his passing, Ron Daws succeeded in revising and retitling The Self-MadeOlympian to his liking. He called this edition Running Your Best: The Committed Runner’s Guide to Training and Racing.

Ron’s ex-wife Lorraine Moller had a long and diverse racing career. She competed internationally for New Zealand at 800 meters when that was the longest distance open to women and later in their first Olympic Marathon, in 1984.

Lorraine was the only woman to run the first four marathons at the Games, the final time in Atlanta at age 41. She later published a book, titled On the Wings of Mercury.

I couldn’t find an actual obituary for Ron.

Closest I decided was by running pioneer Ted Corbitt. Daws and Corbett tussled a time or two.

IN MEMORIAM RON DAWS 1937-1992

Former U.S. Olympic Marathoner Ron Daws has died at age 55.

Daws once served as Chairman of the Road Runners Club of America Standards Committee. The RRCA Standards Committee, established in 1964, was mainly concerned with the certification of accuracy of long distance race courses. Course certification also facilitated the administration of the RRCA’ s Standards Certificates Program. In the latter, three running performances, at different distances, in specified times, earned runners an RRC Standards Time Certificate.

Eventually, the RRCA Standards Commitee, plagued with minimal cooperation from road race directors, went out of the course certification business, and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU} Standards Committee, chaired by Ted Corbitt, of New York City, took over the whole program of course certification in the U.S.A. This AAU Sub- Committee on Standards was originally set up to certify National AAU Junior and Senior Championship Courses, and to improve the lot of long distance runners. Today, this combined effort continues to evolve and to advance the cause of accurate race courses as the Road Running Technical Council (RRTC} of TAC/USA.

Ron Daws was born June 21, 1937, in Minneapolis, MN. He died in 1992, as the Barcelona Olympic Games were getting underway, of advanced coronary disease. He reportedly was a non-smoker, was never overweight, and had no family history of heart disease. However, he had not felt well during the last two months of his life.

In 1960, Daws graduated from the University of Minnesota, where he was a teammate of Buddy Edelen, who in 1963, set a world best marathon time of 2:14:28, and who finished sixth in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic marathon race. By 1969, both Daws and Edelen were serving on the AAU Sub-Committee on Standards.

Daws worked as a Research Analyst for the State of Minnesota, and later he lectured on running. Daws got married and had several children. He was once married to marathoner Lorraine Moller, age 37 (Competing for New Zealand} who copped the bronze medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Marathon, just after Daws died.

Highlights of Daws’ running career included the following: Daws helped to start a regular long distance racing program, and to start accurate race course measurement in the State of Minnesota. He ran his first marathon in 1963, in 2:41. His career best was 2:20:23. He finished in the top ten in the Boston Marathon four times. Daws broke American track records for 15 miles and for 25Kilometers.

Daws built a treadmill in his basement to get in some sensible workouts on cold Minnesota winter mornings. He won the 1967 National AAU Marathon Championship on a brutally hot day, on a hilly course, and he made the Pan Am Team. In 1968, he journeyed to high altitude in Colorado and made the U.S. Olympic Marathon team. However, attacks of sciatica affected his performances in both the Pan AM and the Olympic Marathon races.

His hobbies included photography, painting, and playing the guitar. He spent a lot of time making, altering, and repairing running shoes.

Daws was an active running enthusiast from early childhood until he “cashed in his chips.” (to use one of his favorite expressions}. In recent years, he continued to run, but his main competitive fires were quenched doing cross-country skiing.

We who remain, can say a prayer for Ron Daws’• spirit, in appreciation of his efforts to keep the momentum of the emerging course measuring movement alive.

He did this at a time when it was very difficult to find volunteers to do these kinds of behind the scenes, unsung tasks.

New York City, New. York
0.9-/14/92

Ted Corbitt

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2792874

hansonsrun@hansonsrun·Oct 2, 2018 Although you may not have heard of RON DAWS no one book has ever done more for shaping the way I view training for the marathon than his story. “The Self Made Olympian”. A must read for self discipline and dedication to a goal. #RunningHistory

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Original Gangsters Of Running – Steve Hoag

I managed to become friendly with a few runners over some decades immersed in the sport. First a fan of Steve’s and then something of a colleague. Many years later, I told him I was sorry we never had the chance to run together. Then he told me all about the time we had run together and I could almost recall he was injured. Which is how I managed to keep up.

Years later still on FaceBook, Steve shared his discovery of inexpensive lodgings at Boston in mid-April and we talked about how to be old and keep running. We were not coming up with any easy answers. His lungs and my bones.

Steve Hoag, proud son of Minnesota, was an Original Gangster of Running. – JDW

What Follows Are Questions By Chad Austin. And Written Answers By Steve Hoag.

This interview originally appeared on Minnesota Running, January 28, 2007.

Obviously, you’re best known for your 2:11:54 second place finish at the 1975 Boston Marathon. I believe your PR heading into that race was “only” 2:16. What were your expectations for the race?

I cranked up my training in quality and quantity, shooting for the works at Boston in 1975. At Boston you are never sure of the field, only that it’ll be tough. Based on a 2:16 sixth place finish in ’74, I wanted “top 5” and thought WINNING was a distinct possibility if I could run 2:12. Ron Daws agreed, and he knew my ability better than I did (e.g., moments before the ’74 race, he told me he thought I’d run 2:17. I ran 2:16:44. Ron, like most people, thought a 2:12 SHOULD win.

I increased mileage, topping out at 90-plus miles for a few weeks, and ran the hill workouts fiercely. Good quality, longer intervals were done using ladders; 440 yards to mile and down, 10 x mile at 4:50-5:00 pace, depending on the interval. I got a LOT of help from my Twin Cities Track Club teammates (Garrett Tomczak in particular) who would run partials of the mile repeats or every other one. Daws and others helped with the 25-30 mile long runs. I was ready to go by mid-April!! That winter was especially brutal for running, which I believe helped n my base building and long runs. We had a tremendous cardio effect happening without realizing it!

What are some of your other accolades that you’re most proud of?

One of my proudest moments came from winning the Big 10 two-mile (Indoors). I dreamed of being a Big Ten Champ and getting under 9-minutes, the “holy grail” for most college distance men in that era. I accomplished both in 1969 by winning in 8:57 with 4:36/4:21 splits! Considering my mile PR wasn’t much faster, and there were several 4:05 mile guys in the field, it was a very satisfying win. It was a race I probably shouldn’t have won, but I threw in a 61-second fifth 440y to catch the speedy guys napping!

Another race that comes to mind is the 1968 NCAA 10,000m where I placed 3rd (won by Gerry Lindgren) and made All-American! Steve Hoag, from Anoka, MN, a track All-American!!?? Also meaningful to me was I beat several big name collegiate distance runners and I got invited to the 1968 OLYMPIC TRIALS at Lake Tahoe!!

Probably my last good race, the ’75 Springbank 12 mile in London, Ontario, which had incredibly good fields. In 1975 the field consisted of none other than Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Jerome Drayton and two other Boston Marathon winners, plus England’s great Ian Thompson. It was a “balls-to-the-wall” fast pace as we came by “3 miles” (actually it was a little short) in 13:45. It was frightening because my three-mile PR was 13:52 – and I still had three more of those to go. I ended up placing 5th. A great time and a lot of fun.

Captaining the Gopher cross-country team to its best finish ever (4th place) at the ’68 NCAAs also comes to mind, along with being inducted into the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame. That was very gratifying. It validated my running career by my peers. At the time (2000), I think only about 35 individuals were in the HoF. I was very honored!

Finally, being ranked 4th in WORLD for the marathon in 1975 by Track & Field News was a great honor.

What are your other PRs?

Yawn! Track: 880 yards – 1:57, 1 mile – 4:12, 2 miles – 8:57, 3 miles – 13:52, 6 miles – 29:03, 10 miles – 49:51.

My track PRs were all done in 1968-69, at age 21. Regrettably, I never raced seriously on the track after that.

Roads: 5 miles – 23:45, 7 miles – 34:59, half marathon – 1:06, marathon – 2:11:54. I’ve had other, faster, road times, but they were questionable for accuracy.

You sold your store (Marathon Sports) a couple of years ago. Does that mean you’re retired? What are you up to nowadays (working, running, etc.)?

I’m retired, but still pretty busy with hobbies. Believe it or not, my hobbies are as diverse as: restoring old classic cars (I have a ’55 Chevy BelAir and a ’65 Mustang convertible…oh yeah), restoring old motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, rehabbing old houses, collecting metal toy cars from the 1900-1950s. My wife (of 35 years), Jeri, and I do lots of stuff together, too. Plus, we just became grandparents, so we’re looking forward to that.

My “running” is based on the “gentleman’s three”: slow, easy running for three miles, usually on trails or grass.

You’re also coaching cross-county. Are your athletes aware of your running accomplishments?

I coach x-c at Richfield H.S., which I really enjoy. The kids know about my running background, but I don’t believe they can reconcile “Coach Steve” and running a 2:11 marathon. It’s funny though, last year at Twin Cities Marathon water stop, where the team volunteered, one of them asked in dead earnestness, “Steve, if you started really training, you could win this, couldn’t you?” Kids just don’t realize that a 58-year-old man with a bad back will probably not win the TCM, no matter how fast he had run thirty years ago. Bless their hearts.

You were interviewed in October 2002 and one of the questions was about the current state of U.S. distance running. You said, “It goes in cycles and I think we are going to see it [U.S. runners being competitive on the world stage] again.” Since then we’ve collected a couple of Olympic medals and, more recently, Ryan Hall set an American Record for the half marathon. Based on comments you’ve made, I assume you attribute this to the elite training groups that are set up around the country?

Most definitely, the recent popularity of the elite training groups has fueled this resurgence in U.S. distance running. Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor at Athens, the 2006 Boston Marathon, and Ryan Hall, Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle and others this month in the Houston Half Marathon. The current training sites/clubs are similar to training in the ‘70s with more structure, some money and the inclusion of women.

There really is no mystique as to why there was so much success by U.S. distance running: love of running, pure hard work that was made enjoyable by the group effort. Also the success starting in the mid-60s with Buddy Edelen, Gerry Lindgren, Bob Schul, Billy Mills, etc. and Frank Shorter at Fukuoka and Munich. Success begets success; we started believing in ourselves. We’re getting there again!

Looking through some MDRA newsletters from the early ‘70s, a few things stand out to me. First, “you guys” ran a lot of events you don’t see any more; 1-hour races, 10-mile races on the track, 24-hour relays where teams of ten athletes alternated running mile repeats, etc. What are your thoughts on some of these events and how they compare to today’s race schedule?

There were indeed some interesting races in the ‘70s that probably wouldn’t catch on today. In 1973, for example, a typical race had 20-50 (mostly male) runners. You could work the finances to make races of that size work, as they were held at tracks and parks. Today it costs $3,000-10,000 to close down Lake Harriet for a 5K. Tracks, for liability reasons, are often hard to use. Today, races are huge and are mostly a big business.

I particularly liked the 10-mile track races. Each runner had to bring a person to count all 40 laps. I sometimes hated 10,000m on the track, but a 10-mile track race was “fun.” Go figure. Probably because a 10K is faster and more intense; a track 10-mile allows a slower, more manageable pace. I ran 49:51 at Macalester’s track in ’68 and I recall it being almost hypnotic.

Another example was the two-person 10-mile relay. You partnered with someone close to your ability and you each took turns running 20 x 440y at 60-65 second pace.

I never was intrigued that much with running a 24-hour relay with mile repeats. I guess I valued my sleep too much. They were popular for a few years, and a post-collegiate team from Minnesota did extremely well one year.

Also postal races (where you submitted your results through the mail to a national coordinator who would send out final results later to all the clubs involved) were somewhat popular. “Last person-out” races were fun to watch and run on the track. Handicap 10-mile races were interesting, also. There’s nothing like spotting someone a half hour and then trying to beat them. Pat Lanin, who ruled over road-racing events in -the ‘60s and early-70s, was great. Pat should be given TONS of credit for what he and his wife Emily did for Minnesota distance running.

Second, I just assumed guys like you, Ron Daws and Garry Bjorklund were winning every race around. However, while you won your fair share, there were a lot of other guys (Tom Hoffman, LaVerne Dunsmore, Chuck Burrows, Glen Herold, Chuck Ceronsky, Don Timm, etc.) winning, too. Is that mainly a testament to the depth of the running scene at that time?

Yes, winning was pretty spread out, due to the talent here! No one could really dominate, except possibly Garry “BJ” Bjorklund, who was good at everything from one mile to marathon. BJ didn’t race much locally though.

There were some guys who were better at five mile and shorter (Don Timm and Mike “Slicker” Slack). Some were good at the difficult events like the Mudball (Ceronsky). Burrows and myself were good at 10 miles and up. Hoffman and Herold were actually from Wisconsin, but they raced well over here. Interestingly, for every name you mentioned here, I can come up with three, four, five names equally as good; Garrett Tomczak, Bruce Mortenson, Jim Ferstle, Dennis Barker, Mike Seaman, Van Nelson, etc., etc. Nelson was totally phenomenal but his career was over by 1969.

Incredible talent in this area at that time, and DEEP!! Women runners were represented by Jan Arenz, Val Rogosheske, Alex Boies, Jill Hanson (UM’s Ben Hanson’s mom). All were nationally ranked or recognized. Marathon World record-holder Cheryl Bridges later trained here (with the guys, no less). Lorraine Moller (New Zealand medalist in the marathon) trained with us while married to Daws. Later Janis Klecker, Jan Ettle, Bev Docherty would do well at the Trials and Olympics (Klecker).

While you’re in-tune with what’s going on nationally, are you aware some of the guys you ran against, like Alan Gilman and Jeff Reneau now have kids (Pete and Michael, respectively) are now tearing up the roads and have qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon?

Yes, I have met Jeff’s son, Michael, and he looks like he is better than his old man was, and he was tough! I ran against Jeff for a few years and he wouldn’t give an inch in a race. I raced against Al a few times, too, and he was very solid. I KNOW his son Pete is good because when I was with Marathon Sports, I sent him a check for racing so well at TCM. It’s fun to see the kids are taking after their “ol men.”

Do you look at the results for your current age-group and were there ever any thoughts of a “comeback,” even at the age-group level?

I occasionally look at the age-group stuff, and find it interesting a lot of elite age groupers were not that active/good in or after college. It seems a lot of them took up racing in their later years with “fresh legs”. Most of us are pretty “dormant” now, regarding high level racing. There are always a few exceptions, but it’s very hard to maintain the drive to compete at a high level for a long time. I still love “running” but my ego and pride will not allow me to compete. If I ever get thoughts of a comeback, I wait until they pass.

What was like to be a runner in the Twin Cities, prior to the running boom? Reading some of Hal Higdon’s early writings, it sounds like you had a better chance of being arrested for “suspicious behavior” while running, than actually seeing another runner on the roads. It’s hard to picture the lakes or river roads without a large number of runners on them.

I can remember running in my hometown of Anoka, and well-meaning neighbors, friend, etc. would stop their cars and ask if I needed help. “Gee, you’re running for NO reason?” I believe Anoka and Minneapolis cops talked to me on a few occasions. I got into an argument with a Minneapolis policeman once because I was running 5:00 mile repeats on West River Road and he didn’t want me “jogging” on the road. He pulled me into the squad car and was going to bust me, but he chickened out a block from the station. Looking back now, it does seem strange so many miles were run on the roads. Now we have nice paths around the lakes, river road, etc. Back then, we were indeed ROAD runners or sidewalk runners. There was a path around the lakes, but we didn’t use it much. I think we raced on the roads, so it made sense to train on them too.

I’m always curious what the “Old School” runners think about all the training terminology (lactate threshold, anaerobic threshold, tempo runs, heart rate monitors and the different zones, etc.) that gets thrown around now-a-days?

I admit I break out into a cold sweat when I hear terms like lactate and anaerobic threshold. We had days when we ran very hard for varying distances. We had intervals – long and short, we had long aerobic days of 15-30 miles and we had easy “filler” days to rest and help get our mileage totals up. We were just not real scientific about it.

We followed a basic Lydiard program of base (easy) LSD for about six weeks, transitioned into hills and distance, and finally transitioned into intervals and racing. Distance dropped as you entered the racing phase. There was the old maxim you can’t race AND train at the same time. We raced until you could almost sense you were losing condition, desire, or both. We would take a two-three week rest period, usually in November or December, and then start again from scratch.

Depending on what you were training for, there were about two cycles per year. The other rest period might be in June, if you ran Boston in April. After a rest period, you could start another cycle for fall. That was always secondary to me, as Boston was my focus most of those years.

Ron Daws was probably the epitome of “Old School” regarding shoes and clothing, but he was using a heart rate monitor toward the end of his life. He didn’t use it every day, but found he wasn’t running hard enough DOWN hills and needed to run harder to keep his HR up. Conversely, he was revving too high on the uphill portion, so he slowed down to keep his HR in the target zone. He also MADE a crude treadmill for his basement, with music piped in. It was a butt-ugly contraption, but Ron would use it very occasionally to run 10 x “mile” repeats, if he couldn’t get into the UM Fieldhouse.

Of course, I have to ask about Ron Daws. Someone recently told me he was the kind of guy that no matter what kind of mood you were in, you were in a better one after talking with Ron. Would you agree? 

I would need one hundred pages or more to ADEQUATELY describe Ron Daws. He was without a doubt the most complex and genuine person I have ever known. He was also perplexing and contradictory; extremely outgoing most of the time, barrel of fun, incredible wit, and yet, he could be very reclusive and private for seemingly no reason. He was very approachable, yet at times, he could resent his privacy being compromised. Most of the time though, Ron liked to help anyone interested in the sport he truly loved.

I always thought it spoke well of Ron that he could run in the Olympic Games Marathon and a week or two later, run in some rinky-dink all-comers race and come in 5th or 6th place. He didn’t mind. He always ran hard – whether he was in Mexico City or Mankato.

It would have been very easy for Ron to become jealous of my success at Boston, after he dominated the local, regional, and national running scene. I represented the “changing of the guard,” as I was 10 years younger. He not only accepted that, he relished the idea of coaching/advising me. He loved to share his knowledge of running and I soaked up every tidbit Ron gave from clothing/shoe tweaking to training and racing. Although Ron didn’t help me much in my collegiate racing years (Roy Griak sure did), he was the most influential person involving my road racing career. There is absolutely no doubt I would not have run 2:11 without Ron Daws.

Did he always put you in a better mood after seeing him? Well, about 99% of the time he would. Ron’s personality could light up a room. The Minnesota running community got a little darker after Ron died in 1992.

Is there anyone who did a better job of explaining Arthur Lydiard’s program (including Lydiard) than Daws?

No. Ron was a great conduit to Lydiard training. He modified it slightly as needed without losing its essence. For example, Ron did not like hill bounding. He did a little bounding, but not consistently. I do not think he thought it was absolutely critical. He did Lydiard’s mandatory 100-mile weeks (usually 110-125) for base. He knew, for some reason, I couldn’t handle 100 miles a week. He modified my program, so I could be successful at 75-90 mpw. Nobody really agrees 100% on what Lydiard means all the time, but Ron had it nailed for us. Ron’s books are cult items now; explaining so well his and Arthur’s ideas on distance running and putting them in enjoyable and understandable terms.

One of my standard questions, to my younger interviewees, is; “If you could run with any Minnesotan, past or present, who would it be?” My thinking is they’ll say something like Steve Hoag, Ron Daws, Garry Bjorklund, etc. That makes me curious to hear whom you would choose.

Present day, Carrie Tollefson comes to mind, as she is so mentally tough and talented. She has dealt with adversity in a remarkable manner. I sort of wrote her off a few years ago when she had the major surgery on her heel. I thought it was the end of a great running career. Mistake! I’m very glad I was wrong. She’s one tough runner! Now, I couldn’t run with her or Katie McGregor…they are way too fast.

Also, Bob Kempainen, as I like his understated attitude – the guy just got the job done! Very humble. Also, I think he understood the “big picture” when it came to pointing to a big race (e.g. the 1996 Olympic Trials when Keith Brantly was going to out-kick him). I have never met Bob, but I have heard great things about him.

He’s not a Minnesotan, but Steve Prefontaine comes to mind. Although he was incredibly cocky, it would be very interesting to hear HIS story about the Munich 5000m and what he planned to do about Viren’s kick, and others, at Montreal in ’76. With Pre, it would also be great to tip a few beers after the run, but I would take away his car keys.

Finally, what impact do you think you’ve had on the sport in Minnesota?

I feel fortunate to be a VERY small part of an incredible distance running heritage, starting in about 1960. Think of a long chain; I am ONE of many links to it. My times and performances pale in comparison to MY Minnesota heroes, whom I won’t mention. Garry Bjorklund once paid me a great compliment in a speech he was giving, by saying I had “raised the bar” in distance running in Minnesota. And Dick Beardsley said he read about my workouts in Ron’s book, The Self-Made Olympian.

If anything can be taken from my running experience it would be: Believe in yourself, work very, very hard and you may find yourself on an Olympic team or on the podium at places like Boston or New York. It can happen! It’s a sport that rewards hard work, perhaps as much as raw talent.

Rather than ask Steve fifty more questions, I thought it would be easier to comb through his comments from said “world famous” message board and post his comments on various topics.

ON COLLEGE
I was fortunate to be on some very good track and X-C teams at the U of M in the late ‘60s. We won the Big Ten Outdoor Championship in 1968 (by one point!) and finished 4th at NCAA Cross Nationals at Van Cortland Park (’68). The next year, Garry Bjorklund (BJ) came to Minnesota and continued another string of good U of M teams, winning Big 10 X-C with a 1-2-3 finish (BJ, Don Timm, and Tom Page). If only BJ had been a year older; we would have had an awesome X-C team in 1968. Couldn’t have touched Villanova, but we would have been up there.

ON AFRICANS
I feel I was somewhat fortunate to not have the Africans to contend with in the mid-seventies. The Kenyans and Ethiopians were formidable (to say the least!!) in the late sixties and then basically disappeared for a decade or more. The only African runner of significance was Richard Mabuza of Swaziland in the 1975 Boston; he was in the hunt for about half the race and then faded badly. Also, I am surprised Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde ran poorly at Boston in 1963, possibly due to the cold weather that year. I cannot imagine Abebe Bikila losing to ANYONE, after the way he dominated the Marathon in two Olympics!

I have often wondered how our two greats – Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers – would have fared against the current Africans (Geb and company). Granted it’s tough to compare. Based on times, you would have to give the nod to the current stars. Yet, Frank and Bill were both so tough and competitive, I don’t know if I would bet against either. I just read where more than 500 Kenyans ran 2:20 or better by 2006; in the 1970s, sub-2:20 was almost considered world class!! Very humbling.

My old friend and training partner, the late Ron Daws, was a great admirer of Abebe Bikila and often said there was a huge untapped market of distance runners in eastern Africa. This was in the late 1960s! Ron also said the marathon times would change dramatically when the track guys like Frank Shorter and Garry Bjorklund moved up to the marathon. Not bad forecasting by Ron, as the elite 10,000 guys, up until then, basically spurned the marathon.

ON U.S. RUNNING TODAY
As far as today’s elite U.S. marathoners go, they are very impressive. The 2006 Boston performance was exciting and long awaited. U.S. marathoning goes in cycles like most things: Frank Shorter’s gold at Munich set in motion the great U.S. era that lasted a decade or more. Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, Bob Kempainen and others had their days at Boston. Now, largely because of the team-training concept, U.S. distance running is again very respectable. Can they compete with the great African runners? Tough, but we will see.

It seems the most noticeable factor over the years is hunger (for financial recognition) plus inspiration by a coach or fellow countryman. U.S. elite marathoners in the seventies were for the most part hungry for recognition and inspired by the success of Frank Shorter at Fukuoka and Munich ’72. Even prior to that, many of us took a lot of pride in Bob Schul, Bill Dellinger, Billy Mills and Gerry Lindgren (beating those big, bad, older Ruskies!) in 1964. Also, Buddy Edelen’s World Record in the Marathon told us maybe we were NOT the embarrassment of the distance world, like we had been. The hunger was there for American runners and we trained like crazy in places like Florida, Boston, California, Oregon, and even in the Twin Cities.

I sense the same thing happening today with our elite runners. The pride is there and they’re training together hard in clubs across the country. The Brooks-Hanson group reminds me a lot of the way running was in the 1970s and they are getting results. I see the same scenario locally with Team USA Minnesota, although they are more into 5/10k racing. Katie McGregor showed some great marathon potential recently and could be incredible at that distance when she wants to move up from the 10k. Meb Keflezighi and Deena Drossin [Kastor] certainly showed us Americans can compete internationally, with their medals in Athens. Let’s see if it launches the U.S. into another great distance era.

Ryan Hall’s great half marathon performance (59:43 at Houston on January 20th) reminds me a lot of Bill Rodgers’s 2:09:55 American and Course Record at Boston in 1975. We saw a glimpse of Bill’s talent in the World X-C’s a month earlier with a third place finish. Americans just didn’t do that well at that event.

Bill’s time sent shockwaves through the national and international running communities! Like Hall’s brilliant run, he pulled quite a few other Americans to PRs. Along with Shorter at Munich and Fukuoka, Rodgers began a wave of American distance dominance that lasted into the early ’80s.

Watch for young upstarts like Andrew Carlson and Jason Lehmkuhle, Brooks-Hanson guys, and others to pop some great Marathons. Are they guaranteed success at the marathon? Certainly not, but this half marathon performance in Houston, along with Meb’s success and experience could usher in a new age of American distance excellence. Can they compete with Kenyans and Ethiopians (“A” teams) in the near future? This race indicates they can!!

Bob Kennedy’s SUB-13 5k was also an incredible breakthrough for U.S. distance running. It’s unfortunate the “wave” did not follow! I have a gut feeling this IS definitely the beginning of an American resurgence in international distance running. I think the biggest thing going on right now is getting back to the TEAM/CLUB training concept that existed here in the seventies through early eighties. Teams like GREATER BOSTON and FLORIDA TC are the obvious ones that come to mind, helping to make greater runners such as Bill Rodgers, Bob Hodge, Randy Thomas, Vinny Fleming, and, of course, Frank Shorter, Jack Bacheler, Jeff Galloway, Ken Misner, Barry Brown, etc, etc. These guys were good to begin with, but the club atmosphere made them a lot better!

In Minnesota, we had the Twin Cities Track Club with Ron Daws as our guru. We all trained harder and ran faster because of the group effect. There were other lesser-known clubs like ours that existed and produced some very good runners. No financial rewards at all; the common goal was for EVERYONE to improve times, usually at the marathon.

Team USA Minnesota and the Brooks-Hansons are on the right track, and we are seeing the results. Here in Minnesota, there is a great training environment, and Andrew Carlson, Jason Lehmkuhle, Matt Gabrielson, and others are seeing great improvements. On the women’s side, Carrie Tollefson, Katie McGregor and others are thriving under this concept. It’s really 1970s training taken to the next level, with a little more structure, science and money thrown in.

ON GERRY LINDGREN
I have grown up as a runner watching Gerry Lindgren, giving me some inspiration in 1964 when he beat the Russians (We were not supposed to be near them in distance races!). Little did I know I would be in the 1968 NCAA 10,000m running against Gerry Lindgren. I remembered how he seemingly jogged the first six miles and kicked in the last 376m to notch yet another NCAA title. I hung on for 3rd place in what was my PR. Gerry, of course, had his big race against very tough runners in the 5,000m and used the 10K probably as a “workout.” He won the 5K, also.

Gerry certainly had his “ups and downs” in running as we all do; his were just much more noticeable, because his “ups” were so fantastic. Misfortune struck during his two Olympic bids. Billy Mills, I believe, thought Gerry might have won the 10,000m at Tokyo if not injured, and he was injured prior to the 1968 Olympics/trials. Maybe if he trained a little more cautiously, he wouldn’t have had those injuries, but that wouldn’t be Gerry!

His place in distance running history should be near the top; he changed U.S. attitudes towards distance running that PRE-saged our success in the seventies and eighties. His training was bizarre and I often wonder if the mileage (50 miles/day) he claimed he did was for affect. His training claims did get a lot of attention. Nonetheless, he got U.S. runners believing in themselves and probably training more.

I’m glad Gerry has finally surfaced and is giving his advice to today’s runners. Granted some of it is “hokey”; not everyone can be great if they just believe in themselves. And I’m not sure the best way to train is to run anaerobically for the first mile of a 10-mile run. However, take it from someone who was there, he was the real deal!!!

Lindgren’s “message” was basically; “Do the most mileage you can and do not put limits on what you can achieve.” I often read where successful distance runners claimed they had no talent (speed, fast-twitch, etc.). What is often overlooked – even by them – is that being able to run a lot of miles without injury is TALENT! Ron Daws always said he didn’t have much talent, and he was correct in the sense of mile, 5k, 10k speed (4:25, 14:35, 30:30, respectively) compared to the times of other world class runners. Yet he had a talent to know what he needed and to be able to handle that required mileage; 100-120 mpw. “Ratchet up your mileage to a tolerable level, include QUALITY running, believe in yourself and you WILL improve.” I think that is the essence of Gerry Lindgren’s message.

ON MONTREAL
I did think seriously about the Olympics in Montreal after my 2nd place at Boston,’75. It seems everyone (including me) conceded the first two spots for the marathon to Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers, leaving a dozen or so guys with a realistic shot at the third spot on the team. I probably raced too much after Boston and developed a bad case of sciatica in the right leg. It was very frustrating. I went to chiropractors, therapists, podiatrists, etc. with not much success; my leg was numb and weak. I managed to train for Montreal but went to the trials in Eugene knowing I didn’t have much of a chance. I went out fairly well at the start, coming by 10M in 51:30, but with that field, that was middle of the pack! By 12M, my right leg and lower back were getting tighter, and I dropped out. I got a ride back to Hayward Field in time to see Don Kardong get the third spot on the team. He ran a smart race, holding back at the start and moving up.

I think my fitness level was a year off. “If only” is a tired excuse, so I won’t use it! There were a ton of very, very good marathoners in the mid-to-late 1970s; I was fortunate to be one of them at least for a year or two. Now that I am older and wiser (?), I realize the window for an elite distance runner is very small. It’s probably similar to an NFL running back (two-six years) without, of course, the cha-ching! I always marvel at guys like Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Tom Fleming, etc. who ran well for SO many years and put up dozens of world class times and did huge mileage. I had a couple of good years at the University of Minnesota (track and cross), took a break in the early 70s, and had a “second career” on the roads. My mileage was “only” between 75-90 mpw, but I developed sciatica problems, essentially ending my career.

ON MILEAGE
I think 75-90 miles per week is A LOT OF MILES. However, it’s just relatively low compared to the mega-miles Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Tom Fleming, et al. did in that time period. I talked with Tom Fleming after the 1975 Boston Marathon (he was third, behind me by eleven seconds.) and he said he would not run well off my mileage. And I would self-destruct running his 120-140 mpw.

Ron Daws, my coach/training partner, wanted me to up my mileage. When I would try to get more than 100 mpw, I would either get sick, rundown or injured. Ron and I both agreed my mileage was best at 75-90 with some good quality: Lydiard hill workouts, intervals, and long runs, done in a well-planned sequence.

Tom Fleming and I both arrived at the finish line at Boston in essentially the same time with different ideas of high mileage. I came from a track background at the University of Minnesota, where I had pretty good success with mileage of 50-60 mpw. Running 75-90 mpw was high mileage for me! Don Kardong and Craig Virgin, for example, both have said one doesn’t have to run absurd mileage to race the marathon, but instead find your optimal mileage to get the best results.

I think more mileage will usually help most individuals, but people have different limits. You can benefit from Gerry Lindgren’s advice to run a lot of miles as I did. It’s just my concept of high mileage was different than Gerry’s. To me, I trained high mileage, compared to previous years, and found success. I do not see a contradiction in that.

ON LETSRUN.COM
I am absolutely amazed at the wealth of information out there on this forum. Yes, we do have to sift through some of the garbage, negative attacks, etc. to find threads that interest us. We all have different running interests, of course. Nonetheless, I have been able to get very useful information from the likes of Henry Rono, Bob Schul, Gerry Lindgren, “malmo”, and other authorities like Renato Canova, Orville Atkins, etc., etc.

This would have been unheard of in my “racing days”, 1967-1978. While I am not advocating spending hours every day on this site, there is a definite value! If I can be of help to anyone wanting to learn more about this great sport, I welcome it. Believe it or not, I was young ONCE (!) and I valued so much the information passed down to me from Ron Daws (Lydiard), Buddy Edelen, and others in my area of the country.

Steven Hoag, Minnesota Distance Running Legend, Dies At 70

By Lynn Underwood Star Tribune OCTOBER 20, 2017 

Steven Hoag was a runner long before running was all the rage.

“I can remember running in my hometown of Anoka, and well-meaning neighbors would stop their cars and ask if I needed help,” recalled Hoag in a 2007 interview on a Running Minnesota blog.

Hoag was a distance running star from the time he attended Anoka High School. He went on to be named an All-American and Big Ten champion for the University of Minnesota Gophers in the late 1960s.

But his best-known triumph was finishing second in the 1975 Boston Marathon behind Bill Rodgers, with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 54 seconds. “I saw him at the 20-mile mark and I was cheering him on,” recalled his wife Geri Hoag. “It was very exciting when he came in second.”

Hoag, 70, died on Sept. 15 at his home in Shakopee.

Steven and Geri met in 1968 at a party on the University of Minnesota campus and were married in 1972. “I didn’t know he was a running star,” she said.

Hoag graduated with a degree in elementary education in 1969. But his teaching career at a local elementary school lasted only a year because he made the USA Marathon Team, which was racing in Europe.

He continued to run while the Hoags were raising their daughter in south Minneapolis; his favorite training route was on the trails in Theodore Wirth Park. “Steve was an old school runner,” said Geri. “He didn’t follow a special diet or schedule, just got in his miles whenever he could.”

Hoag trained under mentors Ron Daws, 1968 Olympic marathoner, and Roy Griak, Gophers cross-country and track and field coach.

“Ron Daws took Steve under his wing and they became terrific friends,” said Bruce Brothers, a former Twin Cities running columnist.

As competitive distance running gained popularity, Hoag organized many Twin Cities races, including St. Patrick’s Day and Grand Old Day events. “He loved it and promoted the sport any way he could,” said Brothers.

Hoag launched the successful St. Paul Marathon in 1981. The next year, he worked with Jack Moran, then president of the Minnesota Distance Running Association, to combine the St. Paul race with the City of Lakes Marathon and form the new Twin Cities Marathon, which drew more than 7,000 runners this year. “Steve helped us come up with a new course,” said Moran.

The skyrocketing number of runners needed gear, and Hoag started selling running shoes through the mail, filling orders from his home. Eventually he branched out as a partner and owner of several running retailers.

He was an early innovator of the modern specialty running store, said John Long, who took over ownership of Hoag’s Marathon Sports in Minneapolis in 2005.

“I bought my first pair of track and field spikes from Steve in 1986,” said Long, who ran cross-country at Totino-Grace High School. “He was somebody we really looked up to.”

After selling the store, Hoag became the assistant coach for the cross-country and track teams at Minnetonka High School.

“His passion for the sport is contagious,” said Jeff Renlund, head coach of the two teams. “Steve was genuine and caring and had great rapport with the guys on the team.”

Hoag also was a collector of vintage toys, memorabilia and signs, and he restored old cars and motorbikes.

“Steve was incredibly supportive and positive to a blossoming high school athlete — and to someone who wanted to buy running shoes,” said Brothers.

Hoag is survived by his wife, Geri, of more than 45 years; daughter, Ali (Todd) Kmieciak; grandchildren, Caden and Macy Kmieciak; brother, Jeff (Ann) Hoag; sisters, Cathy (Frank) Waldemar; Barbara (Robert) Gadon; and several nieces and nephews. Services have been held.

One Comment On “Original Gangsters Of Running – Steve Hoag”

1. JDW April 2, 2020 at 12:59 am. I asked Bill Rodgers for a memory or two about Steve.
   “..when Steve Hoag and I raced to our 1..2 finish at the 1975 Boston Marathon.
   We both set PRs on the cool wind-aided day.. and having raced to a much higher level than we had before, we began to race Marathons and road races more heavily than before..
   We were part of the Original Running Boom.. the one that began with American Frank Shorter’s gold medal win at the ’72 Olympic Games
   It felt like a New Sport was developing in the US the intensity of Goodwill that developed was striking as well. New magazines like Running Times and The Runner added to the going popularity of the Sport. [Hey, what about Running magazine? Heard that was great. Many. many people say that. – ed.]
   The American Fitness.. or Wellness movement was just beginning.
   I didn’t know Steve in ’75 at Boston but got to know him more in the years ahead. and we became friends.
   I remember visiting with him at his runners’ retail store in Minneapolis.
   And racing him at one of my favorite road races…the Bix 7-mile in Davenport Iowa.
   Our lives became busier as we became older and had families, but I’ll never forget meeting with Steve for a final time at the Boston Marathon a few years ago.
   He was as always a quiet guy, a sincere, thoughtful person. I heard he’d become a XCountry coach in Minnesota….then I heard he’d passed away. I was sad and shocked.
   We’d both covered a lot of ground since our ’75 Boston Marathon. I just wished he had more years ahead.
   Steve Hoag was as real as Running gets.”

---

OGORs Volume 2 (Jack Fultz)

“I stopped running because the race ended. I wasn’t tired. I was still feeling good at the finish.”

He came to mind when I found pages 5 & 6 of an ancient issue of New England Runner’s Magazine with a list of the 1973 Boston Marathon finishers. #23.  Jack Fultz, Washington Sports Club……..  2:30:55. The question has been asked, what makes an Original Gangster Of Running? I am thinking, if you ran the BAA in ’73, that would get you in the front door. Jackie Hansen, the first woman OGOR, is pictured on page 6. Looking at her winner’s wreath.  Tom Fleming finished second and Steve Hoag thirteenth. Bill Rodgers dropped out in ’73. And I didn’t. If you raced against Ron Daws, you might just be an OGOR.

When did you start running and why?

I was always active as a young kid, running around the neighborhood playing catch-n-release games with the other kids in the neighborhood.  Reflecting back, I had an intrinsic joy in the act of running – but it was all informal and just for play.

As time went on, I realized I was a bit faster than most of the other kids and tended to tire less easily. I always wanted a bike so before I finally got one, I’d pretend I was biking to the store or whatever errand I was running for my folks and try to emulate the speed I thought I’d experience on a bike.  Being one of seven kids living in a 3 – 4 room apartment, both parents working full time and moonlighting as well to make ends meet – my parents could not afford to get me one.  But I suspect I did get my work ethic from that modeling.

In forth grade, at about ten years of age, the newspaper route I inherited from portions of my older brothers’ routes (my father and brothers operated the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette franchise in our small hometown of Franklin in northwestern PA) required me to have a bicycle to deliver the papers.  Come Christmas, voila – a shinny red Schwinn Tornado single speed beauty.  Sure wish I still had that bike. 

For the next 8 years, six days a week, twelve months a year, through my senior year in high school, I got in a solid morning aerobic workout delivering those Post Gazettes up and down the steep hills of Franklin, PA.  But I wasn’t necessarily thinking of it as exercise, let alone a workout.  All I thought was that I was delivering newspapers – though I do remember enjoying working hard to climb some of the hill.  One was so steep and still made of brick – yellow brick no less, that I had to zig-zag from curb to curb to get to the top.  In the fall when the leaves covered that stretch, especially when they were wet, it was treacherous and nearly impossible to make it to the top – but I remember taking it as a challenge.

Sixth grade was my first foray into organized sports playing basketball.  I missed a batting practice during Little League tryouts so got cut from summer baseball – never to return to that sport, other than playground stuff.  8^th grade got me into intramural football, a sport in which two of my older brothers excelled.  I willingly ran into the bigger guys trying to tackle them but not very effectively, until I learned to tackle them at their shoestrings.  We did not have cross country at my Jr./Sr. high school and football was the only fall sport – so nearly all the boy athletes played football. 

I played every year and the opening kickoff of our first game my senior year nearly ended my athletic career due to a serious leg injury.  After a month of failed treatments, my family doc put me into the hospital and bombarded me with injections and oral meds – likely steroids – to dissolve the massive calcium deposit that was developing from the hematoma, caused by the impact on that opening game kickoff.  That’s why we called them “suicide squads”.

9^th grade was my first experience at organized track – the Freshman Relay, a medley of alternating 100 and 300 meters (actually 110 yards and 330 yards).  Of course I was one of the “distance” guys, vying for that anchor position, which I usually ran.  All the biking paid early dividends.

12th grade was when the coaches (the track and field coaches were also the football coaches – and all were teachers as well) realized I should be running further than the 440 in track season.  My moderate speed was only okay for winning some points in the open 440 and a leg on the mile relay (4 x 440).  During out late-summer football camp where we lived in the high school gymnasium, sleeping on the floor on air mattresses and sleeping bags, everyone on the team started every morning with a two mile run.  Due to my years of newspaper delivery on my bike and the endless running I did playing neighborhood games and shorter races as an underclassman on the track team, I beat everyone in that daily two mile run by a quarter of a mile or more.  The only reason they didn’t have me run the two mile was that that would eliminate me from running other events to score more points – that was the rule so as to protect kids from hurting themselves.  Interesting.

Toughest opponent and why?

Again, looking back at my Franklin (PA) High School  days, our football coach once shouted the question to our entire team as we huddled in the locker room shortly before running out onto the field to take on a rival team, “Who’s the team to beat?”  I was ready to shout the name of our opposing team but fortunately didn’t get my words out as the upper  class-men, knowing the correct answer, replied “FRANKLIN, FRANKLIN – We’re the team to beat!”

Our coach meant that we were the toughest of all the teams, or at least we should think that way.  But from another perspective, each of us is also ultimately our own toughest opponent.  Our doubts and fears rob us of the steely confidence, the self-belief that is essential to achieve long term success in any endeavor.  With the right mind set, you won’t beat yourself – and therefore, never actually lose, even if you’re not the first runner across the finish line.  Of course that’s an ideal and doesn’t hold up all the time.  I’ve beaten myself many time by failing to race to what I believed was my potential.

Timothy Gallwey refers to this as “the inner game”, in his 1976 classic, “The Inner Game Of Tennis”.  Winning one’s inner game is independent of the outcome of the ‘outer game”:  the race results or the game’s final score.

This is what the title of my yet-to-be-written book, “Winning Is An Attitude” intimates. 

But to answer your question in the spirit you intend:  what runner was your toughest opponent?  There honestly wasn’t any single runner – I feared many of them over time.  But I remember thinking of Greg Meyer and Al Salazar like I thought of the boxer, Marvin Hagler – just so dogged tough you had to nearly kill them to beat them.  But, for better or worse, I was well into the back nine of my racing career when both of them were just teeing off the front.

Most memorable run and why?

To this day, for the past 44 years, I’ve pretty much been defined by my win at Boston in ’76.  And while I ran other races that rival that one in terms of my positive remembrance of them, the “Run for the Hoses” will forever reign as # 1 for me.  As to “why” – probably because I never won an Olympic Gold Medal.   Frank Shorter once said, in response to the question of which is more valuable or has more significance:  winning the Boston Marathon or the Olympic Marathon – (and I paraphrase here), “Well, the Olympic Gold probably tarnishes more slowly.”  Hard to argue with that.

Biggest disappointment and why?

Similar to the number of “toughest opponents” there were many, and it’s hard to enumerate them.  So here are a few.  Not having my A Game when I came back to Boston in ’77 to defend my title.  Not that I would have beaten Jerome Drayton, though I believe I ‘could’ have, had I been in peak form.  I would at least have given him a good challenge and been a factor in that race.  Mark Nenow – once the American recorder holder for the road 10K once defined being a “factor” in a race as “either winning or being referred to in the post-race press conference by the winner”.  I always liked that.    A big reason I wasn’t in top form was because I decided late I owed it to myself to return to Boston and defend my title.  I was training in Hawaii the preceding winter, after having run the Honolulu Marathon in December. 

In February I flew to Japan for a 30K race and an unexpected invitation afforded me the opportunity to stay  in Japan a few weeks longer than originally planned.  I was still considering running the Rotorua, New Zealand Marathon in April.  That sounded so exotic to me and it was the home race of Jack Foster, who had been favored to win Boston in ’76, given his Masters World Record performance in the ’74 Commonwealth Games Marathon and victory with a course record in the ’75 Honolulu Marathon.

Late as it was in the training season, I realized I owed it to myself to return to Boston, for I may never have another opportunity to be the defending champion in such a major marathon, though I certainly envisioned winning more big races.  Then at Boston, I ran a similar time to my ’76 race but only finished 9th.  Disappointed, I answered with what to me was intended to be a touch of comic relief, the question  of Jerry Nason, the Boston Marathon chronicler from the Boston Globe who coined the name of Heartbreak Hill some forty years earlier –  “what happened Jack – you ran nearly the same time as last year, again on a warm though not super hot day, and yet this year you only got 9th?”.  My retort, “The reason I didn’t win this year is that eight guys ran faster than me.  If they hadn’t been here, I would have won again”.   Think about that – it’s a bit like Paul Newman’s line in the movie,  “Buffalo Bill”, “Remember, the last thing a man wants to do, is the last thing he does”. 

More irony, in Hopkinton at the start of that ’77  Boston was Paul Newman, filming a made-for-TV-movie starring his wife, Joanne Woodward.  Woodward portrayed a high school teacher who was running the Boston Marathon, her first and likely only marathon.  The race has been over for hours, it was pitch dark and the roads had been returned to the cars when she crawls across the finish line on all fours, completely alone, exhausted and dejected.  “See How She Runs” never won an Oscar but I certainly felt an attachment to it. 

I too ran the entire race unidentified.  Having arrived late into Hopkinton for the start of the race – another long story – I ran across town to the high school to retrieve my bib number.  Now, about twenty minutes till the noon time start of the race, they informed me that my bib number and any others in the top 100 had been taken to the starting line.  Reversing course and jogging through the throngs of runners who were still milling about, my friend who’d driven me there and was partly the reason for arriving late kept yelling for everyone to clear the path…how embarrassing that was.  With ten minutes or less to the start, there was the usual controlled chaos and none of the race officials knew where the bib numbers had been placed.  Finally we’re called to the start and Jock Semple tells me not to worry, they’ll find it and give it to me at the first checkpoint.  That never happened, so  just as I’d finished the 1976 race without a bib number (the numbers shriveled up and disappeared in the rainbow of garden hose showers through which we ran).

Feeling obliged to stay close to the lead pack, I was over-extending myself early in the race and eventually had to let them go.  I struggled through the hills but caught a second wind over the final few miles and pulled myself back into the top ten – a moral victory of sorts, given how horrible I felt.  At the check-in table in the finishing chute, I stood there without a bib number so they tried to kick me out.  After some significant debate with the BAA official, a few of the other runners vouched for me.  Reluctantly and skeptically, the BAA official asked, “OK, what was your number supposed to be?”  

Well, if he was already suspicious of me possibly being a cheater, he’s certainly was not going to believe my number was #1.   Hesitantly  I answered and held up my index finger – and just as I expected – “GET HIM OUTTA HERE!”  came the official’s retort.  After a little more debate, finally, someone actually recognized me.

Upon reflecting back on that series of events now, I’m not sure if that ’77 Boston was one of my biggest disappointments or one of my most memorable races?

He really wasn’t sure, because the next day I received the following update.

Biggest disappointment and why? Part Two.

Similar to the number of “toughest opponents,” there were many disappointments along the way.  One of the most salient is developing a tibial stress fracture less than two months prior to the 1979 Boston Marathon. 

I’d run my PR at Boston the year before, then moved to Boston in the winter of ’79 to set up a new training base for myself – in part at the invitation of Bill Rodgers to come up and work for his new company.  I was apartment-sitting for Bill, while he trained in Phoenix and I searched for a new home.  He had a couple of stores and was starting a clothing line and it seemed like that might be an opportunity. Well, I didn’t take a job with Bill’s company and not with any other company.
I did have another good high school friend living nearby then, so had a connection.  And when I found my place in Lincoln (west of Boston and a very bucolic town with livestock, trails, fields, etc. – ideal), I just trained out here all the time.

Foolishly not joining the Greater Boston Club and developing my running with them – likely would have helped. Another regret? 🙂

Having a win and now a fast time under my belt over the previous three Bostons, I felt poised to put those two together and truly contend for another win.  My workout times confirmed I was in the best shape of my life when my tibia cracked – and that was that. 

“She said a bad day’s when she lay in bed and think of things that might have been” – Paul Simon.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Why?

Interesting and perhaps ironic that your next question asks who is my favorite philosopher – because the answer to this question is also a philosophical notion.  Life for nearly everyone appears to be full of seemingly regretful acts – things we’d do differently if we had them to do over.  The seduction of those thoughts is that if we were actually able to reverse the clock and redo some regretful acts, we naturally think our corrective action would make our situation today, after the re-do, better.  It might be better – and it might not be.  All we can be certain of is it would be different. 

For example, how often do we watch a sporting event and lament some single error by our favored team or athlete that appears to lead to a final defeat.  We’re typically certain that had that one incident gone the other way, be it a bad call by the ref or umpire, a slip on the ice or stumble on the track, that the outcome would have then been positive for “our side”.  Again, all we can be sure of it that it would be different, but there’s really no way to know if it would have been a better outcome.

I’m reminded of the nifty story attributed to the recently deceased Baba Ram Dass  (formerly Richard Alpert, Timothy Leary’s lessor known cohort at Harvard in the 1960 where they experimented with psychoactive drugs as a method and mechanism to achieve higher levels of consciousness).

The story addresses specifically your question here about “redos” in life, because whether a redo will lead to a better outcome, “Well, ya never know”.

There once was a farmer who had a horse that ran away.

His neighbor came by and said, “Oh, that’s terrible.”

The farmer said, “Well, you never know.”

The next day the horse came back, and it was leading two other wild horses. The neighbor said, “That’s wonderful.”

And the farmer said, “Well, you never know.”

Later, his son was training one of the wild horses, and while riding the wild horse, he fell off and broke his leg.

The neighbor came by and said, “That’s terrible.”

The farmer said, “Well, you never know.”

The Cossack army came through recruiting everybody, taking away all the able young men. They didn’t take the farmer’s son because he had a broken leg.

The neighbor came by and said, “That’s wonderful.”

And the farmer said, “Well, you never know.”

And so it goes.

So every time I lament some past decision I made, fantasizing about a more appealing “now”, I remind myself of all the good things I do have now in my life, and conclude that I would likely not naive them had I decided differently back whenever.   To be sure, my life might be even better than it currently is, but then again, I most certainly would have been on a different path – perhaps one that would have put me and my bicycle in front of a fast-moving tractor trailer truck.  So, ya never know.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Seneca, and even a little Sheehan – it’s like picking one’s favorite ice cream flavor.  As many philosophers would answer, “it depends.”  Also, for their lyrics, Springsteen, Bono, Dylan, Henley, Lennon and others.   

Two quotes tie for top honors:  “The last thing a man wants to do, is the last thing he does,” from the movie, “Buffalo Bill” –  and “Live each day as though it was your last, for one day you’re sure to be right”  – from the movie, “Breaker Morant.”

Special song of the era?

“Born to Run” – it’s simple and yet…..the message and the energy are as good as it gets, IMO.  Pursuant to your previous question, it’s all relative.

[On second thought.] I don’t know what I was thinking – or perhaps I wasn’t – on your question of favorite song of the era.  Huh, hands down, “Imagine” by Lennon.  What was I thinking?

Favorite comedian?

George Carlin – with a number of close seconds.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  

1976 – 1978

And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

I suspect there’s a bit of a “perfect storm” for all athletes who really hit their stride and approach their true potential at some point of their career.  In ’76 I was 27 (and “in ’69 I was 21” – Jackson Browne), coming off three years of track training with good runners while squeezing in more mileage due to my previous road running mentality of the necessity of high mileage.  Four years in the Coast Guard delayed my college graduation so I was also a 5^th year senior at Georgetown.  NCAA eligibility had expired, I was about to graduate and the marathon was my best chance to extend my competitive racing career.  I kept improving until the season-ending injury in the spring of ’79 I mentioned earlier.  I had some good races and a few bigger wins after that but never got back to where I thought I was capable.

What was your edge?

I just kept showing up.  My version of Henry Ford’s dictum:  “If you believe you can, you might.  If you believe you can’t, you’re right”.

Most mileage in a week?  Why did you do that?

151.   Why?  I didn’t know any better.  I was in the Coast Guard and training with Ken Mizner (he was in the Air Force but had been a member of the Florida Track Club with Shorter, Galloway, Bachelor and Brown).  Ken kept emphasizing the need for higher mileage and sited his teammates as proof that it was essential – so we did it.  Ten of those miles were doing figure-eights on a basketball court during some horrific storm in Seattle.  Success for us back then was largely about surviving your training, so as to get to the next starting line supremely fit, well rested and still healthy – it was a rare mix that did not happen more than it did, for me anyway.

So many runners get injured before they reach their full potential. Your top tier racing career lasted for at least (—) years. What supplemental exercises, if any, did you do to avoid injuries?”

Winning is an attitude.  That’s the would-be title of my yet-to-be-written memoir on which I’ve been working since last century.  That phrase, “winning is an attitude” is my take on the familiar cliché that it’s the journey more than the destination that matters in life.  That the process is more salient then the outcome and that the outcome is actually a byproduct of the process. 

Focusing on and attending to the things over which we have some semblance of control rather than on things over which we have little or no control, in all aspects of life, makes the experience of daily living considerably more palatable.  Ironically, doing so also significantly increases the likelihood of a successful outcome in any pursuit.

Vince Lombardi’s dictum, “Winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing”, was misconstrued.  He quickly clarified his meaning by revising that pithy statement to “Winning isn’t everything, but the WILL TO WIN is”.  That may sound like a subtle difference but it’s vastly different.  The will to win, it can be argued, actually has nothing to do with the outcome of a contest, of who wins and who loses.  The will to win has to do with leaving no stone unturned in one’s preparation and their burning desire to perform to the very best of their ability.  The will to win is the pursuit of excellence – to finish the game or race with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, knowing that you’ve done all you can in that scenario (the training and the contest) to win ‘your’ race or game. 

If completely accomplishing that describes perfection, then coming close is an equally valid definition of victory.  To paraphrase Voltaire, “The perfect is the enemy of the good”.  In achieving excellence, even if not victorious, one does not defeat him/herself.  That’s arguably a healthier, way to view victory.  So regardless of the tangible outcome, a “personal” victory is achieved. 

Timothy Gallwey expounds on this distinction in his renown 1976 classic, “The Inner Game of Tennis”.  Tennis is simply the vehicle he uses to explain the difference between one’s personal inner game and the tangible outer game – so one need not be a tennis player to learn a lot from this book.   He postulates that there’s nothing wrong with competition provided the competitor does not attach their sense of self-worth to the outcome of the game.  But all of us do this sometimes, and some of us do this all the time. 

Gallwey also proposes that when playing the inner game, one’s opponent is considered, in a sense, an ally – whereby each challenges the other – rather than an enemy, whereby defeating them “at all cost” is the sole objective of one’s participation in the game.  (The excessive and obsessive focus solely on the outcome, on the “outer game”, is arguably the root of all cheating – from use of PEDs, to signal steeling in MLB, to against-the-rules videoing and football-deflating in the NFL, to calling a valid tennis shot “out” against one’s opponent in a junior high-school tennis match).

When I won the Boston Marathon in 1976, ironically the same year Gallwey published “The Inner Game” though I was yet to read it, I ran my inner race.  OF course I wanted to win the race outright (after all, I was a competitive athlete and knew I’d contend, having finished 12^th five years earlier in my first Boston and I was considerably faster and vastly more experienced at all distances) but my primary objective was to run an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time of 2:20 or faster.  Realizing that the faster all the other top runners ran, the faster I was likely to run.  As such, I perceived all the other runners in the front pack my allies.  That cognitive shift made all the difference in the world.  I’d never been so relaxed at the starting line of such an important race with so much at stake.  And fortunately I maintained that state of relaxed concentration throughout the entire race.

If I didn’t qualify for the Trials, I figured my racing days were numbered.  I was soon to finally graduate from college at 27 years of age and there was very little money in road racing back then.  So graduate school or a full-time seemed imminent, neither of which held much promise for continuing full-time training and racing. 

This novel mindset I took to the starting line in Hopkinton that year had been developing throughout my final weeks of preparation.  I remember having a premonition in the final week before that race that something big, but ill-defined, was going to happen.  I wrote to a friend that I never felt more prepared, more confident and more relaxed going into a big race.  Then it all unfolded as though it had all be scripted.  I felt so good and relaxed through the entire race that I stopped at the finish line simply because the race was over.  I felt like I could have simply kept running.

Here’s a rhetorical question:  Is every runner in a race, other than the first one across the finish line, a “loser”?  In mass-participation races, only a small percentage of runners harbor visions of being the first across the finish line.  The vast majority of participants are challenging themselves – their own perceived limitations – their personal demons of doubt and fear.  The clock is the final arbiter of their efforts rather than how they stack up against the other runners.

Success and victory are not the same.  One can be successful without being victorious.  Most of the best golfers in the world rarely win a PGA or LPGA tournament and winning two events in a single year of playing thirty or more tournaments is extremely rare.  Yet nobody would argue that an LPGA or PGA card-carrying player was not highly successful given what it took to simply earn his or her card.   

Conversely, one can be victorious without feeling successful.  If an athlete’s more salient goal is to achieve that state of excellence described above, she/he needs only to not defeat her/himself.  That’s Gallwey’s inner game.  To win the outer game, one needs only to perform less poorly than his/her opponent(s).

Josh Beckett, the all-star starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox from 2006 – 2012 was seven innings into a no-hitter in his first home game at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park when he finally gave up a single.  The Red Sox still handily won the game and in the post-game interview, Beckett was asked what he was thinking once the possibility of a no-hitter loomed.  “We’re you thinking about the no-hitter and all that would mean for your pitching career?”.

“No” was his reply, which exemplifies what I’m getting at here.  He elaborated, “Too much focus on the outcome will contaminate your performance”.  Most competition anxiety comes from an excessive focus on the outcome of the game we’re playing or the race we’re running.  The more we focus on the factors over which we have little or no control – like how our opponent will perform, the weather, or simply our doubts and fears, the more likely we are to not achieve our intended goal. We tend to confirm our greatest fears.  Like a golfer hitting the ball into the water our out of bounds.  “I knew I was going to do that” is a common refrain when that happens.  Well, then why did you do it?!?

So, are the limitations in one’s athletic performance more mental or physical?  Yogi Berra answered that question quite simply with his quaint yet profound axiom “90% of this game is mental, the other half is physical”.  

Jack Fultz would’ve been included in Original Gangsters Of Running Volume One. But sometimes, he just doesn’t know where to stop or how to quit.

Something I read by Jeff Lowe just this afternoon comes to mind. What some call barriers, Lowe calls routes, hidden pathways wending to the top. “I used to think aging was a scam,” Lowe said, “a total abdication of your self. Well, aging’s not a scam, but quitting is. It ain’t over ’til the fat lady dies.”

Bests

Rd / Track	Distance	Time	Location	Date
Indoor Track	880 Yd.	1:55 *	Wilmington, DE	January, 1975
Track	3/4 Mile **	2:58.3	Philadelphia, PA	April, 1975
Indoor Track	Mile	4:08	Wilmington, DE	January, 1975
Track	3 Mile	13:34	Philadelphia, PA	April, 1975
Track	6 Mile	28:50	Raliegh, NC	March, 1975
Rd.	10K	29:05	Pittsburgh, PA	March, 1978
Rd.	15K	45:14	Jacksonville, FL	March, 1978
Rd.	10 Mile	48:29	Borgholzhausen, Ger.	June, 1978
Rd.	Half Marathon	1:05:23	Dayton, OH	October, 1978
Rd.	Marathon	2:11:17	Boston, MA	April, 1978
* in route to 1000 Yd.
** Relay leg of Distance Medley

Performances (Pending Verification. Some Look Good, Some Not So Much.)

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
19 Mar 2000	25	1:20:19		RD	Half Mara	New Bedford MA/USA	New Bedford
16 Aug 1998	92	39:49	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
01 Aug 1998	75	34:59	a	RD	10 km	Cape Elizabeth ME/USA	Beach to Beacon
28 Jun 1998	2	35:57		RD	10 km	Chatham MA/USA	Chatham Harbor Run
07 Mar 1998	75	54:56		RD	15 km	Jacksonville FL/USA	Gate River Run
09 Jun 1996	20	40:23		RD	11.27 km	Litchfield CT/USA	Litchfield Hills
11 Feb 1996	35	1:10:56	a x	RD	Half Mara	Las Vegas NV/USA	Las Vegas
01 Aug 1995	49	56:36		RD	10 mi	Newburyport MA/USA	Yankee Homecoming
21 Apr 1986	354	2:43:41	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
22 Aug 1982	6	30:34		RD	10 km	Allston MA/USA	Channel 2 Arsenal Marketplace
04 Apr 1982	10	30:28		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	Boston Milk Run
13 Dec 1981	17	2:26:35		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
15 Nov 1981	3	31:01		RD	10 km	Washington DC/USA	Run for WETA
01 Nov 1981	1	2:17:05		RD	Marathon	Providence RI/USA	Ocean State
13 Sep 1981	19	2:17:31		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	Nike-OTC
05 Jul 1981	3	29:51		RD	10 km	New York NY/USA	Pepsi Challenge
07 Jun 1981	1	50:30		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Hecht’s
24 May 1981	15	30:24		RD	10 km	Cleveland OH/USA	RevCo
25 Apr 1981	2	31:01		RD	10 km	Franklin PA/USA	Pepsi Cola YMCA
21 Sep 1980	4	1:06:53		RD	Half Mara	Philadelphia PA/USA	Philadelphia
03 Aug 1980	4	1:08:00		RD	Half Mara	Presque Isle ME/USA	Natural Light Spudland
16 Sep 1979	3	1:05:29		RD	Half Mara	Philadelphia PA/USA	Philadelphia Distance Run
26 Aug 1979	11	2:17:29	a	RD	Marathon	Montreal PQ/CAN	Montreal
26 May 1979	11	1:03:37	x	RD	20 km	Wheeling WV/USA	Elby’s Wheeling Distance Run
20 May 1979	12	1:03:34		RD	20 km	Far Hills NJ/USA	The Midland Run
06 May 1979	2	24:58		RD	8 km	McLean VA/USA	Spartan Road Race
04 Feb 1979	81			RD	Half Mara	Coamo PUR	San Blas
12 Nov 1978	11	2:23:07		RD	Marathon	Auckland NZL	Choysa
15 Oct 1978	10	1:05:23		RD	Half Mara	Dayton OH/USA	River Corridor Classic
26 Aug 1978	6	1:05:55		RD	21 km	Watermolen BEL	Heule-Watermolen
25 Jun 1978	8	45:53		RD	15 km	Portland OR/USA	Cascade Run Off
17 Jun 1978	1	48:29	x	RD	10 mi	Borgholzhausen GER	Nacht von Borgholzhausen
04 Jun 1978	2	30:08		RD	10 km	Akron OH/USA	Akron
27 May 1978	2	1:02:50	x	RD	20 km	Wheeling WV/USA	Elby’s First National Bank of Wheeling
17 Apr 1978	4	2:11:18	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
13 Nov 1977	9	2:07:13	x	RD	Marathon	Auckland NZL	Choysa
02 Oct 1977	5	39:46		RD	12.87 km	Boston MA/USA	n/a
18 Apr 1977	9	2:20:44	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
03 Apr 1977	1	1:08:21		RD	Half Mara	Wilmington DE/USA	Caesar Rodney Memorial
12 Dec 1976	3	2:24:05		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
26 Sep 1976	5	56:27		RD	18.5 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank
04 Sep 1976	8?	1:18:18		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Classic
22 May 1976	29	2:28:04		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
19 Apr 1976	1	2:20:19	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
10 Jan 1976	1	2:25:23		RD	Marathon	Bethel NC/USA	North Carolina
16 Apr 1973	23	2:30:55	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
21 Jan 1973	1	1:02:12	x	RD	20 km	Washington DC/USA	John F Kennedy Memorial
10 Dec 1972	2	49:52		OT	10 mi	Silver Spring MD/USA	n/a
12 Nov 1972	1	50:41		RD	10 mi	Reston VA/USA	n/a
17 Sep 1972	1	45:31		RD	12.87 km	Clinton MD/USA	n/a
09 Sep 1972	2	36:40		XC	10.8 km	Washington DC/USA	n/a
03 Sep 1972	1	48:24		RD	15 km	Greenbelt MD/USA	AAU Junior Championships
27 Aug 1972	1	34:29		RD	10 km	Quantico VA/USA	n/a
09 Jul 1972	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
21 May 1972	4	2:26:39		RD	Marathon	Liverpool NY/USA	AAU Championships
07 May 1972	1	1:28:24.8		RD	25 km	Washington DC/USA	n/a
17 Apr 1972	56	2:35:11	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
11 Mar 1972	31			XC	3 km	Tunis TUN	CISM Crosscountry Championships
28 Feb 1972	2	9:16		XC	2 mi	Fort Walton Beach FL/USA	CISM Crosscountry Trials
26 Feb 1972	11	30:42		XC	6 mi	Fort Walton Beach FL/USA	CISM Crosscountry Trials
30 Jan 1972	1	1:08:20		RD	Half Mara	Glenn Dale MD/USA	n/a
22 Jan 1972	2	1:03:48	x	RD	20 km	Washington DC/USA	John F Kennedy Memorial
09 Jan 1972	1	1:24:50.8		RD	25 km	Washington DC/USA	n/a
19 Dec 1971	1	19:34		OT	4 mi	Washington DC/USA	n/a
12 Dec 1971	2	51:34		OT	10 mi	Silver Spring MD/USA	n/a
19 Apr 1971	12	2:27:12	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
28 Mar 1971	7	1:40:39		RD	30 km	Rockville MD/USA	AAU Championships
14 Feb 1971	1	2:29:58.4		RD	Marathon	Beltsville MD/USA	Washington’s Birthday
07 Feb 1971	1	1:10:18		RD	Half Mara	Glen Dale MD/USA	n/a
31 Oct 1970	3	26:53		XC	8.2 km	College Park MD/USA	n/a

http://bostonmarathonpodcast.libsyn.com/jack-fultz-and-one-hot-day-0March 5, 2020

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OGORs (Tom Fleming)

He was an Original Gangster Of Running. I was a couple inches taller, a few years older, ten pounds heavier and a minute per mile slower, maybe two. Tom had bigger legs. I was a fan. We were in a couple races together, albeit really socially distant. Figure I’m six miles back at Boston.

But enough about me. I have appropriated the intellectual and heartfelt property of Bobby Hodge, Gary Cohen, Jeff Benjamin, Roger Robinson and Toni Reavis et al. to produce this honorific collage. Estimable reporters all, thank you.

I did not know Tom Fleming, but I miss him. – JDW

“Somewhere in the world, someone is training when you’re not. When you race him, he’ll win. ” – Tom Fleming

Bob Hodge told LetsRun about the man in 2004.

Hyper-consistent Tom Fleming is proof that good road racers come in all shapes and sizes. Led the 1979 Boston race through 15 miles, setting a torrid pace, yet still hung on for a near-PR 2:12:56.

TOM FLEMING: Bloomfield, New Jersey. 6’0″, 154. Born July 23, 1951 at Long Branch, New Jersey. Running store owner working 40 hours per week. Married. Tom started competing and road racing at age 17. He plans to continue competitive road racing for many years to come. His favorite distance is 30k and he doesn’t have a coach.

BEST MARKS: 1500m, 3:51.6, 2-mile, 8:41.6; 3 mile, 13:41.4; Road: 15k, 45:48; 20k, 1:00:55; 25k, 1:17:22; 30k, 1:30:58; marathon, 2:12:05(75).

TRAINING: Tom’s longest training run was 35 miles; he prefers to race every two weeks. He has been doing the following routine for six years.

Mon–AM, 10 miles at 7:00 pace. PM, 10 miles @ 6:00 pace.
Tues– AM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace. PM, 14 miles @ 6:00 pace.
Wed– AM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace. PM, 10 miles hard fartlek.
Thurs– AM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace. PM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace.
Fri– AM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace. PM, 14 miles @ 6:00 pace.
Sat– AM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace. PM, 10 miles @ 7:00 pace.
Sun– long run 21-23 miles or race.

Tom’s training is… “always the same; some people can’t believe how boring the whole routine is, but I have had success so I will keep it the same.

“Right now,” he continued, talking about back in the day, “my main motivation for running is: 1. I want to be the best marathon runner I possibly can be and 2. I like all the great trips I get around the world for nothing–all I have to do is run, and I really love to run.”

And Tom himself some years later told Gary Cohen a whole bunch of good stuff. On the phone for over two hours and he was not a slow talker.

“I was a newspaper boy in New Jersey and in 1964 out of 104 local newspapers I was named the ‘newspaper boy of the year.’ I was delivering over 1,000 papers per week and making about $105 which was a lot of money back then. As a reward for being ‘newspaper boy of the year,’ Governor Hughes of New Jersey picked me up in Bloomfield with his helicopter; we flew to the World’s Fair in New York City and I got a free pass to go on all of the rides.”

http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Fleming.aspx

GCR: Often an athlete has ‘defining moments’ such as winning an Olympic medal or Super Bowl title that affects his life and forever shapes how others view and relate to him. After more than 35 years since you won the 1973 and 1975 New York City Marathon and were runner up in the 1973 and 1974 Boston Marathon, which of those days was a ‘defining moment’ for you? TF: As I get older it becomes easier to realize the big picture and how those days made a difference in my life. The day that really changed my life was in 1973 when I placed second at the Boston Marathon while I was a senior at William Patterson State College. I don’t think anyone thought I would place that high, but I was training harder than anyone imagined.
GCR: How your confidence and what was was your training like leading up to the 1973 Boston Marathon? TF: I was running 140 miles per week which didn’t put me in position to win NCAA titles. I was a four-time All-American, but didn’t win a championship race. The Boston Marathon was the ‘Granddaddy of all Marathons’ and drew me to it. I wanted to race marathons as I was better as the distance got longer. Going into that race I had a Saturday dual meet and ran a 4:16 mile and 13:50 3-mile double on a cinder track. The day before the marathon I told my dad, ‘Tomorrow I’m going to win the Boston Marathon.’ My dad looked at me like I was out of my mind! But I had been training all winter with Olavi Suomalainen who had won in 1972 after I met him in Puerto Rico when I ran the San Blas race. That day had a huge impact on me because I e from that day onward that I would win it one day, though I ended up being wrong.
GCR:When you won your first New York City Marathon in 1973 what was your race strategy, how did the race develop and what was the feeling to win what was growing into a respected large big-city marathon? TF: I decided to run the New York City Marathon that year because I only lived 12 miles away. I figured that I should win as I usually won all of the races in Central Park and had a period of about two and a half years where I never lost a race at any distance in the park. It was right ‘in my back yard’ and I raced in Central Park almost every weekend. Coming in second place in Boston made me believe that I could be good. It validated that if I worked hard that good things would happen so I kept working hard. My mom and sister rented bikes and rode along while I was running the 1973 New York City Marathon. They were glad I was running so they could get some exercise. There were skate boarders, bikes and all sorts of people using the park. As I was coming toward the finish a policeman pulled alongside my mother and said, ‘Please lady, move away.’ My mom responded, ‘Hey, that’s my son!’ It was a fun time and gave me a great foundation to grow as a runner. I made a comment once that was taken out-of-context when I said years later, ‘If I knew the New York City Marathon was going to be such a big thing I would have won it five times’ as I didn’t race it every year. I like the New York City Marathon but the Boston Marathon is my love even to this day. I would give up my two New York Gold medals for one Boston Gold.
GCR: In the 1970s there were often prizes such as bikes or small kitchen appliances awarded to runners since prize money wasn’t allowed. Didn’t you win an around the world plane ticket from Olympic Airways as 1973 NYC Marathon Champion? TF: That is true and is an interesting story. In 1973 Olympic Airways was the race sponsor and offered that prize to the winner, though I didn’t know about it until after the race. I did know the winner got a big three foot tall trophy which has since been broken though I did keep the label that says ‘New York City Marathon Champion.’ At the awards ceremony they put a laurel wreath on my head and Mayor John Lindsay gave me my trophy. Then this woman gave me what looked like a check, but it was an Olympic Airways ticket. The woman happened to be Nancy Tuckerman, who had been President Kennedy’s secretary at the White House. The connection was that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ husband, Aristotle Onassis, owned Olympic Airways. My ticket said I could go around the world either from east to west or from west to east and that I could stop anywhere I wished. That’s how I got to Europe and competed in European track meets. I travelled with Marty Liquori and Dick Buerkle and had my first European running and racing tour. I was no track star but held my own as I travelled around the world.
GCR:In 1975 when you won your second NYC Marathon title were you the pre-race favorite, did anyone stay with your pace or did you run solo most of the way? TF: It was a very hot that year on race day – around 75 or 80 degrees and I was out in front early. So I ran it like a hard tempo run. My time that year of 2:19:27 was very respectable for a solo effort and six minute margin of victory on the Central Park rolling hills on a hot day.
GCR: How different was the 1976 edition of the NYC Marathon when it left the four-lap setup in Central Park to race in all five boroughs, what was your race plan and how did that race develop? TF: I liked the new race course and thought it was great that more spectators could see our sport as we had a cool sport that many hadn’t been exposed to. We ran along the East River and the course was very hard that year so Bill Rodgers’ 2:10:09 was a phenomenal time. I was with the lead pack until about 14 miles. Then Bill put in a strong move on a bridge and left everyone. The race was over by 16 miles and the leaders were now in one long line. I ran as well as I could and placed sixth in 2:16:52. Even today in New York the leaders use Bill’s strategy and, if he was at his racing best now, he’d go right with them.
GCR: In 1970 when you were a college sophomore at William Paterson University you finished second in the first NYC Marathon on a hot 80-degree day. How did you decide to run in the race and were you with the leaders most of the race? TF: My first marathon was at Boston that spring and I finished around 2:37 in 63rd place. Then I ran a marathon out in Pullman, Washington as I was selected to run at the Olympic Training Center. The New York City Marathon in 1970 was my third marathon and I ran because it was ‘in my backyard.’ I thought I won the race as I didn’t know that Gary Muhrcke was ahead of me. I was a bit upset as I thought I was winning – but there was no finish tape stretched as if I was the winner.
GCR: It was and always has been uncommon for college runners to serious race the marathon. How did you end up doing this unusual distance racing? TF: I had started running toward the end of my junior year in high school so I only developed so much as a prep. If I had been very fast and got a college scholarship I never could have done what I did as no coach would have let me run marathons. It was a blessing that I was at a small school without excessive academic or athletic pressure and I was able to do what I wanted to do.
GCR: Switching gears up the road to Boston, you were twice the bridesmaid in 1973 and 1974 in the Boston Marathon. Relate how each of those races developed and ‘critical points’ that were the difference between winning and placing second. TF: In 1973 I ran from well behind. My plan at Boston was always to finish fast and I kind of miscalculated that year. Jon Anderson got away from me and I never caught him. In 1974 I definitely screwed up when Neil Cusack made a smart move early. I was very strong at the end, but needed a couple more miles to catch him as I let him get to far out in the lead. The critical point was in not staying closer when he picked up the pace.
GCR: You ran your personal best marathon at the Boston Marathon in 1975, finishing third in 2:12:05. What are your recollections of that day which ended up being the first of Bill Rodgers four wins in Boston? TF: Bill was having the race of his life and no one was going to beat him that day. I was in second place late in the race and didn’t offer any resistance when Steve Hoag went by me as I just couldn’t take coming in second three years in a row.
GCR: A final question about the Boston Marathon – in 1979 you pushed the pace and had at least a 100 yard lead before the halfway point until Garry Bjorklund caught you about 14 miles. You ended up a strong fourth place in 2:12:56. Was this your time to just ‘go for it’ and see if anyone could beat you? TF: Looking back, I think that was the right strategy for me if I was going to win the Boston Marathon, though maybe the wrong year. In 1973 or 1974 it may have worked, but the field in 1979 was very, very tough. There were some great runners and Rodgers, Seko and Bjorklund ran very fast.
GCR: You came close to making the 1976 Olympic team in the marathon when you finished fifth at the Olympic Trials in Eugene. With Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers as favorites to make the team, what was your strategy before the race to contend for the final spot? Is there anything you could have done differently to possibly challenge third and fourth place finishers, Don Kardong and Tony Sandoval? TF: I didn’t have a particular strategy except knowing it would take a very good day to make the team. It was warm but the pace felt easy. I had an average race, but you can’t have an average race and expect to make the Olympic team. I was in contention for much of the Trials race, but after about 22 miles I faded. You have to be on top of your game if you are fighting with the best runners for an Olympic spot and I wasn’t. Sometimes it is just timing and I missed peaking at the right time. The shame was that two months later when the Olympics were held I was probably in the best shape of my life.
GCR: You finished fourth at Fukuoka, Japan in 1977 which was at the time the unofficial World Marathon Championship. How was it racing internationally and racing so well on the world stage? TF: At that time the two biggest non-Olympic marathons were at Boston and Fukuoka. I enjoyed racing in Japan and always raced well there. The Japanese seemed to like me as I was a big runner at six feet one inch and with my long hair and beard I stood out. Fukuoka was a great course and a fun place to run.
GCR: You posted victories at the 1978 Cleveland Marathon, 1978 Toronto Marathon and 1981 Los Angeles Marathon. Is there anything that stands out from these marathons regarding your competition, the courses or other memories? TF: In Cleveland I was looking for some redemption as I hadn’t raced well at Boston. Chuck Smead was my top competition though I was able to get away fairly early. The course was beautiful along the lake. One surprising memory was when the lead motorcycle policeman led me off course about a half mile from the finish. When I realized I was off course the feeling that went through me was not good. But I retraced my steps, lost about 30 seconds but still won. The Los Angeles Marathon course was the hardest course I ever ran as it started at the Hollywood Bowl and went through Pacific Palisades. That day I probably could have run 2:11, but I just cruised. Kenny Moore was covering the race for Sports Illustrated and told me it didn’t even look like I was running hard. The race winner got $25,000, but my deal when I agreed to race there was that I would get an extra $25,000 if I was the winner. Believe me – $50,000 was a lot of money in those days. I was in great shape as Bill Rodgers and I had a good winter of training in Phoenix. I wanted our sport to go completely over-the-table with prize money and that is where Bill and I disagreed. I understand his viewpoint as he was getting under-the-table appearance fees. But he also understood my point of view. In Toronto I raced my old rival, Jerome Drayton, who had won at both Boston and Fukuoka, and he took off early. The father of Scotsman Paul Bannen, who ran for Memphis, stepped out with his heavy Scottish brogue with about two miles to go and shouted ‘Tommy, he is right ahead of you and he’s dying!’ I couldn’t see him until about a quarter of a mile to go and caught him with 200 yards left. That taught me to never give up in a marathon as you never know what could happen to those in front of you. My advice to others is to always run through to the finish line.
GCR: Did you have any other races where you surprised yourself with your performance? TF: Not as much in the marathon as in two track races in Europe. When my 5,000 meter personal best was 14:11, I came through a 10,000 meter track race in Europe in 14:10 which was a bit frightening. That is an amazing thing about track racing in Europe – when you step on European soil and get in front of those crazy crowds something magical can happen. I only won one track race in Europe which was on a 92 degree day in Finland. I’m convinced that the only reason I won is because I had been training in the summer heat and was the only entrant who was used to such high temperatures. But on a given day anything can happen – you never know.
GCR: How special is it to be the three-time winner of the Jersey Shore Marathon since you are a ‘Jersey boy’? TF: I was born in Long Branch, New Jersey so I ran the Jersey Shore Marathon as it was in my father’s old neighborhood. I basically used them as training runs. But those three years it was fun having some of my dad’s old friends out there cheering for me. The last year I received the beautiful Johnny Hayes Memorial Trophy from Johnny Hayes’ daughter. That was very special as Hayes was the Olympic Marathon Champion in 1908.
GCR: At one time, you held American records in the 15-mile, 20-mile, 25K and 30K distance events. Do you feel that these intermediate distances may have been your strong suit when compared to the marathon? TF: Probably my best distance was 30 kilometers. I remember one time when Bill Rodgers and I ran a scorching fast 30k on a point-to-point course from Schenectady to New York. Most of my American Records were no longer valid after new standards were implemented regarding point-to-point versus loop courses and elevation changes. It was fun to aim for those records as many of the races were set up for that purpose. My 20k, 15-mile and 25k records were set on the track so I was running many laps around the oval. If you want to see some bloody feet – run 40 or 50 laps around a track in spikes and you’ll find that your feet will be absolutely shredded. We had a plan which was basically to run five minute mile pace and to see how many 75 second laps I could do. You’re going to win lots of races on the road and track if you can run 5:00 pace per mile. It was a tough day as it was hot and I was taking fluids every two laps – I ended up sick afterward.
GCR:When road racing was growing in the 1970s didn’t you have a bit of a duel with Jeff Galloway at the Charleston Distance Run 15-miler? And what is the story of your lengthy conversation with Jesse Owens at the pre-race dinner? TF: Jeff Galloway beat me at the first Charleston Distance Run, but the highlight of that race has nothing to do with the events that occurred while we were racing. The night before at the pre-race dinner I was invited to the home of Race Director, Dr. Cohen, and I sat next to Jesse Owens for two and a half hours. Sitting next to a legend for that amount of time was unbelievable as were the stories he told. After he won his fourth Gold Medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin the films show Adolph Hitler not shaking his hand. Jesse told me the real story of what happened is that, after he won his fourth Gold Medal, when they were in the bowels of the stadium, Hitler did shake his hand, but he did it where no one could see it. Then Hitler told Jesse, ‘You are the greatest athlete I have ever seen.’ Jesse Owens was a really nice guy and for a runner it was almost like having God sit next to me.
GCR: Other top races at intermediate distances in the 1970s included the Wheeling, West Virginia 20k and the Peace Race in Youngstown, Ohio. What are some top memories from those two races? TF: I still go back to Wheeling, West Virginia every Memorial Day weekend and am the Master of Ceremonies for the 20k even though it’s been over 30 years since I first ran the race in 1977. I never won it, but was in the top five finishers several times. I was never in top form because I was usually recovering from the Boston Marathon but it is a race I have a lot of love and affection for. The Peace Race at that time was a long race of 30 kilometers. One year I remember it was the U.S. 30k Championship and John Vitale, Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and I were among the ‘stud field’ there to contend for the win. Bill, Frank and I were hammering and just killed each other for about 14 miles and then John Vitale put in a surge, went into the lead and beat us all! There was great road racing at the time and you never knew if you would win or lose as the competition was tough.
GCR: Is there one race that tops all others where you duked it out with a top foe and won? TF: The Diet Pepsi Series 10k in New York in Purchase, New York was a good duel between Bill Rodgers and me. Bill had a contract with Pepsi to run all of the races in their series and was kind enough to get me invited due to his connections. The final race was in Purchase where the corporate headquarters was located. Bill and I got into a real tangle in that race where neither one of us could pull away and it came down to a 50 meter sprint at the end. I think the race officials gave me the nod because my nose was bigger – but it was an incredible race and finish. To this day Bill is still mad at me for winning that race! The interesting thing is that this race and others where we competed fiercely weren’t always ‘big deal’ races and there was nothing at stake except our drive to win. So when we felt good we just went for it and often ran sub-29 minute 10k races in the heat of summer. As I mentioned earlier, there were so many good runners that at any race if you didn’t have a good day there was someone there who could beat you.
GCR: Stretching the race distance out a bit, in 1982 you set an American Record for 50k at 2:52:30 in winning at Cedar Grove, NJ. How tough was it racing beyond the marathon distance? TF: It was a setup race that Hugh Sweeney did for me around a reservoir where I had run for years. He measured a loop, got it certified and I started doing 2.27 mile loops around the reservoir. We knew that a 2:22 marathon pace would be on the way to breaking the American Record for 50k so that is what I ran. It was actually pretty easy to break the record as I could have run quite a bit faster. I didn’t want to really push myself – I just wanted to aim for the record and see how it went. My fastest mile was the last mile in 5:01 so that told me I could have run faster. I did the race because it was close to home and was a good training run.
GCR: Did you think much about training for and racing more ultra marathons? TF: Afterward I had no desire to run any more ultra marathons as I didn’t like them. My personality is that I wanted to be a miler, but I wasn’t fast enough so I stretched it out more and more to the marathon – but that was far enough. I have spoken with Bill Rodgers recently and now that we are old and decrepit we regret that we didn’t do the Western States 100-Miler as we both wish we had earned a finisher’s belt buckle.
GCR: In college you placed in the top 30 of the NCAA College Division Cross Country Championships twice with a 29th place 25:32 your junior year in 1971 and a 12th place 25:05 on the Wheaton College Course the following fall. What stands out from these national championship races? TF: The fields were loaded back then with many good runners in the college division and it was hard to place high in the championships. You can imagine how tough the field was when I didn’t even place in the top ten in 1972 and I finished second in the Boston Marathon five months later.
GCR: You are the only cross country runner in New Jersey Athletic Conference history to be a 4-time Cross Country individual champion. Were there any tough competitors in the NJAC or close finishes? Did you have any secret to your success on that course? TF: The first two years there was more competition than in my senior and junior years. The meet was held on a tough course in an area about ten miles from my house and there was a big, long hill toward the end. It suited me well and if you were aggressive early you could really hurt your competitors. I was nervous my senior year when I was going for my fourth title since no one had ever done that. I remember talking to a friend who was there as a spectator and saying, ‘Meet me at the mile marker because I’m going out fast.’ I ran a 4:26 first mile and had a lead of 50 or 100 meters as nobody else was going to run that fast. It is a great course that they still use today. I felt good about winning four straight years and am sort of surprised no one else has matched me. But runners are different today – I didn’t think much about whether I was running cross country, on the track or on the roads. I thought of just being a runner and my training didn’t change much. I was always trying to build a bigger base, do tempo running and incorporate more speed. I was fortunate to have a body that never broke. I never missed days due to being sick or injured.
GCR: What was the main impact on you of Dean Shotts, your coach at William Paterson State College? TF: Coach Shotts started coaching during my second year and was happy to do some travelling when I qualified for big meets. When I made my first U.S. team and earned my first U.S. uniform he went along with me to San Juan, Puerto Rico where I won that marathon. His best contribution to my time in college is that we had a fun time and a loose group.
GCR: When you started in college was the 1968 NJAC Cross Country champ, Tom Greenbowe, from your college still there to run with your freshman year? Did any other teammates help you as you transitioned from high school to college? TF: When I started running as a freshman I was the top runner on the team as I had got my times down to around a 4:16 mile and 9:10 2-mile over the summer. That was from years of soccer and only about 18 months of running. I liked the individual aspect of running where I did the work and I reaped the rewards and credit. Tom was there, was a nice guy and is a doctor now. Another runner, Dave Swan, is unique in my life as Dave took me to my first road race which was a 20k in Binghamton, New York in August of 1969 between high school and college. Somehow I won the race though I was dehydrated and dizzy afterward. The drive home took seven hours as we were in the biggest traffic jam in the world – the traffic jam after the Woodstock Music Festival on the New York Turnpike and it took that long to get from Binghamton back to Bloomfield, New Jersey. Now I regret that I didn’t go to Woodstock – but I was an athlete. You wouldn’t believe how much marijuana smoke was in the air and just by driving along with all of these pot-smoking young people I must have inhaled about 12 joints just from second hand smoke! That was the longest day of my life.
GCR:Are there any other races that stand out from your collegiate track seasons for fast times or tough competition? TF: My freshman year I broke 9:00 for the 2-mile for the first time indoors and the runner who was ahead and, in effect was a rabbit for me, was John McDonnell who became such a successful coach at the University of Arkansas. John ran 8:58 and I ran 8:59 on an old wooden track at Lawrenceville Prep that was ten laps to the mile. Another standout memory was the weekend at the NCAA track championships where I placed in the top four in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Thursday I ran the 5,000 meter trials, Friday the 10,000 meter final and Saturday the 5,000 meter final. That’s a tough triple racing twelve and a half miles on the track in spikes when just six weeks earlier I had placed second at the Boston Marathon. During introductions all runners receive a good hand and when they announced I had placed second in the Boston Marathon I could tell amidst the cheering that there was an undercurrent of incredulousness in the stands.
GCR: Though you consider yourself to be best at long distance racing, did you enjoy the collegiate track and field atmosphere? TF: I liked my school and teammates and I ran all kinds of races in dual meets. I was competitive in the mile, would get crushed in the half mile and usually win the three-mile. We had six or seven dual meets and I was focused on helping our team win as I enjoyed the feeling of belonging to a group. It was a good feeling that my buddies needed me to race well just as I needed the jumpers and hurdlers to do well. I take this same mentality to the runners on the high school team I coach and let them know that whatever their event is it is their job to do it well. Looking back it seems silly that I ran the half mile, but maybe it was smart. Maybe what we’re missing today is that we need some more variety. Maybe high school kids should run the 800 meters, mile, two-mile and longer road races. If the distance kids get crushed in the 800 meters it still can help them with their leg turnover.
GCR: In high school you made the move from team sports such as baseball, football, soccer and basketball to distance running. What was the appeal about running, what events did you race and did you show a talent fairly quickly? TF: My high school coach, Paul Williams, was an excellent coach and he is still the president of the county coaches association. Paul knew then what I know now – that it is all about desire and hard work. I liked in track how my personal success depended on what I did – if I worked hard I would reap the rewards, which sometime doesn’t happen in team sports. We had a great track team and won the state championship my senior year. Many of my teammates went to big schools. I was one of the few that went to a smaller college as I don’t think most colleges even knew I was graduating since it was just my second track season. I knew I could run fast and by running more and more I got better quickly. I ran a 4:21 mile and 9:22 2-mile in high school and placed second in the State Group Four 2-mile. What I also like about the sport of running is that you don’t have to go to a big time school to be a big time runner.
GCR: How did the events of the late 1960s such as the Vietnam War shape you during your formative teenage years? TF: I was obviously aware of what was going on with the Vietnam War and didn’t want to go there. I knew that if you were a good student and athlete it could help you to keep out of the war so that was my thought process for four or five years. I had a student deferment and focused on being a good student and athlete. I had compassion for the veterans who served but I didn’t want to be one. My focus was to be the best runner that I could be.
GCR: What was your training mileage in high school, college and beyond? TF: When I first started out in high school I was running 50 to 60 miles a week. After I graduated from high school I ran from 75 to 86 miles a week that summer. I was already getting good results from that level of mileage as I ran a 2:30 marathon. I knew that I had built up endurance over the years from playing soccer but needed more miles to continue building my distance base. I kept steadily increasing my mileage during college so that by the time I graduated I was up to 130 to 140 miles a week. I think the high mileage and avoiding injuries were the keys to my success.
GCR: Did you ever do any extremely high mileage weeks just to ‘test the waters?’ TF: My biggest training weeks ever were two 200-mile weeks that Bill Rodgers and I did together – one week at his place and one week at my place. We either did two 15-mile runs or three 10-mile runs each day. Both times it was disastrous as it was way too much running and whether we did two 15-milers or three 10-milers it didn’t work. All we were doing was eating, sleeping and running and we both agreed it was too much. I found that my best high mileage weeks were around 160 miles. I would run 150 to 160 miles a week for about five weeks when I was getting ready for the Boston Marathon. It felt pretty easy, but 200 miles a week was insane. There just wasn’t enough time to recover and we couldn’t eat enough food to nourish our bodies.
GCR: How far did you typically go on your long runs? TF: Most of my longest runs were 22 to 23 miles. If I wanted to get in 30 miles or more in a day, I would run 22 to 23 miles in the morning and another eight or ten miles in the afternoon.
GCR: Speaking of running a second workout after a long run, I have heard that you would occasionally run a 20-miler in the morning and then mile repeats in the afternoon to see if you were in really good shape. Is there truth to this? TF: I probably only did this two or three times in my career, but that is what many people seem to remember. Now as a coach I look at a day like that and realize it is a mixing of different training elements of an endurance run and then tempo which we shouldn’t do. My philosophy is to build volume to allow a runner to be faster on the track, but you need to be careful when doing both simultaneously as it can be a dangerous combination that leads to injury.
GCR: What type of pacing did you incorporate on your distance runs with conflicting thoughts from some who suggested long slow distance, long fast distance or long variable distance? TF: I ran how I felt on a particular day. If I felt good I might run a 20-miler in an hour and fifty minutes which is 5:30 pace per mile. If I was tired it could take two hours and ten minutes which was a full minute per mile slower. I think that was my secret – I listened to my body. If I felt good I cranked up the pace, but if I didn’t I slowed down while still running the miles. I realized that every run cannot be a high performance run as it just isn’t humanly possible. In some way this thought process helped me as I always got the miles in even if I had to slow down. But when I was winning marathons it was rare for me to run over six minutes per mile.
GCR: Through the years, based on whether you were training for cross country, track or marathon racing, what were some of your favorite track workouts and road sessions? What are your thoughts about the concepts of ‘variety’ and ‘peaking’ in training? TF: I always like ten times 1,000 meters at a little faster than marathon pace. I found it was strenuous, but not hard. I liked doing five times a mile in 4:45. When Billy Squires was helping with some suggestions, I liked one where we would pick it up to 5:00 pace for two or three miles in the middle of a longer run. There was one ’10-mile’course we used that was actually 9.7 miles and I ran a 3-mile stretch as fast as 13:50 during a run. Years later Joe Lemay, who I coached, found out what I had done and he took off to break it. His first mile was 4:30 and I thought, ‘Oh, oh – he wants it.’ He ended up running a 13:40 and two weeks later he won the Jacksonville River Run 15k. It’s a different type of training and is hard. I tell high school kids now, ‘Whatever workout you don’t like is probably the one you need.’ I also believe you need to train at a variety of speeds over a variety of distances. The more you do that the better off you are. Runners also need to realize that they don’t have to do some speed, tempo and a long run every week. Sometimes they just need to jog for a couple of weeks and do no tempo runs or pickups. I always tried to peak twice for fall cross country and for the Boston Marathon. I didn’t aim to peak at New York as it was too early in the fall back when it was in September or October. Peaking in the spring for the Boston Marathon was ideal after a strong fall and winter of training.
GCR: You are known for saying, ‘Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.’ Was this a driving force behind your disciplined training philosophy? TF: You have that quote exactly right as it has been framed and I’m looking at it on the wall right now. The original thought was what I said before my first Boston Marathon. I believed it then and I still believe it today. I don’t care how good you are as someone is always out there. I felt that there was always someone breathing down my neck that wanted to beat me so, God willing, I would be out there training every single day.
GCR: This thought process extended to many of us in the 1970s. I remember my senior year in high school running ten repeats of 440 yards on Christmas morning before the day’s festivities and thinking that no one trained harder than me that day. Is this similar to how you thought? TF: Yes, it was and I had you beat as one Christmas I ran 14 miles in the morning and 14 miles in the afternoon for the same reason! You would have made it with my group – you would have been fine!
GCR: How important is the mental part of training and racing and developing the ability to endure increasing levels of discomfort? TF: It is huge. I never used a sports psychologist, but I was doing race visualization as I thought I had to be mentally tough to race well. I did wonder if it was the training that made me tough in the head or the toughness in my head that let me do the training. I believe you have to have both. Runners also cannot have a fear of losing as we all lose races. As a young kid I always felt I had to go for it. When I played soccer and there was a corner kick I knew that if I wanted to score a goal I had to get my head on the soccer ball. I took that same mentality to running. I believe that on a given day if everyone has been running 140-mile weeks and other elements of training that anyone can win. So I thought, ‘Why can’t it be me.’ Too many teenagers I coach today think they might lose and I tell them, ‘You might lose, but this is what your planned pace is and let’s give it your best shot because you might win.’ Today we have the availability of sports psychologists, but all people have to do is to believe in themselves. If you have good talent and believe in yourself you will go very far.
GCR:What have been the positive effects of the discipline and tenacity learned from running on other aspects of your life? TF: It is a big factor in my success in other areas. Do I think I can do anything? No. But I believe I can give 100% at anything and then I can look in the mirror and know that it is the best that I can do. If someone gives 100% in the business world they will probably be a millionaire. When I had my running store business I liked to hire runners who were training hard as I knew that if someone was running 20 miles a day and coming to work that he was mentally tough.
GCR: Did you have a chance in the late 1970s to train much with members of the Greater Boston Track Club or other top distance runners? TF: Bill Rodgers and I trained together a lot with us spending two weeks at my house or two weeks at his house. In the springtime I would spend more time in New England training for Boston. Bill and I also spent some time in the winters training in Phoenix.
GCR: With the luxury of hindsight, is there anything you could have done differently in training and racing focus that may have resulted in better performances? TF: I am okay with how I did and will take my record. I ran 27 marathons under 2:20 and I’m happy with that. But did I make mistakes? Absolutely. There were times I over trained. Maybe I could have used a coach especially to get me to take some time off when I may have needed it. When I worked with Billy Squires for two years he gave me a bit more ‘purpose’ to certain days training with tempo running and recovery days, so if I did it over again there are a few things I would change in my training. When I look back at my personal best times on the track, they were all set in Europe when I focused on fast track racing. It may have helped my road racing and marathon performances if I had concentrated periodically more on track racing. My best 10k was only 28:42 and it may have helped my marathon racing if I would have concentrated a bit more on decreasing my times in the intermediate distances. But overall it was a good running career.
GCR: Who were some of your favorite competitors and adversaries? TF: My greatest adversary was my friend, Bill Rodgers, who in my opinion was one of history’s greatest marathoners and was born to run. Another adversary whom I really admired was England’s Ron Hill who won the 1970 Boston Marathon. He is a real character and God threw away the mold when he made Ron. He was ahead of his time in the way he thought and was a pioneer in many ways. The reason I wore a mesh shirt is because he wore a mesh shirt. He was the first runner and I was the first American to do so as we tried to find ways to stay cooler while running. He wasn’t as much my competitor as a running God who helped me and was very nice to me on my way up. When I finished a few places ahead of him one year at the Boston marathon he was one of the first runners to congratulate me. Frank Shorter was a great competitor and with two Olympic medals it doesn’t get much better than that.
GCR: There is a story about you meeting and being inspired by Horace Ashenfelter, 1952 Olympic 3,000 Meter Gold medalist. How did that transpire? TF: He lived in the next town down the road from me when I was a senior in high school. The way I first heard about his achievement was when I ran against a boy from Glen Ridge High School named Tommy Ashenfelter and some kids said his dad had won an Olympic Gold Medal. So I said, ‘Tommy, does your dad really have a Gold Medal?’ He said, ‘Yes, he was the 1952 Olympic steeplechase champion.’ I told him I’d love to see the Gold Medal so I rode on my bike to his house which was only about two miles away. I rang the door bell and Mrs. Ashenfelter came out and showed me the Gold Medal. Horace wasn’t there as he was working, so I met him later. I am still friends with Tommy and tell him that he never knew the impact that had on me as I’d never seen any Olympic Medal, much less a Gold one. I saw Horace last Thanksgiving at the Ashenfelter 8k Thanksgiving race and still see him a few times each year.
GCR: You currently coach at Montclair Kimberley Academy and founded the Running Room, which has since closed, in Bloomfield, New Jersey. What are some of the highlights of your coaching? TF: It has been great coaching as I have the kids I coach run on the same loops I trained on and they can’t believe I always know where they are. It’s a great advantage for me to coach as we have a brand new training facility at Montclair and nice areas to train. When my Running Room teams won the national championships is was awesome as they were all New Jersey or Pennsylvania girls. It was a fun time but retail sales were tough so I closed the store several years ago. I like what I’m doing in life now with teaching fourth grade and coaching high school kids. Now I’m doing what I should be doing which is having an impact on teenage runners as you never know if one of them will have the dream that I had to win the Boston Marathon. I just hope that some kid like me comes along so I can show him tips and shortcuts and then spend a lot of time on the course so we can find a way to win. I would love to do that in the upcoming years.
GCR: How satisfying is it to help others succeed compared to your own personal accomplishments? How much more difficult is it to instill in others the necessary discipline, focus and mental toughness? TF: It is better to help others. It gives me an incredible feeling when I can help youngsters to improve. The best coaches aren’t always the ones with championship teams, but the ones who can take a 7:00 miler and turn him into a 5:55 miler. That’s coaching! It is exciting to take kids who aren’t too good at anything and to help them find the one thing they can do better than most kids. This past fall I only had nine boys on my high school team, but all of them broke 18 minutes for 5k. Our goal for next fall is for every one of them to get a minute faster and, if they do, they can be county champions. Once these kids hear my passion, they get that enthusiasm inside of them and just go for it. Running fast was easier for me as I only had to be concerned with myself, but it is more rewarding to get a group of kids succeeding together.
GCR: What are the effects of the increased distractions of today’s society and the fact that most American youth are more ‘well off’ than a generation or two ago and may not be as hungry for success or willing to work as hard? TF: It is harder for today’s kids with all of the distractions and the demands and desires to make money, get a good job and to live in a big house. It wasn’t like that with me – I just wanted to go out and run. The most important thing I owned as a teenager was a pair of running shoes and, ironically, I haven’t paid for a pair of running shoes since April, 1973 when I came in second at the Boston Marathon. I still have running shoes sent to me because of a race I ran nearly 40 years ago. My good friend, Freddy Doyle, works for Saucony and sent me a few pairs of running shoes recently. Then he called and wanted to send me some racing flats and asked me our school colors. I told him they were forest green and navy and two days later a pair of racing flats that are forest green and navy arrived at my home! I want kids to want to be good runners not so that they can get free running shoes but so when they are 50 years old they can look back and say, ‘I ran my butt off, I did it because I wanted to and I’m happy with what I achieved.’ Whether they win races or not, running gives a tremendous sense of accomplishment and the success and hard work transfer to other parts of their lives.
GCR: The United States was very dominant on the world stage in the men’s’ marathon in the 1970s and 1980s before declining for two decades. Do you see optimism with the resurgence in American marathon running in the past several years? TF: I’m an optimist and, since we’ve got over 310 million people in our country, there has to be another ‘Bill Rodgers’ or ‘Alberto Salazar’ out there. There were so many runners back in the 1970s that just went out, put in the training and ended up running respectable 2:18 or 2:19 marathons – back then they were unknowns though today they’d be studs. I remember back when Bill Rodgers and I were training and Dickie Mahoney, who was a post man, would run 140 miles a week even though he was working full time. Incredibly he ran a 2:14:37 for tenth place at the 1981 Boston Marathon. How good would he have been if he didn’t have to work a full-time job? If enough U.S. runners put in the work, we can have many more marathon runners closer to winning major marathons again. What bothers Bill Rodgers, me and others who have raced very successfully at the Boston Marathon is that none of today’s top U.S. marathoners come to us for advice on how to race well at Boston. We can’t believe it! You would think that my finishing six times in the top ten would make it apparent that I know some tricks that can help. If runners out there who are reading this have a desire to run the Boston or New York Marathons and want to talk to someone who can offer insights into racing smarter and faster, then they should get in touch with me. There are advantages if you know the course. For example, very few of the top runners today even run the tangents and race the shortest course where the race is measured.
GCR: What do U.S. marathon runners, as a group, need to do to step up to another level? TF: My personal take on U.S. marathon running is that our top runners are waiting too long. I believe they need to start running marathons when they are twenty years old if they want to have a top-level career. But most runners who are that good are in college on scholarship and no coaches are going to encourage them to race marathons. It is a dilemma we face in this country. Our system in the U.S. doesn’t lend itself to developing great young marathon runners. Another problem is that most runners are overly concerned with what contracts they may sign when they complete college. You know what – just be good like in your dreams and it is there for you. The next American born kid who wins the New York City Marathon or Boston Marathon will be an instant millionaire. But money doesn’t make you run faster. If the reason you are running 140 or 150 miles per week is to be a millionaire you might as well stop now. If you want to be the best runner America has ever seen and to run like Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers, that has to be your reason for running. As far as marathon race strategy, no American should want to lead a major marathon. Almost every race has rabbits and the fast African runners want to lead, so they should let someone else do the work. I wish I could get my hands on some of our top marathon runners and train them as if their whole life is the Boston Marathon – because if they win their whole life will change. They need to run the course like Bill Rodgers and I did. Greg Meyer, the last American man to win at Boston, practically lived on the course and that’s why he won it in 1983. He was very, very fit and knew the course extremely well. Today the competition is tougher as there are hundreds of Africans racing in the U.S., but Americans can race better and win in Boston and New York.
GCR: For twelve years you were the meet director for the Sunset Classic 5-mile road race in your hometown of Bloomfield, NJ which raises money for Special Needs Children in the Bloomfield school system. How rewarding was this and how important is the role running now has in raising funds for so many charities? TF: It is great that our sport has raised so much money for charities. But I do question why our sport of running has become the official sponsor sport of the world. It would be interesting to have a big road race and to have the proceeds actually go into developing top runners in our country. An example would be to raise funds so that all U.S. runners who qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon would have the opportunity to train with similar runners at Olympic development camps. It is a difficult balance these days between competition and developing great U.S. runners and raising money for charity. But I do believe strongly in the good that running is doing in increasing awareness and trying to find treatments and cures in many areas. Two causes that are dear to me are multiple sclerosis and Special Olympics. So, I do want our sport to help with charitable causes while we also pump money into developing our sport.
GCR: You have been recognized for your running achievements by Hall of Fame inductions including the Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2006 and the HOF at William Paterson University in 1980. How special is it to be so honored? TF: It is nice and I am appreciative. There were some inductions that may have happened when I was too young as I didn’t appreciate them as much at the time. I am grateful for the recognition.
GCR: How your health and what is is your current fitness regimen? TF: My health is good and I don’t have to take any pills due to health issues. I’m tall at six feet, one inch and my racing weight was around 159 pounds, though now I weigh 210 pounds. I don’t feel like I weigh that much, but that is what the scale says. I play a lot of basketball which was my first love. I play in a 55-59 age basketball league. I walk and jog two or three days a week. I don’t have any desire to go out and run 10-milers. Sometimes at our cross country meets when I’m running from one point to another on the course I’ll hear, ‘Hey coach, you look pretty good.’ I just say, ‘Don’t let looks fool you,’ as I have no desire to run more regularly or to do longer distances.
GCR: What goals do you have for yourself in fitness, running and other aspects of your life for the upcoming years? TF: I just hope to continue without knee problems. My last recordings in my running log were back in the early 1990s and I had run around 123,300 miles. I have no joint soreness in my hips, knees or ankles, am thankful for that and hope it stays that way for a long time.
GCR: Are there any major lessons you have learned during your life from growing up in New Jersey, the discipline of running and sharing your knowledge and experience with others through teaching and coaching that you would like to share with my readers? TF: What I do well and I believe others should do is to share enthusiasm. Whether in the classroom with nine or ten year olds or at the track with teenagers, I see that by my being genuinely excited about how they are doing, they are apt to try their hardest. If kids do their best, the outcome doesn’t matter as they will deservedly get a big cheer from me. My passion is to convince kids that it’s okay to try hard, they should have no fear of competing or losing, they can win and they can be successful.

Tom Fleming, 65, New York City Marathon Winner, Dies

By Jeré Longman for The New York Times. April 21, 2017.

Tom Fleming, a two-time winner of the New York City Marathon in the 1970s, when he trained as many as 200 miles a week in a period known as the first running boom, died on Wednesday in Montclair, N.J. He was 65.

His death, apparently of a heart attack, was announced by Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey, where Mr. Fleming was a fourth-grade teacher and the varsity track and field and cross-country coach.

Todd Smith, the academy’s athletic director, said that Mr. Fleming had complained of feeling ill at a meet in Verona, N.J., and was found unconscious near the track in his car, where he had gone to sit. He was pronounced dead at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair.

At the height of a sterling career, Mr. Fleming was the top local runner in the New York area in a number of distances. His contemporaries included Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon champion, and Bill Rodgers, a four-time winner of both the New York and Boston marathons.

Mr. Fleming won New York in 1973 and 1975, when all 26.2 miles of the marathon were run in loops of Central Park. (The race expanded to the five boroughs in 1976.) He also won marathons in Los Angeles, Toronto, Washington and Cleveland and had two second-place finishes in the Boston Marathon and a fifth-place finish at the 1976 Olympic trials.

His dedication was summed up in an often-cited quotation: “Somewhere, someone in the world is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

Many of today’s elite marathon runners train about 120 miles a week. Mr. Fleming preferred to run 140 to 150, and for at least two weeks during his career he raised the distance to 200.

“He slept, ran, ate, slept, ran, ate,” George Hirsch, the chairman of New York Road Runners, which organizes the city’s marathon, said on Friday.

While many elite runners train twice a day, “Tom, some days, did three runs, and I know a few days he did four runs,” Mr. Hirsch said. “He was as tough a runner as I’ve known.”

Though Mr. Fleming did not win the race he most coveted — Boston, the oldest annual marathon — it was not for lack of determination. After finishing second or third in Boston one year, Mr. Rodgers said on Friday, “he went back home and went out that night and trained some more.”

In his heyday, Mr. Fleming, a rangy 6 feet 1 inch, raced at 159 pounds. In 2011, he weighed 210, he told an interviewer. Barbara Fleming, his former wife, said in an interview that he had been reluctant to get regular medical checkups, though he had recently lost about 25 pounds.

Thomas J. Fleming was born on July 23, 1951, in Long Branch, N.J. A longtime resident of Bloomfield, N.J., he began his running career as a junior at Bloomfield High School and became an all-American at William Paterson College, now William Paterson University.

In 1973, during his senior year in college, he competed in a track meet on a Saturday, then ran the Boston Marathon two days later, finishing second.

Later that year, he entered the New York City Marathon and finished first. There were only 406 entrants in that race, and Mr. Fleming’s mother and sister rented bikes to follow along as he ran through Central Park.

“They were glad I was running so they could get some exercise,” Mr. Fleming told the writer and coach Gary Cohen.

Near the finish line, Mr. Fleming said, a police officer approached his mother and said, “Please lady, move away,” to which she responded, “Hey, that’s my son!”

His fastest marathon time, 2 hours 12 minutes 5 seconds, came in a third-place finish in Boston in 1975. In 1977, he finished fourth at the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan, then considered the unofficial world championship.

He became an advocate for professional running in an era when Olympians were required to be amateurs and money was paid under the table. Elite marathon runners can now make hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and appearance fees.

Affable and charismatic, Mr. Fleming seemed to have as much passion for coaching as he once did for running.

“It is better to help others,” he said in a 2011 interview with Mr. Cohen. “It’s exciting to take kids who aren’t too good at anything and to help them find the one thing they can do better than most kids.”

He is survived by a daughter, Margot, and a son, Connor.

By the early 1990s, Mr. Fleming had recorded more than 123,000 miles in his training log. By the end of the decade, he had effectively stopped running, Barbara Fleming said, because “he was so used to being on top” and could no longer compete at a high level.

“He was intense,” said Mr. Rodgers, his friend of more than 40 years. “He couldn’t jog. He had to race.”

Tom Fleming, Beloved Teacher, Coach, And Marathon Champion, Dies At 65

He twice won the New York City Marathon in the 1970s and shared his knowledge and passion with young runners in New Jersey.

By Roger Robinson for Runner’s World. APR 20, 2017.

Tom Fleming, who won the New York City Marathon in 1973 and 1975, and finished in the top three at the Boston Marathon three times, died on April 19. He was 65. 

The cause was an apparent heart attack, according to Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) in Montclair, New Jersey, where Fleming taught fourth grade and coached track. He died as he was coaching the middle school track team in a meet in neighboring Verona. 

“He was high energy, very empathetic, and had a remarkable ability to reach a wide range of kids, boys and girls,” said Tom Nammack, headmaster of MKA. “He didn’t run an easy classroom but it was a great classroom. Third graders who heard about him kept their fingers crossed that of our three sections of fourth grade, they’d end up in his.”

A prominent and popular figure in the first running boom, Fleming was revered for his dedication, which was exceptional even in that uncompromising generation. The words that hung on his bedroom wall have become legendary:  “Somewhere in the world, Someone is training when you’re not. When you race him, he’ll win.”

Born in 1951, Fleming lived in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and he became hooked on running during his last year at Bloomfield High School, 1968–69. He immediately began running 100-mile weeks in training. It was during that era when Frank Shorter, Steve Prefontaine, Jeff Galloway, and many others were committing themselves to the rigors of a sport that had always been dominated by the Europeans and Japanese. 

Within five years, Americans were placing at the top. Fleming established himself among them by his passionate will to win, mixed with blunt honesty about the work it takes.   

“Tom was a close pal, a great competitor, but down-to-earth,” said runner Mike Fanelli, a lifelong friend. “When I asked recently whether he could have caught Jon Anderson at the 1973 Boston Marathon, he just said, ‘Coulda, shoulda, didn’t.’”  

Fleming’s father had been a 235-pound tackle for the Chicago Bears, and though Fleming raced at 145 pounds, he was just over six feet, and he had legs often described as tree trunks. At William Paterson University, he became a four-time All-American, though he insisted that he was equally proud of his double major in special education and elementary education. 

At Boston in 1972, he placed 23rd in 2:25. But a year later, still a college senior, he was a contender.

“In contrast to his willingness to run vast mileages alone, he was not a quiet person. He was everything New Jersey—big, boisterous…brash, grinning, a verbal brawler. He considered himself a favorite to win Boston. And why not? He had trained more than anyone else,” wrote Tom Derderian in Boston Marathon.  

Fleming was second that year, behind Jon Anderson. He was second again in 1974, behind Ireland’s Neil Cusack, and burst into tears of disappointment at the finish. In the tailwind race of 1975, a new talent named Bill Rodgers thwarted him, blitzing the American record, with Fleming third despite a PR of 2:12:05. 

Fleming’s luck was better at the New York City Marathon. He won by almost two minutes in 1973, ahead of his friend Norb Sander, who died last month. Fleming won again in 1975, in 2:19:27, a record for the hilly Central Park course. When the race moved into the city streets in 1976, Fleming was sixth, behind Rodgers and Shorter. 

Internationally, Fleming’s most significant performance was fourth place in 2:14:26.2 at the 1977 Fukuoka Marathon, when that race was close to being an annual world championship. His best shot at the Olympics was in 1976, when he finished fifth at the U.S. trials. 

He won the Jersey Shore Marathon three times and also had marathon victories at Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Toronto, and Los Angeles. He set American records at 15 miles, 20 miles, 25K, 30K, and 50K. 

In 1978, he opened one of the first specialty running stores, the Tom Fleming Running Room in Bloomfield, and he ran it until 1999, when he moved full-time to his other passions, teaching and coaching.

He coached Anne Marie Letko, who became a U.S. Olympian and was third at the New York City Marathon in 1994. And he led the Nike Running Room team to the national women’s cross-country championships in 1990, ’91, and ’92.   

Members of the running community were unanimous in their sense of loss and admiration for Fleming.  

“In this era of manufactured marathon heroes, I know the real ones. Tom was one,” Rodgers said. 

“He just loved to see kids run personal bests, he loved the adrenaline rush of competition, and he loved seeing kids working their hardest to push each other,” said Todd Smith, MKA athletic director. “And it had nothing to do with Montclair Kimberley winning the meet. It was really all about the joy of running and the joy of competition, and the kids, whether they were battling it out to set a course record and win it or battling it out coming down the home stretch in 100th place in a race. Tom loved it all.”

Fleming was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame and the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. 

Remember Tom’s Laugh.

By Jeff Benjamin for RunBlogRun.

On the last Sunday of the month, this writer, along with others, woke up early and continued a ritual which perhaps thousands of runners of all abilities in the New York-New Jersey-New England area had been practicing for close to 5 decades- getting in one’s car early enough to trek over to Bloomfield, New Jersey and arrive by 8 am to go for the Sunday long run with a real-life world-class runner, Tom Fleming.

Later on, runners would make the same Sunday morning trek to Brookdale park in Bloomfield to be advised by that same Tom Fleming, who had then gone on to become a world class Coach, creating successful athletes from High School all the way up to the Olympic level, while teaching 4th grade at Montclair Kimberley Academy in nearby Montclair.

Sadly, this past Sunday’s trek for many was to say goodbye.

Hundreds of Fleming’s’ students, friends, family, former and current students and a host of others paid tribute at a Private memorial service in his honor at the Montclair school. Fleming, who tragically and suddenly died of a sudden heart attack on April 19th while coaching his MKA high school team at a local meet, was remembered by speakers as not only the world class 2:12:05 Boston Marathon nor the two victories in the early Central Park looped NYC Marathons, but as the honest, straightforward and loyal friend, family member, and mentor he became.

Tom Derderian’s masterpiece book “Boston Marathon” aptly describes the larger than life figure who Everyone came to know–

“Tom Fleming from New Jersey was “everything New Jersey” – big, boisterous, the Cassius Clay of New Jersey. In a sport of tight-lipped introverts, Tom Fleming was pure lip-brash, big-shouldered, grinning, a verbal brawler. He would argue any point of view with anyone. He could not keep his opinions to himself.”

Fleming’s MO carried him from a New Jersey state HS champion after only 1 year of training to becoming one of the youngest distance runners to be invited to train and be evaluated at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

Totally committed and inspired, Flemings’ training consisted of easily breaking 150 miles per week in training and sometimes running 4 times a day, thereby accumulating 200 miles for those particular weeks, and rising to the World Class level. Fleming won fifteen International Marathons and, during that age of the strict, archaic and hypocritical amateur rules, took up with his fellow competitor, the late Steve Prefontaine, desire to fight the hypocrisy of shamatuerism. Posters of runners along with countless books on running and training flooded his room.

Of course as many know Fleming’s great quote wound up on many other runner’s walls as well-“Somewhere in the world, Someone is training when you’re not. When you race him, he’ll win.”

Later on, using that same drive and passion, Fleming went into coaching athletes at all levels as well. His most notable athletes were two who qualified for the Olympic Games – Anne Marie Letko (1996) & Joe LeMay (2000).

Here are some reminisces from Fleming’s friends–

Bob Hodge- One of the Great Boston Area Distance Runners –

“TF Flyer, Tom Fleming, I best remember our time in that vacationing professor’s house in South Miami in the winter of 1980. Tom was pure NJ. Every single morning, TF would run 15 miles and drag me with him through Coconut Grove with the Parrots of April squawking overhead, in the crushing heat and humidity of a Miami winter morning. I woke up to TF’s knocking on the door and then his voice, “Bobby, time for your medicine” By the time we got to the end of the first block, TF was 2-3 steps ahead of me and there he generally stayed. On other days, I only tried to keep him in sight.

TF only stopped on a run to poop and I always hoped he would need to so I could catch a breather. Of course if I stopped for any reason, TF was gone. Though just at the end of our run we would stop at a bridge crossing to look for Manatees that would congregate there. The house had avocado trees which I thought were quite exotic and I tried them for the first time in my life and loved them. We would finish our runs and I would sit on the stoop for an hour staring into space with Pepsi and water, what-not and avocados.

TF would immediately be off to the next thing making plans for the day. We had visits from other runners including Bill Rodgers, Kirk Pfeffer and Guenter Mihelke. We watched the Winter Olympics in the evenings including the USA Hockey Team victory.

In 1980, we were dreaming our own Olympic dreams, that is why we had come to Miami, but now the boycott loomed. One day on our morning run I bonked and just started walking. TF never looked back. My mind was in a storm. “What am I doing here getting run off my feet every freakin day with no Olympics”? When I got back I started packing up my Mustang and getting ready to drive home. TF just shook his head at me. “Carter ain’t gonna stop this thing if the USOC has any balls. if they don’t we just run Boston instead, I would rather win Boston than anything!”

On the weekend TF went to a race somewhere and I traveled to Jacksonville and won the River Run 15K. The hard effort was bearing fruit.

During our time in Florida we traveled to the Ohme 30K in Japan an awesome trip. In 1986 we traveled to New Zealand together, Tom and then wife Barbara and month old child Margo.
So many memories of TF who I last saw this past summer in Eugene at the Trials. See you down the road, buddy.”

Joel Pasternack- Top New Jersey runner and coach and Fleming’s most consistent Training Partner-‘
“Tom had an affect on so many lives. I Met Tom in the fall of 1969 when my college, Monmouth, ran against Paterson State. After the race, we talked and found out we lived three miles from each other. He said anytime I’m home call and we’ll run. That became a very popular habit of training together for 18 years. Tom has been quoted that I was the person he ran the most miles with, over 10,000. Tom helped me make my big breakthrough in marathon running. In the 1972 Boston I ran 2:34.35 placing 53rd. Then in January of 1973 I ran with Tom for ten miles of the Jersey Shore 26.2. That helped me run 2:25.08 for second behind Tom and his first time under 2:20. We traveled to many races over the years in the 70s with both our dads. The biggest trip was the two of us to the 1972 marathon Olympic trials in Eugene. Like you said Tom always ran ahead and wanted to win. The weather got to him and he dropped out. But after that his career sky rocketed.

In closing Tom was a phenomenal friend to me and my family. He was my mentor and made me the person I am today in life and coaching. I can’t believe I won’t get share all the special things that life brings us with him.”

Greg Meyer-1983 Boston Marathon Champion

“With Tom in the race, you knew it would always be a test of fitness. He worked hard and wanted you to do the same if you expected to beat him. That said, once the race was over, he was the guy entertaining everyone!

One story I’ll never forget is going on a run with him through the woods in NH from the Mt. Washington resort. As we ran down the train we rounded a bend, and there stood two adult moose. City boy Tom looks at me as says “let’s chase them”. I politely said “you go, I’ll watch!” I then told him moose are the most dangerous critters in the states… you don’t mess with them! No fear in that guy!”

Women’s Running Pioneer Kathrine Switzer
“Tom pushed it to the limit in every marathon. He was like a big kid in his enthusiasm. He wanted to slap everyone on the back and make them run with him. He was incredibly supportive of women, as early as 1973, when he encouraged me to run the San Blas Half-Marathon in Puerto Rico, a huge race at that time, despite the disapproving local officials.”

Joe Martino – New England Runner and longtime friend–

“In the fall of 1970, Ed Walkwitz, John Jarek and I were on our way down to run in the Atlantic City Marathon. As we approached New Jersey he suggested that we call Tom and perhaps stay in Bloomfield for the night. Ed had been Tom’s roommate at the Olympic Training camp the previous summer. Apparently Tom told Ed if you are ever in New Jersey that he was welcome to stay. We ended up staying the night at the Fleming’s. I learned from Tom that we were both in the NYC Marathon the month before. Tom was 2nd and I was 13th in 2:56. It was a Very Hot Day on a wicked demanding course. Tom was 19, I was 18 and, Rick Sherlund who became friends with Tom was 16! Rick always tells the story that he crossed the finish line just behind Tom…..But Rick had one more lap to go!

On Saturday morning, we went to Van Cortlandt Park with Tom and his Dad. Tom was running a cross country race, representing Patterson State. He was beaten by a guy from Coast Guard Academy. I think Tom told me it was the only time that he was beaten there.

In 1982 Tom came to Natick, where I was living at the time. He stayed at my place and on Sunday morning he invited me out to Bill Rodgers’s home for a run. Tom showed me lots of running loops which he and Bill trained on- loops right in my back yard. A few days later, I was out on a run and ran into Bill and, long story short, we began training together 4-5 days a week. From then on Tom, Bill and I would get together and enjoy many adventures together.”

Bill Rodgers- 4-time Boston & NYC Marathon Champion

“I met Tom Fleming in February of 74 when we represented the USA in the San Blas Half Marathon in Coamo, Puerto Rico.Fellow American Former Uconn star John Vitale was our third Team member. San Blas is a very tough race- very hilly, hot and humid but, the people were terrific. San Blas was also my 1st International race. We had our USA Uniforms and I was rather excited about reaching this level of competition!

Tom introduced me to European and Boston marathon Champion Ron Hill and other International athletes. Two Olympic medalists from the 72 Munich Games were competing on behalf of Finland, Lasse Viren and Tapio Kantanen. They were considered favorites. I didn’t care and chased them both but the Finns won. I faded badly and John Vitale and I were both passed by Tom who was a prodigious trainer and strong even in the heat. When I was struck by the 78 degree heat at Boston in 73 and dropped out Tom flew to a fine 2nd place.

Over the heady years of the first Running Boom, we became friends and trained together everywhere. We used to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, in February, for the Runners Den 10k and stay with mutual friends Rob and Ann Wallack. Rob and Ann had a beautiful Irish setter who was as wired as Tom and I! The Problem was he was a barker so when he got out of control Rob or Ann would puta collar on him that produced a mild shock to teach him to calm down.

One day Tom thought it would be a good joke to place it over my head as I sat at the breakfast table. I got shocked and jumped into the air! TF was hysterical with laughter as I threw objects at him. He was a supernova of energy but was also funny as heck. He always did great Yoda and Elmo imitations and would be telling stories nonstop as we ran.

In ’77 Tom and I placed 1s and 4th at the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.

I call Fukuoka the “Japanese Boston Marathon” due to its 70 year history of top marathoners participation.

I believe we still have the highest one, two finish of any American participation at this superb marathon. We celebrated in Tokyo with Plum wine along with our mutual friend, Tommy Leonard, the Boston Bartender who orginated the Falmouth Road Race.

Of course we track, XC and road race athletes toiled under the scourge of Amateurism. But we tried to be Professionals as much as we could..Tom and I were both teachers who ran 125 miles every week, but always wondered why all of us could not be compensated.

I believe Tom Fleming was one of if not the first modern road racer marathoner to go professional with his marathon races in LA and elsewhere in 1980.

The Association of Road Racing Athletes followed Tom’s efforts in June ’81 with the running of the Cascade Runoff 15k in Portland we were all a bit freer.

Tom went on to coach cross-country and to teach history to 4th graders. The fierce competitor mellowed out under youth influence… he passed the Torch.”

From Alberto Salazar–

“Most of my interactions with Tom took place after we had both retired. He was a few years ahead of me and was probably in his last years of competitive running when I was still concentrating on the track. My earliest memories of him were of someone that was a very tough racer and who trained unbelievably hard. He was one of the last Americans in a time when we were the best Marathon country in the world. We believed we trained as smart and as hard as anyone else and we raced accordingly. He devoted himself to teaching and coaching kids. His tough attitude will be missed.”

“Run steady Tom.”

~ WANDERING IN A RUNNING WORLD ~

By Toni Reavis. April 20, 2017.

Bobby Hodge told LetsRun in 2004,

Tom Fleming was always a hard charger, a larger than life presence whether on the road in competition or at the post-race party where stories flew as fast as the miles had just hours before.  With his black Prince John beard and 6’1” frame drawn down by mega 150-mile training weeks, T. Fleming toed the staring line with his fitness visible beneath the barest of singlets, frame in relief, energy up, engagement pending.

TOM FLEMING (1951 – 2017)

There was something chivalric about TF, who left us yesterday at age 65, much, much too soon, his mighty heart beating its last as he collapsed while coaching his Montclair Kimberley Academy team at a track meet in Verona, N. J.  The running pack will not find another in its midst like him again anytime soon.

A Bloomfield, New Jersey native, Tom was twice New York City Marathon champion (1973 & `75) when the race had yet to leave its Central Park cocoon to bloom across all five boroughs. Twice more he was runner up in Boston (1973 & 1974) the one race he wanted more than any other, maybe even more than an Olympic medal. He was a fixture there, six top tens in all.

As a young post-collegiate runner TF was one of the great knight-errants of the sport at a time when it was still being done mostly for adventure, traveling where whimsy and invitation led, repping his country, winner at home at the Jersey Shore Marathon three times, but also in Cleveland in 1978 where I called my first big race outside Boston –  he told me about of the headwind coming off the lake in the second half.  He also took top honors in Washington D.C., Toronto, and most infamously in Los Angeles 1981 in the sport’s first openly professional race, the $100,000 Jordache Los Angeles Pro-Am Marathon.

There, as he did in seemingly every race, Tom placed himself at the point of attack and pressed, going where the action was, mostly causing it himself, knowing his was a game of strength rather than pure speed.  In Boston and at the five-borough New York City races his tactic ended up serving as de facto pacing for the bigger talents, but in L.A. 1981 he pulled free after the first mile to win by more than three minutes in 2:13:44. The win was worth $25,000, and he proudly carried the title of the sport’s first professional runner throughout his life, though he had claimed it before the category had ever officially existed.  As recently as October 2015 Tom still wanted more for those who had followed in his footsteps.

“I’m still discouraged that today our sport hasn’t moved with much speed in acquiring more prize money at road races. There should be a $250,000 purse to win the New York City Marathon today.  USATF still doesn’t let athletes have numerous sponsorships on their race singlets. The sport needs help coming from outside the business of running.”

A Jersey man through and through, Tom believed in engagement, and was fearless, whether in competition or in voicing his opinions about the politics of the sport. And so was he a running store owner, coach,  race promoter, mentor, and always a full-throated running raconteur.

For the last 18 years he taught and coached at Montclair Kimberly Academy where his charisma and talents helped shape young lives. How fortunate they were to have someone like Tom as a leader.  In 2013 he was inducted into the Road Runners Club of America Distance Running Hall of Fame and one year later was honored at the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica, N.Y.

But since I was a member of the Boston running community, myself, I will always remember T. Fleming as Billy Rodgers’ wingman, the Sancho Panza to Billy’s more lyrical Don Quixote.  But rather than tilting against windmills, the two traveled the world tilting against the world’s giant runners of their day, the best of running buds, T. Fleming pushing out, dragging Billy to glory more often than not, including in such classics as the 1976 inaugural five-borough New York City Marathon where TF was defending champion from the last of the four loops of Central Park course, and again at Boston 1975 and 1979 when Tom finished third (2:12:05 PR) and fourth (2:12:56) to Billy’s American records 2:09:55 and 2:09:27.

“Oh, definitely I’ll be up front,” he told me before the 1982 Boston Marathon.  “I mean if someone goes out at 1:03 I’ll have to hope I see them at Billy’s store (Cleveland Circle).  But if things go wrong I want to put myself in a Jimmy Valvano (1982 NC State NCAA basketball champs coach) way of thinking, ‘put yourself in a position to win’.  Obviously, if I’m feeling good and there’s someone ahead of me, or you know someone is ahead but having a hard time, that’s all the motivation I need to keep pushing.”

Very few people, even in a sport full of fun-loving over-achievers, ever filled their life with such Falstaffian gusto. Such was his presence that I chose as my Runner’s Digest radio show logo a silhouette of the lead pack from the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials that featured T. Fleming unmistakably front and center, as always leading the charge in a race where he would eventually factor fifth.

Those of us who got to know and spend time with him will look back with sadness at our loss, for sure, but never without a purer appreciation and thanks for having been around to learn from a true master lessons in how to really live.

“Until death it is all life.” – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote

https://www.drmirkin.com/histories-and-mysteries/tom-flleming-marathoner-who-outtrained-everyone-else.htmlMay 21, 2020JDW

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OGORs Volume 2 (Greg Meyer)

“To be good is not enough when you dream of being great.”

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say.

Greg Meyer (born September 18, 1955) is an American long-distance runner. Meyer’s winning time for the 1983 Boston Marathon race was 2:09.00. He was the last American to win the Boston Marathon until 2014, and the last person born in America to win the Chicago Marathon until 2017. He set ten American road racing records and two world records, and won the River Bank Run, in his home town of Grand Rapids, seven times.

Seems like a lot when you say it like that.

Personal Life

Meyer was born in Grand Rapids, MI to parents Rita and Jay. He has one older sibling, Matthew Meyer. He met and married fellow runner Paula Lettis in 1980 while living in Boston and together they had three children, Nicolle (1981), Jacob (1983) and Daniel (1986). He divorced in 2005 while living in Dexter, MI.

Meyer is a 1973 graduate of Grand Rapids West Catholic High School. In 1977 he earned a degree in education and social studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.  In 1986 he earned a Master of Education degree from Boston University.

If you are reading this article for college credit and taking notes, put down ‘proud parent’ and ‘Michigan man.’

Running Accomplishments

Meyer set American road racing records in the 8K, the 10K, and the 15K. He set world records in the 10-mile run and the 25K. He was the first University of Michigan runner to break the four-minute mile mark. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Fame in 2011. In 1978, Meyer won the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union’s cross country running title, in 29:35.9, narrowly edging out Alberto Salazar. The U.S. boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics, and Meyer finished 7th in the 1984 Trials.

When did you start running?

Started running in middle school as training for other sports. Really began to focus on it once I hit high school. Found I was good at it and wanted to find my niche, so it was running.

Toughest opponent?

Toughest opponent is a tough one, there are a few. Herb Lindsay in high school, college and on the roads after college. Bill Rodgers was just a fierce competitor. Jon Sinclair stands out as just one tough guy! Always a nasty race with him. He was relentless. Steve Jones could hurt you as well.

Most memorable run?

2013 Boston. Ran with my two boys…just a great experience, then the bombing. With my daughter and future wife working the finish line all day, it bonded us in a powerful way.

Would it be safe to assume your Boston win was the most memorable for thirty years?

Sure. But actually Boston ’83 was tied with breaking four minutes in the mile.  3:59.1. I grew up watching [Marty] Liquori and [Jim] Ryun!  Marty was just a tough competitor.

Biggest disappointment?

1984 Olympic Marathon Trials. I was very fit. At 20 miles I looked around and felt, I got this, then at 22 miles, had a hamstring problem and that ended my Olympic dream.

It was the closest I came to quitting running. Quit competing totally.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Why?

After winning Boston in ’83, I should have gone back to my strengths, 10K through 25 kilometers, and only run the occasional marathon.

My body was not made to do consistent marathon training. And the injury cycle began.

I would also incorporate more stretching / yoga. I totally messed that up.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

Don’t have a favorite philosopher, but favorite saying has been “to be good is not enough when you dream of being great.”

Special song of the era?

Anything by the Eagles!

Favorite comedian?

Hands down, George Carlin. Second would have to be Robin Williams.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

1977-78 after college. Felt unstoppable as I made a leap to another level. Broke four minutes and was just running great.

1982-83, fall of 82 through spring of 83. Raced often and lost twice, once to Alberto Salazar in the Miami Orange Bowl 10K and once to Rob De Castella at Gasparilla 15K. Deke set the WR that day, I set the American record in second. Won Chicago and Boston in this stretch. [Anybody who has that coverage in T&FN should send a copy to JDW.]

That’s a good stretch.

Each time it was because I finally took my training to another level, which supplies both the physical strength and the confidence. Also, was totally in synch with my coaches. Ron Warhurst in 77-78 and Bill Squires in 82-83.

What was your edge?

I had the physical ability to handle a great deal of hard running without injury. The racing advantage I had was I had the willingness to go out hard, to make it a battle from the gun.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

Only real supplemental exercise was some weight lifting. I can’t count golf as supplemental!

The Association of Road Racing Statisticians, geeks and nerds all smarter than me, credits Greg Meyer with career prize money of $55,250. 

Career wins of seventy-six (76) against some big names and strong fields.

Personal Bests

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	5 km	14:58		Waltham MA/USA	10 Nov 1990
RD	10 km	28:13		Miami FL/USA	15 Jan 1983
RD	15 km	43:07		Tampa FL/USA	05 Feb 1983
RD	10 mi	46:13		Washington DC/USA	27 Mar 1983
RD	20 km	1:01:15		New Haven CT/USA	03 Sep 1984
RD	Half Mara	1:03:11		New Bedford MA/USA	16 Mar 1986
RD	25 km	1:16:12		Grand Rapids MI/USA	09 May 1987
RD	30 km	1:31:05		Ome JPN	20 Feb 1983
RD	Marathon	2:09:01	a	Boston MA/USA	18 Apr 1983
OT	3 km	8:08.32		Oslo NOR	27 Jun 1985
OT	5 km	13:38.1		Eugene OR/USA	01 Jun 1985
OT	10 km	27:53.1		Williamsburg VA/USA	02 Apr 1983
IT	3 km	7:54.44		Hanover NH/USA	09 Jan 1983
IT	2 mi	8:39.2		San Diego CA/USA	17 Feb 1978
IT	5 km	13:35.44		Boston MA/USA	23 Jan 1983

https://gregmeyerrunning.com/

Performances

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
27 Oct 1991	10	2:19:27		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago	$250
13 Jul 1991	9	2:22:24		RD	Marathon	Moscow RUS	Moscow International Peace	$2,700
11 May 1991	9	1:21:21		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
05 Jan 1991	10	29:52		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer
10 Nov 1990	2	14:58		RD	5 km	Waltham MA/USA	Johnny Kelley
28 Oct 1990	12			RD	10 km	South Bend IN/USA	Sports Med
14 Oct 1990	2	1:06:22		RD	Half Mara	Dayton OH/USA	Tandem Dayton Corridor Classic	$500
30 Sep 1990	4	35:56	a	RD	12 km	San Francisco CA/USA	Bridge to Bridge
23 Sep 1990	6	24:07		RD	8 km	Lansing MI/USA	Playmakers Autumn Classic
03 Sep 1990	8	1:04:00		RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven Road Race	$200
25 Aug 1990	19	51:48		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim Road Race
28 Jul 1990	17	34:32		RD	11.27 km	Davenport IA/USA	Quad City Times Bix
12 May 1990	5	1:16:52		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank Run
16 Apr 1990	DNF	DNF	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
08 Apr 1990	8	29:12		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	MDA Boston Milk Run	$250
10 Feb 1990	16	34:46		XC	11.93 km	Seattle WA/USA	U S Crosscountry Trials
10 Dec 1989	9	2:21:47		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
27 Apr 1989	2	28:42.1		OT	10 km	Philadelphia PA/USA	Penn Relays- Olympic Development
09 Apr 1989	11	29:12		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	MDA Boston Milk Run
05 Mar 1989	5	2:16:46		RD	Marathon	Los Angeles CA/USA	City of Los Angeles	$3,000
04 Feb 1989	9	30:33		RD	10 km	Miami FL/USA	Capital Bank Orange Bowl Bay Bridge Run	$200
14 Jan 1989	7	30:22		RD	10 km	Hamilton BER	Bermuda
27 Aug 1988	15	49:51		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
02 Jul 1988	9	13:55.9		OT	5 km	Dedham MA/USA	NEAC Championships
25 Jun 1988	5	8:11.83		OT	3 km	Dedham MA/USA	Metrowest Twilight Meeting
17 Jun 1988	7	13:55.78		OT	5 km	Tampa FL/USA	TAC Mobil Championships
04 Jun 1988	2	28:36.9		OT	10 km	Dedham MA/USA	NEAC All-Comers
14 May 1988	3	1:17:12		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank Run	$1,000
24 Apr 1988	8	2:17:40		RD	Marathon	Jersey City NJ/USA	US Men’s Olympic Trials	$4,500
10 Apr 1988	12	29:17		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	MDA Boston Milk Run
27 Mar 1988	6	47:49		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Nike Cherry Blossom	$500
13 Feb 1988	18	44:48		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic
24 Jan 1988	1	13:58.6		IT	5 km	Boston MA/USA	NEAC Indoor Championships
01 Nov 1987	10	2:14:31	a	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City	$6,000
04 Oct 1987	4	35:16		RD	12 km	Itasca IL/USA	Oktoberfast	$1,500
22 Aug 1987	5	49:45		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
31 May 1987	1	1:05:51		RD	Half Mara	Kansas City MO/USA	Hospital Hill
09 May 1987	1	1:16:12		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
25 Apr 1987	1	44:58		RD	15 km	Kalamazoo MI/USA	Burgess Medical Center	$500
15 Feb 1987	7	1:34:44		RD	30 km	Ome JPN	Ome-Hochi
07 Feb 1987	13	45:33		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic
07 Dec 1986	6	2:18:52		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
23 Nov 1986	1	23:40		RD	5 mi	n/a MA/USA	Slattery’s
12 Oct 1986	6	2:14:50		RD	Marathon	Saint Paul MN/USA	Twin Cities	$5,500
05 Oct 1986	3	37:35		RD	12.87 km	Boston MA/USA	Freedom Trail
23 Aug 1986	6	48:13		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
17 Aug 1986	24	33:49	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Puma Falmouth Road Race
01 Aug 1986	1	29:28.95		OT	10 km	Houston TX/USA	National Sports Festival
04 Jul 1986	12	28:47	a	RD	10 km	Atlanta GA/USA	Peachtree Road Race
20 Jun 1986	4	28:49.42		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	USA Outdoor Championships
07 Jun 1986	1	28:31.3		OT	10 km	Dedham MA/USA	NEAC Championships
01 Jun 1986	3	29:57		RD	10 km	Johnston RI/USA	Rich Classic	$750
31 May 1986	2	29:39		RD	10 km	Elkhart IN/USA	Elkhart Great Race	$350
10 May 1986	1	1:16:38		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
21 Apr 1986	12	2:17:29	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston	$1,300
06 Apr 1986	7	47:12		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Nike Cherry Blossom	$400
16 Mar 1986	3	1:03:11		RD	Half Mara	New Bedford MA/USA	New Bedford
01 Mar 1986	16	28:48		RD	10 km	Phoenix AZ/USA	American Continental
06 Oct 1985	3	34:47		RD	12 km	Itasca IL/USA	Oktoberfast
02 Sep 1985	4	1:00:22	x	RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven
24 Aug 1985	4	47:19		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
18 Aug 1985	10	32:48	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
27 Jul 1985	1	29:53		RD	10 km	Jackson MS/USA	Cascades Dick Hatt Memorial
10 Jul 1985	8	28:25.13		OT	10 km	Lausanne SUI	Athletissima
27 Jun 1985	9	8:08.32		OT	3 km	Oslo NOR	Oslo Games
09 Jun 1985	1	29:55		RD	10 km	Goshen IN/USA	Great Race
01 Jun 1985	15	13:38.1		OT	5 km	Eugene OR/USA	Prefontaine Classic
18 May 1985	6	29:21.09		OT	10 km	Evanston IL/USA	Big 10 Conference Championships
11 May 1985	1	1:16:58		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank Run
05 May 1985	1	30:56		RD	10 km	Fremont OH/USA	Fremont News Messenger Camelback
27 Apr 1985	9	28:21.3		OT	10 km	Walnut CA/USA	Mt SAC Relays
24 Mar 1985	2	47:49		RD	10 mi	Cherry Hill NJ/USA	Nike New Jersey
02 Mar 1985	17	28:54		RD	10 km	Phoenix AZ/USA	Continental Homes
23 Feb 1985	3	8:42.88		IT	2 mi	Madison WI/USA	Big Ten Conference Championships
15 Feb 1985	1	14:17.63		IT	5 km	Ann Arbor MI/USA	Central Collegiate Championships
25 Jan 1985	8	13:53.23		IT	5 km	New York NY/USA	Millrose Games
19 Jan 1985	3	13:52.7		IT	5 km	Boston MA/USA	New England TAC
06 Jan 1985	1	7:59.21		IT	3 km	Hanover NH/USA	Dartmouth Relays
25 Nov 1984	6	28:53		RD	10 km	Braintree MA/USA	Braintree Hospital
04 Nov 1984	1	28:37		RD	10 km	Newton MA/USA	Purity Supreme Heartbreak Hill
13 Oct 1984	1	24:35		RD	8 km	Boston MA/USA	Stroh’s
13 Oct 1984	1	24:24		RD	8 km	Jersey City NJ/USA	Stroh’s
07 Oct 1984	4	29:02		RD	10 km	Portland OR/USA	Dr Scholl’s Pro Comfort
30 Sep 1984	3	37:45		RD	12.87 km	Boston MA/USA	Freedom Trail
09 Sep 1984	1	29:39		RD	10 km	Bedford MA/USA	Stouffer’s High Tech
03 Sep 1984	4	1:01:15		RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven Road Race
19 Aug 1984	12	29:50		RD	10 km	Portland OR/USA	Nordstrom International
03 Aug 1984	3	29:19		RD	10 km	Seattle WA/USA	Seafair Diet Pepsi
06 Jun 1984	1	23:48		RD	8 km	Newburyport MA/USA	Lite Beer Challenge
26 May 1984	7	2:13:29	a	RD	Marathon	Buffalo NY/USA	US Olympic Trials
20 May 1984	4	14:23.46		OT	5 km	Columbus OH/USA	Big-10 Conference Championships
19 May 1984	2	29:53.97		OT	10 km	Columbus OH/USA	Big-10 Conference Championships
13 May 1984	1	47:28		RD	10 mi	Worcester MA/USA	Charlie’s Surplus
05 May 1984	1	13:55.73		OT	5 km	Indianapolis IN/USA	Indiana Invitational
28 Apr 1984	4	48:45		RD	10 mi	New York NY/USA	Trevira Twosome
08 Apr 1984	1	28:50.4		RD	10 km	Kingston NY/USA	Kingston Classic
06 Apr 1984	3	13:57.20		OT	5 km	Austin TX/USA	Texas Relays
18 Mar 1984	1	47:21		RD	10 mi	Cherry Hill NJ/USA	Nike New Jersey
18 Mar 1984	1	48:32		RD	10 mi	Olney PA/USA	St Patty’s Day
10 Mar 1984	6	28:49	x	RD	10 km	Mobile AL/USA	Azalea Trail Run
17 Feb 1984	3	14:23.29		IT	5 km	Ypsilanti MI/USA	Central Collegiate Championships
22 Jan 1984	1	13:43.5		IT	5 km	Boston MA/USA	New England TAC Championships
03 Dec 1983	2	29:49		RD	10 km	Nassau BAH	Paradise Island Bluewater Run
20 Nov 1983	3	30:34		RD	10 km	Rosemont IL/USA	Rosemont Turkey Trot
06 Nov 1983	4	29:36	a	RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	Purity Supreme Heartbreak Hill
16 Oct 1983	14	2:17:34		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	America’s	$1,000
02 Oct 1983	1	28:49		RD	10 km	Bangor ME/USA	Benjamin’s
18 Sep 1983	6	1:03:49		RD	Half Mara	Philadelphia PA/USA	Philadelphia Distance Classic
05 Sep 1983	5	1:01:53		RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven
27 Aug 1983	20	50:01		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
07 May 1983	1	1:16:49		RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
30 Apr 1983	1	24:52		RD	5 mi	Foxboro MA/USA	Foxboro
18 Apr 1983	1	2:09:01	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
02 Apr 1983	1	27:53.1		OT	10 km	Williamsburg VA/USA	Colonial Relays
27 Mar 1983	1	46:13		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Cherry Blossom
20 Feb 1983	1	1:31:05		RD	30 km	Ome JPN	Ome-Hochi
05 Feb 1983	2	43:07		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla
23 Jan 1983	1	13:35.44		IT	5 km	Boston MA/USA	New England TAC
22 Jan 1983	1	13:35.44		IT	5 km	Boston MA/USA	New England TAC
15 Jan 1983	2	28:13		RD	10 km	Miami FL/USA	Race of the Americas
09 Jan 1983	1	7:54.44		IT	3 km	Hanover NH/USA	Dartmouth Relays
31 Dec 1982	1	23:14		RD	5 mi	New York NY/USA	Runner Brooks New Year’s
05 Dec 1982	1	32:32		RD	10.46 km	Framingham MA/USA	Scott Bailey Memorial
25 Nov 1982	2	21:46		RD	7.68 km	Manchester CT/USA	Manchester Road Race
21 Nov 1982	1	28:59		RD	10 km	Rosemont IL/USA	Rosemont
07 Nov 1982	1	29:56		RD	10 km	Waterbury CT/USA	Fischang-Cicchetti Memorial
31 Oct 1982	1	28:23		RD	10 km	Bangor ME/USA	Benjamin’s
26 Sep 1982	1	2:11:00		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago	$12,000
06 Sep 1982	1	58:27	x	RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven Road Race
21 Aug 1982	3	47:58		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
08 Aug 1982	1	22:45		RD	5 mi	Agawam MA/USA	Riverside Twilight
30 May 1982	85	2:40:43		RD	Marathon	Montreal PQ/CAN	Montreal
29 May 1982	2	1:01:51	x	RD	20 km	Wheeling WV/USA	Elby’s Wheeling
23 May 1982	1	28:44		RD	10 km	Newton MA/USA	Newton
15 May 1982	1	50:50		RD	10 mi	Halifax NS/CAN	Halifax Modified Marathon
08 May 1982	1	1:15:00	x	RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
07 Mar 1982	3	2:14:07	a	RD	Marathon	Athens GRE	Golden Athens
06 Feb 1982	2	43:12		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla
31 Dec 1981	1	23:00		RD	7.89 km	New York NY/USA	The Runner Brooks Midnight Run
06 Dec 1981	1	1:03:17		RD	Half Mara	Tampa FL/USA	Natural Light
26 Nov 1981	1	28:38		RD	10 km	Rosemont IL/USA	Rosemont Turkey Trot
04 Oct 1981	3	37:05		RD	12.875 km	Boston MA/USA	Omni Freedom Trail	$2,850
20 Sep 1981	6	1:04:29		RD	Half Mara	Manchester VT/USA	Maple Leaf
07 Sep 1981	1	59:08	x	RD	20 km	New Haven CT/USA	New Haven
29 Aug 1981	2	47:46		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
01 Aug 1981	3	2:15:23		RD	Marathon	Rio de Janeiro BRA	Rio de Janeiro
25 Jul 1981	1	28:58.88		OT	10 km	Syracuse NY/USA	US Sports Festival
28 Jun 1981	1	43:18.9		RD	15 km	Portland OR/USA	Cascade Runoff	$10,000
13 Jun 1981	1	29:52		RD	10 km	Rochester NY/USA	Pepsi-Cola
24 May 1981	1	1:07:12		RD	Half Mara	Chicago IL/USA	Natural Light Chicago
09 May 1981	2	1:16:34	x	RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
20 Apr 1981	11	2:13:08	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
05 Apr 1981	8	28:37	a	RD	10 km	New Orleans LA/USA	Crescent City Classic
15 Mar 1981	1	23:03		RD	5 mi	Boston MA/USA	Shamrock Classic
07 Mar 1981	1	1:06:45		RD	Half Mara	San Diego CA/USA	Natural Light
01 Mar 1981	1	1:44:36		RD	32.187 km	North Easton MA/USA	GBS Plodders
07 Feb 1981	4	43:33		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic
18 Jan 1981	1	1:03:22		RD	Half Mara	New Orleans LA/USA	Natural Light
14 Dec 1980	2	29:44		RD	10 km	Coventry RI/USA	Winter Cup
16 Nov 1980	1	2:16:40		RD	Marathon	Rio de Janeiro BRA	Rio de Janeiro
19 Oct 1980	1	2:13:07	a	RD	Marathon	Detroit MI/USA	Detroit Free Press
05 Oct 1980	1	36:33		RD	12.875 km	Boston MA/USA	Freedom Trail
28 Sep 1980	1	1:06:20		RD	Half Mara	Lake Oswego OR/USA	Natural Light
23 Aug 1980	3	47:48		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
17 Aug 1980	5	32:50	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
20 Jul 1980	1	1:06:54		RD	Half Mara	Orleans MA/USA	Natural Light Orleans
10 May 1980	1	1:16:02	x	RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
04 May 1980	3	44:21		RD	15 km	Far Hills NJ/USA	Midland Run
27 Apr 1980	1	24:38		RD	5 mi	Springfield MA/USA	Wacky Road Race
15 Mar 1980	1	1:03:44		RD	Half Mara	Hilton Head SC/USA	Natural Light
24 Nov 1979	5	31:01		XC	10 km	Raleigh NC/USA	AAU Championships
07 Oct 1979	1	31:04		RD	10 km	Wilkes-Barre PA/USA	Diet Pepsi
29 Sep 1979	13	29:31		RD	10 km	Purchase NY/USA	Diet Pepsi
16 Sep 1979	7	38:06		RD	12.875 km	Boston MA/USA	Hood Freedom Trail Run
25 Aug 1979	3	49:17		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim Special Olympics
13 Jul 1979	5	28:31.38		OT	10 km	London ENG	AAA Championships
04 Jul 1979	1	24:20		RD	8.3 km	Portland ME/USA	Portland
24 Jun 1979	1	28:24		RD	10 km	Newton MA/USA	Newton
12 May 1979	1	1:14:29	x	RD	25 km	Grand Rapids MI/USA	Old Kent River Bank
29 Apr 1979	1	23:47		RD	5 mi	Springfield MA/USA	Wacky 102
01 Apr 1979	3	1:02:17		RD	20 km	Atlanta GA/USA	Nike US Club Road Racing Championships
25 Mar 1979	90			XC	12 km	Limerick IRL	IAAF World Crosscountry Championships
31 Dec 1978	13	25:05		RD	8.4 km	Sao Paulo BRA	Round the Houses
16 Dec 1978	1	29:10		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer
03 Dec 1978	1	29:17		RD	10 km	Melrose MA/USA	Town Inn
25 Nov 1978	1	29:35		XC	10 km	Seattle WA/USA	AAU Men’s Crosscountry Championships
01 Oct 1978	4	38:21		RD	12.875 km	Boston MA/USA	Labatt’s Freedom Trail
23 Sep 1978	7	29:21		RD	10 km	Purchase NY/USA	Run America Run
26 Aug 1978	1	48:00		RD	10 mi	Flint MI/USA	Bobby Crim
20 Aug 1978	9	33:18	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
04 Jul 1978	2	29:15	a	RD	10 km	Atlanta GA/USA	Peachtree
26 Mar 1978	20	40:31		XC	12 km	Glasgow SCO	IAAF World Crosscountry Championships
17 Feb 1978	5	8:39.2		IT	2 mi	San Diego CA/USA	n/a
22 Jan 1978	1	29:44		XC	10 km	Albufiera POR	Amendoeiras em Flor
31 Dec 1977	4	24:14		RD	8.4 km	Sao Paulo BRA	Round the Houses
26 Nov 1977	3	30:44		XC	10 km	Houston TX/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships

“I eat oatmeal most mornings, but I like eggs. Especially if I’m being served by someone! This started as part of my oatmeal, soup and sex diet. I was 30 pounds overweight about five years ago and getting divorced. I started having oatmeal in the morning so I wouldn’t be hungry and wouldn’t skip running at noon. Then I’d have soup at my desk after the run (and I mention the sex because I started dating someone shortly afterward… and sex always makes a story more interesting.)”

http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Meyer.aspx

---

Original Gangsters Of Running (Frank Shorter)

“You don’t run 26 miles at five minutes a mile on good looks and a secret recipe.”

1972. When Frank Shorter won his gold medal in the marathon, I was out running. Be a doer, not a watcher.

Months earlier, I had become addicted to the sport by accident. Felt like an explorer. Normal adult men didn’t run on the streets.

Maybe 1979, I am running a hot hot real hot half marathon in southern Oregon. I am running really fast, which I don’t know, and like I am out of my mind. Which I strongly suspect.

Coming into downtown, toward the finish line, Medford maybe, I feel like Jethro Tull at Woodstock, pushing, pushing, shuffling spastically. My body is so damn hot. I look to my right and there’s a big store window, maybe an insurance office, and I see my reflection and I look exactly like Frank Shorter.

Flowing on my toes like, well, like Frank.

When did you start running and why?

At about ten years old I began to run to and from Junior High school (2.3 miles away-only measured it twenty years later) in Middletown, New York, maybe two days per week. I just enjoyed the feeling of moving across the ground that way.

I also jogged to and from my friend’s houses that were usually more than a mile away (I remember one time running back home in penny loafers because the feeling just struck me to find out how it would feel).

I had a bike I also rode all over town but, again, I just enjoyed the feeling of running.

It was also stress relief from a very physically and mentally abusive environment at home.

Note: I do not recall EVER being given a ride to school, friends’ houses or any athletic event by either of my parents.

Toughest opponent?

Steve Prefontaine. He never gave up. He would race to win until he literally collapsed….or won.

Most memorable run?

The 1972 Olympic Marathon. I trained for months with a plan in mind of how I would race as a front runner. To get in front I was  going to surge early at almost 10k race pace.

“It worked” was my first thought when I crossed the finish line first. 

Biggest disappointment?

Losing to obvious dopers at a time when the all the T&F federations, from bottom to top, did not want to know anything about it and when they were forced to do do something put all their energy into pretending to do be doing something.

“Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose” as the French can say it.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?

Honestly can’t think of anything.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

William of Ockham  1287-1347.   “Entities should not be multiplied without necessity.”  My personal interpretation of Occam’s Razor is “the simplest explanation is usually the best one.”

Special song of the era?

Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Favorite comedian?
Bob Newhart.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  Why do you think you hit that level at that time?

1970-1980. Averaged 17 miles per day for the decade.

What was your edge?

I was able to personalize and simplify (see above) my training and realized what worked best for me as an individual was train like a 5000m runner year round, My intervals twice a week were always run at faster than 5k race pace.

I ran 20 miles every Sunday (never farther). I think both guarded against overuse injuries because I instinctively chose speed over the pounding from plodding.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

None until I turned 40. Then, I began to ride a bike, decided to try duathlons and was World Masters Duathlon Champion two years in a row.

I now ride a spin bike, swim, and walk, jog/walk or jog several days a week.

Olympic Champ Frank Shorter Finds The Togetherness Of The Long-Distance Runner

By Frank W. Martin for People magazine. Updated June 14, 1976 12:00 PM

When he is in peak condition, Frank Shorter looks like a scarecrow on a hunger strike. His cotton racing shorts billow around his beanpole legs, his jersey seems sizes too large, and his face is haggard. But at 28 the spindly Shorter may be the best long-distance runner in the world. He won a gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Olympic Games—the first American to do so in more than 60 years. Now he is the favorite to repeat this summer in Montreal.

“It’s the one day every four years when there is no excuse and you find out who is the best in the world,” says Shorter. “I’m going into my 11th year of long-distance running. And I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older.”

Shorter became a marathon runner almost as an afterthought. The second of nine children, he was born in Munich, West Germany to an American doctor and his wife, who subsequently moved to Middletown, N.Y. He prepped at Mount Hermon in Mount Hermon, Mass., where he concentrated on skiing. As a premed student at Yale Shorter dabbled in track, but he was less than dedicated. “He’d run a meet on Saturday, then take off for skiing in Vermont and come back on Tuesday,” recalls his coach, Bob Giegengack, who directed the Olympic team in 1964.

Between Frank’s junior and senior years his attitude changed. “I wanted to see what I could do if I really was in good shape,” Shorter says. Each day he ran 20 miles in the thin mountain air of Taos, N.Mex., where his parents had settled. When he returned to New Haven in the fall, he was ready. “He had become much more confident,” says a former teammate, Steve Boyer. “Once in a six-mile race at Penn, we had all run uphill for the first quarter of the race. At the top, Frank turned around and yelled ‘Goodbye,’ challenging us to keep up. One guy got teed but he passed out.”

After trying med school for three months at the University of New Mexico, Shorter dropped out in favor of running. He knocked around the racing circuit for six months, sometimes with girlfriend Louise Gilliland, a liberal arts major at the University of Colorado whom he had met on a ski slope in Taos. Frank and Louise were married in the summer of 1970 and lived out of knapsacks in the U.S. and Europe while he competed in distance events. In the fall of that year they settled into a basement apartment in Boulder, Colo., earning their rent plus $50 a month by babysitting the kids upstairs. To make ends meet Frank stood in line each month for food stamps. “That was demeaning,” he recalls. In the spring of 1971 he enrolled in the University of Florida law school. “I guess I had to do something,” he says, “to satisfy the puritan ethic in me.”

Frank graduated in 1974 and passed his Colorado bar exam in 1975. He worked part-time for a legal firm in Boulder until April when he decided to train full-time for the Olympics. His life with Louise is quiet. She reads, cooks and does minor carpentry around the house. “His life,” she says, “is centered around training.” Twice daily, frequently with Louise or other long-distance runners at his side, Frank jogs up the mountain paths near their home.

The cruel sport consumes him. “Even if I weren’t training for the Olympics,” he confesses, “I’d probably be out there anyway—running with my friends.”

“The entire room was rapt, silent,” Beardsley recalls. “I was stunned. I’ve known Frank for years, and I’d never heard any of this. None of us had. Bill always looks sort of dazed, but as Frank spoke he looked even more dazed than usual. Suddenly things about Frank clicked into focus.”

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a21753998/frank-shorters-story/

What is your mile PR?

4:02.6. Gainesville FL all-comers meet ‘74 or ‘75. Byron Dyce ran 3:58 in Adidas Gazelle training flats. Barry Brown 2nd in 3:59. I was 3rd ahead of Marty Liquori.

After, I ran 4 x 400 in 62 seconds to finish the workout. 

Personal Bests

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	5 km	15:05		Nagasaki JPN	05 Nov 1992
RD	10 km	28:50		San Diego CA/USA	05 Apr 1980
RD	15 km	45:14		Portland OR/USA	29 Jun 1980
RD	10 mi	47:34		Cudahy WI/USA	05 Aug 1979
RD	20 km	1:00:59		Chicago IL/USA	01 Jul 1979
RD	Half Mara	1:03:56		Indianapolis IN/USA	14 May 1977
RD	25 km	1:17:56		Youngstown OH/USA	13 Nov 1976
RD	30 km	1:33:06		Kawaguchi JPN	23 Nov 1980
RD	Marathon	2:10:30		Fukuoka JPN	03 Dec 1972
OT	3 km	7:51.4		Oslo NOR	03 Aug 1972
OT	2 mi	8:33.4		Austin TX/USA	02 Apr 1971
OT	5 km	13:26.62		Zurich SUI	24 Aug 1977
OT	10 km	27:45.91		London ENG	29 Aug 1975
IT	2 mi	8:26.2		San Diego CA/USA	19 Feb 1971

Performances

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
15 Aug 2010	990?	1:10:08	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	CIGNA Falmouth Road Race
10 Jun 2007	195	47:38		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
27 Nov 2005	100?	46:07		RD	10 km	Tsukuba JPN	Tsukuba
11 Aug 2002	220?	48:24	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	SBLI Falmouth Road Race
04 Jul 2001	149	20:58	a x	RD	5 km	Little Rock AR/USA	Firecracker Fast
05 Feb 2000	70	20:12		RD	5 km	Hampton VA/USA	Pomoco Group Hampton Coliseum Road Races
22 Aug 1998	8	39:43		RD	10 km	Kona HI/USA	Kona
16 Aug 1998	200	45:18	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
18 Oct 1997	40	36:05		RD	10 km	Indianapolis IN/USA	Citizens Gas Race for Heat
27 Sep 1997	10	36:57		RD	10 km	Marshalltown IA/USA	Oktemberfest
17 Aug 1997	142	42:01	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Falmouth Road Race
02 Mar 1996	40	39:37		RD	10 km	Winter Park FL/USA	Citrus Classic
30 Sep 1995	15	59:25		RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
12 Mar 1995	30	35:12		RD	10 km	Merced CA/USA	County Bank Rascal Creek Run	$75
04 Mar 1995	45	35:49		RD	10 km	Winter Haven FL/USA	Foundation Citrus Classic
19 Mar 1994	80	35:13		RD	10 km	Winter Haven FL/USA	The Foundation Citrus Classic
12 Dec 1993	206	2:58:17		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
20 Mar 1993	40	33:53		RD	10 km	Winter Haven FL/USA	Heart of Florida Citrus Classic
13 Dec 1992	45	2:43:52		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
05 Nov 1992	2	15:05		RD	5 km	Nagasaki JPN	Unzen Charity
19 Sep 1992	30	26:06		RD	8 km	Boston MA/USA	Alamo Alumni Run
07 Sep 1992	14			RD	5 km	Boulder CO/USA	Kickoff Classic
14 Jun 1992	29	33:57		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
15 Mar 1992	DNF	DNF		RD	Half Mara	Sendai JPN	Sendai
14 Mar 1992	21	33:15		RD	10 km	Winter Haven FL/USA	Heart of Florida Citrus Classic
01 Feb 1992	7	26:22		RD	8 km	Orlando FL/USA	Sorbothane/USRA Masters Championships
15 Dec 1991	70	2:44:09		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
10 Nov 1991	15	25:24		RD	5 mi	n/a MA/USA	Alamo Alumni Run
22 Sep 1991	25	26:05		RD	5 mi	Denver CO/USA	Alamo Alumni Run
18 Aug 1991	5?	1:15:51		RD	Half Mara	Reykjavik ISL	Reykjavik
09 Jun 1991	23	32:40		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
27 May 1991	72	32:47		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder	$250
17 Mar 1991	23	33:06		RD	10 km	Torrance CA/USA	Mobil Tom Sullivan St Patrick’s Day
12 Jan 1991	8	26:28		RD	8 km	Naples FL/USA	Sorbothane/USRA Masters Championships
09 Dec 1990	20	2:40:20		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
23 Sep 1990	9	25:39		RD	5 mi	Denver CO/USA	Alamo Alumni Run
28 May 1990	52	32:34		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder	$600
27 May 1990	20	1:12:17		RD	Half Mara	Sognefjord NOR	Vikinglopet
22 Apr 1990	7	25:44		RD	5 mi	Great Falls MT/USA	Ice Breaker Road Race
25 Mar 1990	47	15:20		RD	5 km	Carlsbad CA/USA	Carlsbad
14 Jan 1990	1	2:37:59		RD	Marathon	Urashima JPN	n/a
13 Jan 1990	11	25:26		RD	8 km	Naples FL/USA	ICI/USRA Masters Championships
10 Dec 1989	31	2:38:25		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
07 Dec 1989	1	22:59		RD	7.4 km	Honolulu HI/USA	Diamond Head Duet Run
28 Oct 1989	40	49:11		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
14 Jan 1989	5	25:06		RD	8 km	Naples FL/USA	ICI/USRA Masters Championships	$100
11 Dec 1988	52	2:45:24		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
29 Oct 1988	52	49:02		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run	$275
03 Sep 1988	20	1:26:42		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Run
21 Aug 1988	62	36:26	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
30 Jul 1988	16	37:03		RD	11.27 km	Davenport IA/USA	Quad City Times Bix
09 Jul 1988	15	32:32		RD	10 km	Ames IA/USA	Midnight Madness
12 Jun 1988	19	33:12		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
06 Mar 1988	130			RD	Marathon	Los Angeles CA/USA	City of Los Angeles
13 Feb 1988	52	47:30		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic
07 Feb 1988	25	33:07		RD	10 km	Phoenix AZ/USA	Runner’s Den Y-95
02 Jan 1988	17	31:10		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer	$1,000
13 Dec 1987	14	2:36:54		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
10 Dec 1987	2	22:24		RD	7.4 km	Honolulu HI/USA	Diamondhead Dash
21 Nov 1987	25	30:54		RD	10 km	Birmingham AL/USA	Pepsi Vulcan Run	$250
01 Nov 1987	DNF	DNF	a	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
10 Oct 1987	21	31:59		RD	10 km	Davenport IA/USA	Heartland Hustle
07 Jun 1987	14	31:56		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
25 May 1987	45	31:45		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder	$85
17 May 1987	50?	2:41:40		RD	Marathon	München GER	Olympic City
25 Oct 1986	39	50:16		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
13 Jul 1986	2	1:04:16		RD	20 km	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago Distance Classic
01 Jun 1986	9	31:21		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
08 Dec 1985	21	2:30:36		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
27 Oct 1985	56	2:28:25	a	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
20 Oct 1985	14	30:12		RD	10 km	South Bend IN/USA	SportsMed
14 Sep 1985	2	30:04		RD	10 km	Hutchinson KS/USA	Defeet Diabetes
18 Aug 1985	64	35:10	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
03 Aug 1985	1	31:09		RD	10 km	Erie PA/USA	Quad Games
02 Jun 1985	9	30:51		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
27 May 1985	21	30:38		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
05 May 1985	4	31:01		RD	10 km	Denver CO/USA	Mayor’s Cup
28 Apr 1985	2	24:36		RD	5 mi	Denver CO/USA	Cherry Creek Sneak
06 Apr 1985	11	31:24		RD	10 km	Denver CO/USA	Colorado Heat Run
02 Mar 1985	15	16:51		RD	5 km	Mount Berry GA/USA	Viking Classic
02 Mar 1985	2	31:48		RD	10 km	Mount Berry GA/USA	Viking Classic
22 Nov 1984	1	19:05		RD	4 mi	Denver CO/USA	Turkey Trot
27 Oct 1984	37	48:54		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
01 Jul 1984	1	51:30	a	RD	12 km	Vail CO/USA	Vail Hill Climb
08 Jun 1984	3	29:03.40		OT	10 km	San Jose CA/USA	TAC Championships
03 Jun 1984	7	30:37		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
20 May 1984	2	30:16.65		OT	10 km	Long Beach CA/USA	Long Beach Invitational
04 May 1984	8	29:11.61		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	Oregon Relays
03 Mar 1984	2	15:10		RD	5 km	Rome GA/USA	Viking Classic
19 Feb 1984	DNF	DNF	a	RD	Marathon	Los Angeles CA/USA	Los Angeles International
11 Dec 1983	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
05 Nov 1983	1	47:04		RD	15 km	Boulder CO/USA	Run for the Roses
29 Oct 1983	15	46:30		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
09 Oct 1983	4	30:32		RD	10 km	Denver CO/USA	Governor’s Cup
17 Sep 1983	3	32:00		RD	10 km	Hutchinson KS/USA	Defeet Diabetes
30 May 1983	51	32:10		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
12 May 1983	9	31:11		RD	10 km	Tacoma WA/USA	Heart Run
24 Apr 1983	1	24:39		RD	5 mi	Denver CO/USA	Cherry Creek
26 Mar 1983	5	31:10	a	RD	10 km	Charleston SC/USA	Cooper River Bridge
12 Mar 1983	1	31:05		RD	10 km	Manhattan KS/USA	St Patrick’s
05 Mar 1983	2	31:16		RD	10 km	Mount Perry GA/USA	Viking Classic
20 Feb 1983	3	31:31		RD	10 km	Hallendale FL/USA	Hallendale
12 Dec 1982	5	2:22:16.5		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
06 Nov 1982	1	29:47		RD	10 km	Hutchinson KS/USA	Coors Defeet Diabetes
30 Oct 1982	30	47:55		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
24 Oct 1982	126	2:27:19	a	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
17 Oct 1982	2	30:43		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	Evening Medical Center
04 Sep 1982	2	29:55		RD	10 km	Omaha NE/USA	Septemberfest
07 Aug 1982	4	29:57		RD	10 km	Asbury Park NJ/USA	Asbury Park
24 Jul 1982	3	33:35	x	RD	11.22 km	Davenport IA/USA	Quad-City Times Bix
18 Jul 1982	1	29:18		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	Orange Classic
11 Jul 1982	1	1:01:21		RD	20 km	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago Distance Classic
06 Jun 1982	1	1:05:04		RD	Half Mara	Kansas City MO/USA	Hospital Hill
31 May 1982	6	29:26		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
15 May 1982	3	30:20		RD	10 km	Tacoma WA/USA	Heart Run
02 May 1982	4	47:37	x	RD	10 mi	New York NY/USA	Trevita Twosome
06 Mar 1982	1	29:48		RD	10 km	Mount Berry GA/USA	Frank Shorter Viking Classic
09 Jan 1982	8	30:56		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer
13 Dec 1981	8	2:23:30		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
22 Nov 1981	4	30:40		RD	10 km	Rancho Bernardo CA/USA	North County
08 Nov 1981	3	29:44		RD	10 km	East Lansing MI/USA	East Lansing State Bank
31 Oct 1981	11	45:39		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
25 Oct 1981	116	2:25:45	a x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
27 Sep 1981	3	2:17:27.7		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago
13 Sep 1981	1	30:28		RD	10 km	Glencoe IL/USA	Glencoe Friendship Run
25 Jul 1981	2	33:50		RD	11.27 km	Davenport IA/USA	Quad City Times Bix
12 Jul 1981	1	29:32		RD	10 km	Middletown NY/USA	NY Times Herald Record
05 Jul 1981	1	29:53		RD	10 km	St Louis MO/USA	Veiled Prophet Fair
21 Jun 1981	1	1:01:05		RD	20 km	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago Distance Classic
25 May 1981	1	29:28		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
07 Dec 1980	4	2:20:11		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
23 Nov 1980	4	1:33:06		RD	30 km	Kawaguchi JPN	Kawaguchi-ko
01 Nov 1980	2	45:22		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
28 Sep 1980	9	2:23:38		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago
24 Aug 1980	3	47:11		RD	15 km	Boulder CO/USA	Run for the Roses
04 Jul 1980	4	1:01:30		RD	20 km	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago Distance Classic
29 Jun 1980	15	45:14		RD	15 km	Portland OR/USA	Cascade Run Off
26 May 1980	8	31:30		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
24 May 1980	85	2:23:23.6	a	RD	Marathon	Buffalo NY/USA	US Olympic Trials
27 Apr 1980	7	48:35	x	RD	10 mi	New York NY/USA	Trevira Twosome
05 Apr 1980	2	28:50		RD	10 km	San Diego CA/USA	Nike Club Championships
09 Dec 1979	2	2:17:51		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
25 Nov 1979	1	29:33		RD	10 km	Boston MA/USA	Boston Evening Medical Center
27 Oct 1979	2	45:44		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
21 Oct 1979	7	2:16:14.8	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
14 Oct 1979	3	1:04:11		RD	Half Mara	Dayton OH/USA	River Corridor Classic
29 Sep 1979	1	1:01:33		RD	20 km	The Woodland TX/USA	Gulf AAU Championships
23 Sep 1979	1	29:47	a	RD	10 km	New Orleans LA/USA	Hibernia Crescent City Classic
22 Sep 1979	5	48:23		RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
19 Aug 1979	5	32:43	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
05 Aug 1979	1	47:34		RD	10 mi	Cudahy WI/USA	Schlitz Light Badgerland
28 Jul 1979	1	29:29.9		OT	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	National Sports Festival
21 Jul 1979	1	29:11		RD	10 km	Denver CO/USA	n/a
07 Jul 1979	3	29:06.4		OT	10 km	San Juan PUR	Pan American Games
01 Jul 1979	1	1:00:59		RD	20 km	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago Lung Association Distance Classic
17 Jun 1979	3	28:26.6		OT	10 km	Walnut CA/USA	AAU Championships
28 May 1979	2	30:11		RD	10 km	Boulder CO/USA	Bolder Boulder
28 Apr 1979	3	48:34	x	RD	10 mi	New York NY/USA	Trevira Twosome
16 Apr 1979	75	2:21:57	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
13 Jan 1979	4	2:23:41		RD	Marathon	Miami FL/USA	Orange Bowl
16 Dec 1978	3	29:28		RD	10 km	Tampa FL/USA	Schlitz Light
28 Oct 1978	4	46:38		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run
22 Oct 1978	12	2:19:32	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
23 Sep 1978	24	30:46		RD	10 km	Purchase NY/USA	Run America Run
16 Sep 1978	14	52:16		RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
03 Sep 1978	5	32:59		RD	10 km	Santa Fe NM/USA	Santa Fe Trail
17 Apr 1978	23	2:18:17	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
19 Mar 1978	1	48:36		RD	10 mi	Crowley LA/USA	n/a
23 Oct 1977	DNF	DNF	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
02 Oct 1977	16?	41:55		RD	12.87 km	Boston MA/USA	n/a
02 Sep 1977	6	28:52.5		OT	10 km	Düsseldorf GER	World Cup
24 Aug 1977	9	13:26.62		OT	5 km	Zurich SUI	Weltklasse Zurich
21 Aug 1977	5	33:24	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
04 Jul 1977	1	29:20	a	RD	10 km	Atlanta GA/USA	Peachtree Road Race
12 Jun 1977	1	30:32		RD	10 km	Green Bay WI/USA	Bellin Run
11 Jun 1977	1	28:19.76		OT	10 km	Westwood CA/USA	AAU Championships
14 May 1977	1	1:03:56		RD	Half Mara	Indianapolis IN/USA	500 Festival
01 May 1977	1	38:26		RD	12 km	Spokane WA/USA	Bloomsday
19 Feb 1977	1	8:27.4		IT	2 mi	San Diego CA/USA	n/a
11 Feb 1977	2			IT	3 mi	Toronto ON/CAN	n/a
13 Nov 1976	1	1:17:56		RD	25 km	Youngstown OH/USA	International Peace Race
07 Nov 1976	1	30:54		RD	10 km	Phoenix AZ/USA	Phoenix
24 Oct 1976	2	2:13:12	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
18 Sep 1976	2			RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
04 Sep 1976	1	1:14:26		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Classic
15 Aug 1976	1	33:14	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
31 Jul 1976	2	2:10:45.8		RD	Marathon	Montreal PQ/CAN	Olympic Games
22 Jun 1976	1	27:55.45		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	Olympic Trials
22 May 1976	1	2:11:51		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
17 Apr 1976	1	14:17.2		OT	5 km	Lawrence KS/USA	Kansas Relays
27 Feb 1976	4	13:16.4		IT	3 mi	New York NY/USA	AAU Championships
20 Dec 1975	14	27:43		XC	8.6 km	London ENG	Crystal Palace
04 Oct 1975	1	2:16:29	a	RD	Marathon	Crowley LA/USA	International Rice Festival
28 Sep 1975	2	55:02		RD	18.5 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank
20 Sep 1975	2	48:17		RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
29 Aug 1975	2	27:45.91		OT	10 km	London ENG	n/a
20 Aug 1975	1	13:32.98		OT	5 km	Zurich SUI	Weltklasse Zurich
17 Aug 1975	1	33:24	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
07 Jul 1975	2	13:29.6		OT	5 km	Nykoping SWE	n/a
30 Jun 1975	1	27:51.74		OT	10 km	Stockholm SWE	Dagens Nyheter Gala
26 Jun 1975	4	28:11.03		OT	10 km	Helsinki FIN	TOP Games
21 Jun 1975	1	28:02.17		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	AAU Championships
07 Jun 1975	1	13:00.8		OT	3 mi	Eugene OR/USA	n/a
25 Mar 1975	5	30:42		XC	9.5 km	Milan ITA	n/a
25 Mar 1975	5			XC	9.5 km	San Vittore Olona ITA	Cinque Mulini
16 Mar 1975	20	36:25		XC	12 km	Rabat MAR	IAAF Crosscountry Championships
09 Feb 1975	1	46:32.1		XC	15 km	Gainesville FL/USA	AAU Championships
15 Dec 1974	4	2:33:32		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
08 Dec 1974	1	2:11:31.2		RD	Marathon	Fukuoka JPN	Fukuoka
30 Nov 1974	11	30:57		XC	10 km	Belmont CA/USA	AAU Championships
15 Sep 1974	1	13:44.0		OT	5 km	Rieti ITA	Rieti Meeting
25 Aug 1974	2	8:39.6		OT	2 mi	Brussels BEL	n/a
16 Aug 1974	2	13:36.45		OT	5 km	Zurich SUI	Weltklasse Zurich
03 Aug 1974	1	46:32		RD	15 km	Littleton CO/USA	AAU Championships
24 Jul 1974	3	13:34.0		OT	5 km	Turin ITA	Meeting Internazionale Città di Torino
21 Jul 1974	1	13:49.6		OT	5 km	Siena ITA	Meeting dell’Amicizia
01 Jul 1974	2	28:11.03		OT	10 km	Stockholm SWE	Dagens Nyheter Games
22 Jun 1974	1	28:16.0		OT	10 km	Westwood CA/USA	AAU Championships
21 Jun 1974	2	13:34.6		OT	5 km	Westwood CA/USA	AAU Championships
08 Jun 1974	2	12:52.0		OT	3 mi	Eugene OR/USA	n/a
18 May 1974	1	27:09.6		OT	6 mi	Gainesville FL/USA	n/a
24 Mar 1974	2	31:19		XC	9.5 km	San Vittore Olana ITA	Cinque Mulini
22 Feb 1974	2	13:18.0		IT	3 mi	New York NY/USA	AAU Championships
02 Dec 1973	1	2:11:45.0		RD	Marathon	Fukuoka JPN	Fukuoka
24 Nov 1973	1	29:52		XC	10 km	Gainesville FL/USA	AAU Championships
20 May 1973	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Vantaa FIN	Korson
03 May 1973	1	28:46.3		OT	10 km	Cali COL	n/a
26 Apr 1973	5	15:11.8		OT	5 km	Bogota COL	n/a
25 Mar 1973	1	31:00.8		XC	9.5 km	San Vittore Olana ITA	Cinque Mulini
18 Mar 1973	1	2:12:03		RD	Marathon	Otsu JPN	Biwa-ko
03 Dec 1972	1	2:10:30		RD	Marathon	Fukuoka JPN	Fukuoka
25 Nov 1972	1	30:42		XC	10 km	Chicago IL/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
01 Oct 1972	1	55:46.6		RD	18.6 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank
10 Sep 1972	1	2:12:19.8		RD	Marathon	Münichen GER	Olympic Games
03 Sep 1972	5	27:51.32		OT	10 km	Münichen GER	Olympic Games
31 Aug 1972	3	27:58.23		OT	10 km	Münichen GER	Olympic Games- Heat 2
03 Aug 1972	6	7:51.4		OT	3 km	Oslo NOR	n/a
09 Jul 1972	1=	2:15:57.8		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
02 Jul 1972	1	28:35.6		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
16 Jun 1972	2	28:12.0		OT	10 km	Seattle WA/USA	AAU Championships
29 Apr 1972	1	27:38.0		OT	6 mi	Des Moines IA/USA	Drake Relays
05 Dec 1971	1	2:12:50.4		RD	Marathon	Fukuoka JPN	Fukuoka
27 Nov 1971	1	29:19		XC	6 mi	San Diego CA/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
14 Nov 1971	7	1:12:25	x	RD	20 km	Gainesville FL/USA	n/a
25 Sep 1971	4	56:59.4		RD	18.6 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank International
05 Aug 1971	1	2:22:47		RD	Marathon	Cali COL	Pan-American Games
31 Jul 1971	1	28:50.83		OT	10 km	Cali COL	Pan-American Games
02 Jul 1971	2	28:41.6		OT	10 km	Berkeley CA/USA	Soviet Union vs USA
26 Jun 1971	3	13:02.4		OT	3 mi	Eugene OR/USA	National AAU Championships
26 Jun 1971	1	27:27.2		OT	6 mi	Eugene OR/USA	National AAU Championships
06 Jun 1971	2	2:17:44.6		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	AAU Championships
15 May 1971	2	13:35.0		OT	5 km	Bakersfield CA/USA	n/a
24 Apr 1971	1	27:24.3		OT	6 mi	Des Moines IA/USA	Drake Relays
24 Apr 1971	1	13:07.0		OT	3 mi	Des Moines IA/USA	Drake Relays
17 Apr 1971	1	13:08.6		OT	3 mi	Lawrence KS/USA	Kansas Relays
02 Apr 1971	2	8:33.4		OT	2 mi	Austin TX/USA	n/a
20 Mar 1971	1	1:03:00		RD	20 km	Manhattan KS/USA	n/a
26 Feb 1971	1	13:10.6		IT	3 mi	New York NY/USA	AAU Indoor Championships
19 Feb 1971	3	8:26.2		IT	2 mi	San Diego CA/USA	n/a
07 Jan 1971	1	21:15.8		RD	7.5 km	Brasilia BRA	n/a
31 Dec 1970	1	24:27.4		RD	8.4 km	Sao Paulo BRA	Round the Houses
28 Nov 1970	1	30:15.7		XC	10 km	Chicago IL/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
25 Nov 1970	1	29:01.3		XC	6 mi	University Park PA/USA	USTFF Crosscountry Championships
27 Sep 1970	1	19:52.8		RD	7 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank International
11 Aug 1970	7?	7:57.8		OT	3 km	Cologne GER	n/a
05 Aug 1970	1	28:32.6		OT	10 km	Oslo NOR	Bislett Games
29 Jul 1970	3			OT	5 km	Stockholm SWE	n/a
23 Jul 1970	1	28:22.8		OT	10 km	Leningrad RUS	n/a
08 Jul 1970	2	13:42.4		OT	5 km	Colombes FRA	n/a
27 Jun 1970	1	13:24.2		OT	3 mi	Bakersfield CA/USA	National AAU Championships
27 Jun 1970	1=	27:24.0		OT	6 mi	Bakersfield CA/USA	National AAU Championships
20 Jun 1970	3	8:42.0		OT	2 mi	Orange CA/USA	n/a
06 Jun 1970	4	13:54.4		OT	5 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	n/a
30 May 1970	2	13:13.8		OT	3 mi	Berkeley CA/USA	n/a
16 May 1970	2	13:46.8		OT	5 km	Villanova PA/USA	n/a
24 Apr 1970	2	13:15.6		OT	3 mi	Des Moines IA/USA	Drake Relays
24 Apr 1970	1=	28:24.0		OT	6 mi	Des Moines IA/USA	Drake Relays
27 Feb 1970	2	13:29.8		IT	3 mi	New York NY/USA	National AAU Championships
12 Aug 1969	1	29:16.4		OT	10 km	London ENG	n/a
28 Jun 1969	4	28:52.0		OT	6 mi	Miami FL/USA	AAU Championships
18 Aug 1968	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Alamosa CO/USA	US Olympic Trials
15 Nov 1965	10	15:17.0		XC	3 mi	Bronx NY/USA	IC4A Freshman Race

Taking A Walk With Frank

I remember in particular many black & white photos of Frank Shorter.

I’d stare at them and read about his adventures.

Put pictures in my mind where I looked just like him, bigger and slower, sure, but somehow like Frank.

Then I’d take those pictures out for a run.

My marathon PR is 2:46:07.

I will die knowing I could’ve gone ten minutes faster if everything had worked out right.

You don’t run 26 miles at six minutes and seventeen seconds a mile on good looks and a secret recipe.

Thank you, sir.

One Comment On “Original Gangsters Of Running (Frank Shorter)”

1. June 21, 2020 at 5:17 pm. From one Bill Rodgers: “There would be a very Incomplete Original Gangsters of Running without Frank!”

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Jon Anderson)

“First of all you have to have a goal, then you have to have a plan to get to that goal, Bowerman taught me that.”

I know what it’s like to have run the 1973 BAA Marathon.

Jon Anderson knows what it’s like to have won Boston ’73.

The race occurred on, felt like the first day of summer. Train all winter long, freeze your yahoo off, get to the big race and it’s hotter than hell.

Wouldn’t it be something to be a runner who could do that, I wondered.

I remember I had to walk up steps backwards and there was beef stew.

When did you start running and why?

I started running in 1966 at age 16 to get in shape for my high school senior year ski season. Ran three miles almost every day in the spring of junior year and the following summer. I recall my first mile “race” was 5:10 in a joggers’ mile in the All-Comer meets probably in early July 1966.  This was after just a couple of months of the three miles per day.

I decided to go out for cross-country since I was running almost every day. I ended up the top runner on a mediocre team in my second cross country race. The ‘bit was in my teeth.’  I skied competitively that season while still running regularly, then turned out for the track team. When I let my Dad know I was going to keep running, he told me “Go see Bill.”

Our family and the Bowerman family have been friends going back to about 1950, as my father had worked with Bill when both were at the University of Oregon. I met with Bill around the turn of the year. He taught me the hard-easy approach, along with ‘date pace’ and ‘goal pace’ interval training. I started the program he wrote for me in the winter.

I made it to the state meet that spring by beating Steve Prefontaine for third place in the district meet two-mile. And, yes, that was the only time I beat Pre in our careers. I placed 8^th in the two-mile at the state meet.

Toughest opponent?

In college, Tom Spengler of Harvard and I had a friendly rivalry. He was tough and faster than I was. Senior year was memorable for both of us. He beat me easily at Franklin Park in Boston in our cross-country dual meet, but I trained through the dual meets we had back then. I came back in the Heptagonal Conference cross-country championships and turned things around, beating him handily at Van Cortlandt Park. But in both indoor and outdoor track league championships, his better finishing speed resulted in two 2^nd places for me in the two-mile, finishing behind him by a yard indoors and several yards outdoors.

After college, there were too many tough runners to pick just one.  I feel fortunate to have reached the level I did and got to compete against a lot of guys who were tough.

I know you can do better than that.

Okay, okay. Shorter, Rodgers, and Prefontaine. I was in the same race with them many times, but they were WAY better (so ”tougher”?, I guess) than I was.  And, I’ll add Tom Fleming. Anytime we were in the same race, he motivated me since I always wanted to beat him. He’d usually go out hard because his speed was suspect like mine but even more so from what I could tell. 

Most memorable runs?

In training – In 1972, Steve Savage and I took an evening run from Bowdoin College, where the Olympic team assembled prior to going overseas. We went out on one of the ‘necks’ that extend into the Atlantic Ocean, called Merepoint. I think we covered about 15 miles out and back. Beautiful evening. On the way back in the dusk, we passed fields that were filled with ‘fireflies.’ 

I probably could recall many more that are right up there.  A few …

A long run alone from the training center at Sognsveien in Oslo, Norway, in 1972 up to a small Stavekirche in the woods. Getting lost in Rome with Savage later that summer. In later years, some great group runs on the McKenzie River Trail; one with Damien Koch in which we hammered on each other in the last few miles of a 15-miler. In the Bay Area, I enjoyed parking at Stanford’s Angel Field and running out to Woodside alone or with some other runners who were in the area.

In competition – A tie for first … 1972 Olympic Trials 10,000 meters and the Boston Marathon win. How could I pick one over the other?

In 1972, I initially pointed to the Olympic Trials marathon after running and winning my first in mid-December 1971 on a rolling course near Petaluma, California in 2:23:44.

In June, I placed 8^th in the AAU Nationals 10K in Seattle a couple of weeks prior to the Trials. (They held the Nationals separate from the Trials back then.) But I was the 6^th American, as two Mexicans were in front of me. My time of 28:35 was under the qualification time for the Olympic Games, so I entered the 10K in Eugene.

The format for several Olympics in the 10K starting in 1972 included qualifying trials sections, two days off, then the final. This was a result of the 50-plus runners that ran the 10K in Mexico City. I easily made the final, getting some recognition for finishing ahead of Gerry Lindgren, among others, in the trial. Plus, I was a local and my father was in his first term as Eugene’s mayor.

The final was on a hot (about 95 degrees) evening. I hung back while Frank Shorter (who all knew would dominate the field) took off, hoping to burn out everyone except his Florida TC teammates Jeff Galloway and Jack Bachelor.  It almost worked. But I made up 8 seconds in the last lap to pass Bachelor about 50 meters from the finish to get the third spot on the team.

Jack was struggling for sure (I ran a last lap of 63+ and his was 71+). I recall passing Tom Laris with maybe 1 or 2 miles to go and moving into fourth. Knowing that is the worst spot one could finish in, I had plenty of motivation to run for third. Cheers, etc., followed me around the track as the spectators saw me gradually closing on Bachelor and knew that he was feeling the heat. With about 200 meters to go, the entire stadium erupted and swept me past Jack and to the finish line for a place on the team.

I had long promised myself I would run the Boston Marathon and decided 1973 would be the year.  I ran a ‘workout’ marathon (West Valley Marathon) on February 11, placing third in 2:23:57. This was my third marathon. It was a five-loop course, I think, and I ran the first couple with Jim Dare, Francie Larrieu, and Duncan Macdonald. For some reason after that, I briefly doubted my fitness and wondered if I should go that year.

But things came back together quickly. Included in March was my first marriage on March 10 in Oregon, some skiing at Mt. Bachelor for a couple of days after that and a 3 hour and 18 minute run on March 25 when back in San Mateo. I traveled to Boston by ‘red eye’ on Friday night, April 13 (race was on April 16). My father footed the bill, so I stayed right near the finish line at the Copley Plaza. It was a short walk to the buses to get out to the start.

I was ‘under the radar’ as a marathoner and drew no interest from the press. If I recall correctly, back then the start was at noon. The race was on a warm to hot day. I rode the bus out with the masses (a Google search indicates there were 1,574 entries that year). Jeff Galloway and I hooked up out in Hopkinton somehow. He knew Amby Burfoot from their Wellesley College days and we ended up with a group of competitive runners in someone’s (Amby’s?) apartment very near the starting line.

The group may have included John Vitale, Rick Bayko, Russ Pate and Ron Wayne. The last two were on the Oregon Track Club winning team (Do they have that competition at Boston anymore?). It was warm enough that we didn’t need to warm up much. Jeff had more marathon experience than I did as he had run Boston the previous two years and the Olympic Trials in 1972, so I decided to stick with him at the start.

German Lutz Phillip took off early. I don’t recall when I left Jeff but together we picked off some guys that were slipping back. I passed the leader Olavi Soumilainen, the previous year’s winner, on Heartbreak Hill. I was told later that it was very close to the 20 mile mark. From there, it was literally mostly downhill, and my thighs screamed.

Motivation overcame that and I entered downtown Boston just as the Red Sox game had finished. The place was packed. The finish line was not as elaborate as it is now, but I saw a ‘sea’ of photographers just past the line, so I crossed it and jogged back up the street to celebrate in front of the large crowd. The Finnish community near Boston had painted an extra ‘N’ so on the pavement the finish line read “FINNISH.”  That night Tom Fleming and I partied with the Finns at The Lenox Hotel. The next morning, I gathered my things together, walked to the subway station and got myself to Logan Airport.

It was a different running world back then. Jock Semple operated and saved the Boston Marathon on a shoestring budget.

Biggest disappointment?

I suppose not running in the 1976 Olympic Trials. I had a sciatica issue throughout my career (still do) and it flared up just prior to the Trials.  I had planned to run only the marathon and while many (most?) considered me a long shot, I did not.

Also, running too conservatively in my fifth marathon in Fukuoka, Japan, a trip I earned as the Boston winner (late 1973). I was fourth in 2:15:53, but still inexperienced in the marathon.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Why?

I would race more at shorter distances. When I started running back in high school, I already knew I did not have great foot speed based on my experience in other sports growing up. I tried to develop my speed in training. In college and after, I rarely raced anything shorter than a two- mile. Time trials and interval training only take you so far. I wish I had competed more at shorter distances to experience the difference from longer races. This may have given my not-so-great finish a boost.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

No philosopher to name or quote to quote. However, two people (outside of immediate family and close friends) I think of who influenced me in subtle ways come to mind – Dan Browning and Arthur Ashe. Dan Browning was my high school chemistry teacher. He ‘marched to his own drummer,’ raising and training Golden Retrievers, his real passion (though he was a very good teacher as well). Arthur Ashe rose to the top of his sport and faced racism in it and elsewhere with grace, dignity and humility, several attributes we should all try to incorporate in our lives.

Special song of the era?

Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac. “Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone … ooh, don’t you look back.”

Favorite comedian?

Back in the day – Jonathan Winters

No longer with us – Robin Williams

Currently – Stephen Colbert

What was your ‘best stretch’ of running’?  

That’s an easy one – 1972-1973.  I made the Olympic Team in the 10K and won the Boston Marathon.

And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

I applied for and was granted conscientious objector status to avoid going to Viet Nam (In the first draft lottery my number was 72). I ended up working in a hospital kitchen in San Mateo, California, from Fall 1971 to Fall 1973. My days were 1) Sleep, 2) Morning run (on workdays up at 5:30am and run five miles to work), 3) Jog back home about a mile away, 4) Nap, 5) Workout, 6) Eat, 7) Relax, then repeat beginning back at #1. Clearly, this focus and schedule toughened me. I did get time off from the draft board prior to the Olympic Trials (about a month), then for the Olympic Team travel and competition. During these years, I also hooked up with a bunch of passionate and very good Bay Area runners, who either were members of or associated with the West Valley Track Club (included were Jack Leydig, Don Kardong, Tom Laris, Duncan Macdonald, Jim Dare, Peter Duffy, Greg Brock, Darren George, Alvaro Mejia, Victor Mora, Domingo Tibaduiza among them).

What was your edge?

Knowing how to rest properly prior to a major competition. I saw some talented runners who seemed unwilling to just jog a few miles in the several days prior to a big race. Also, regular long Sunday runs of 20-25 miles.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

My coach in college, Jack Warner, had us do circuit training. But once I left college, I let that slip. I did do some light weight training for my upper body at times.  After I had both Achilles tendons scraped in 1977-1978, I did a lot more stretching which helped take some pressure off the tendons. I missed two years of competition (the two surgeries were spaced six months apart) and was fortunate to get back into it in 1979 to enjoy the running boom days of the early 1980s.

I see some OGORs noted their PRs.  Here are some of mine:

1500 – 3:50.3

Mile – 4:12.3

3000 – 8:09.5

2 mile – 8:45.4

Steeplechase – 9:00.9

5000 – 13:45.8

10000 – 28:34.2

1 hour (Track) – 12 miles 618 yards

Marathon – 2:12:03

10 miles (Road) – 47:46

Concluding…

I was lucky to have great support from my father. I started working for the family business when I returned to Eugene in late 1973. I gradually learned the business, while balancing work, training, and family. I eventually became the sole owner of the company. 

But I was able to continue training and competing until Fall 1984 due to some flexibility in work hours. A point of pride – I ran my second and third fastest marathons that last year, winning one in Sydney, Australia.

Several factors led to my ‘retirement’ from competition. The main one: I was 35 years old. At that age after all the running I had done, I figured any PRs were behind me.

“Why not think about times to come … yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone.”

Step By Step: Anderson ’71 Stars On National Stage

By Adam Bronfin For The Cornell Daily Sun. August 23, 2016

On the hottest day of the year, in the center of the track and field universe, Jon Anderson ’71 had just about lost hope.

He was approaching the final lap of the US Olympic trials for the 10,000 meter. Held in Eugene, Oregon, Anderson’s hometown, the time trials would determine who would make up the United States’ Olympic delegation in Munich.

Anderson, in fourth, saw his chances at being an Olympian slipping away. The top-three finishers would qualify outright to the 1972 games, while fourth earned a place as the alternate runner.

“I’m in fourth and I’m thinking ‘This is worthless. This is the worst spot to be in,’” Anderson said.

He knew, as a reserve, it would be incredibly unlikely that he’d get to represent his country at the games. Fourth place would mean sitting on the couch, hoping that one of the qualifiers would get a stress fracture. Fourth place would mean being so close to earning the vaunted status of Olympian, but not actually attaining the honor.

“I just started running as hard as I could,” he said.

And so, revered as if he wore Oregon green, Anderson was cheered on by the thousands of spectators in the stadium. As he made his way around the track, the noise followed him, almost pushing him forward towards the finish line and towards Munich.

“All of a sudden, with about 200 meters to go, I can remember feeling that the noise got even louder,” Anderson said. “It was like I got swept in.”

Anderson made up eight seconds on the final lap, sprinting to pass an exhausted Jack Bacheler with just 50 meters to go. He improbably took third in the race, sealing his spot to the upcoming Munich Olympics.

“In hindsight, I could not have done that anywhere else,” Anderson said, of winning in front of the hometown crowd.

Growing Up in the Track Capital

Before Michael flew and LeBron amazed, before Tiger roared and Serena dominated, there was Jon Anderson and a pair of hastily assembled Nike shoes.

Since Anderson laced up those classic white sneakers with the now-ubiquitous swoosh, Nike has sold hundreds of millions of shoes and has become a cultural and style icon. Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, the unofficial capital of track and field and the birthplace of Nike, Anderson — an Olympian in 1972 and the winner of the 1973 Boston Marathon — was the first athlete ever to win a sporting event in a pair of Nikes.

Anderson grew up in a skiing family. With the help of his dad — the former mayor of Eugene — and a few other parents, Anderson and his brother started a competitive ski team in high school. Anderson got his start in track and field while training for the ski season during the offseason.

“The spring of my junior year I started dry land training which included jogging,” Anderson said. “And jogging became running and I tried out for cross country and that was it.”

The Andersons were family friends with Bill Bowerman, one of the co-founders of Nike. Anderson received shoes from Bowerman over the years, but, more importantly, he received advice. Bowerman was, after all, the longtime coach of the Oregon track and field team and is largely considered responsible for shifting the track and field axis to the Pacific Northwest college town.

“When I got into running, after my cross country skiing season, I was a senior in high school,” Anderson recalled. “My dad said you got to go up and talk to Bill if you’re going to go out for track.”

Anderson made the trip out to Bowerman’s house and, sitting at the dining room table, Bowerman offered him a green sheet of paper, a training program that would guide Anderson through his running career.

“His basic idea was that — this may sound obvious now, but it wasn’t back then — when you train, you train hard one day and then rest your body the next so that it can recover to a higher level of fitness, but the overall straight line is upwards,” Anderson said.

Bowerman also taught him to establish reachable targets and work tirelessly towards them. Talking about his life, Anderson returns to this concept of “the reachable carrot” often. It’s always been about setting attainable goals and coming up with plans to achieve these objectives.

From his days training as a skier in high school to running track in college to competing at the highest international level, he has consistently motivated himself incrementally forward, taking it “one step after another.”

‘What else am I going to do? I’m going to run.’

Anderson enrolled in Cornell in the fall of 1968 and immediately joined the track and field team. According to Anderson, the squad had fallen on “some hard times” in the years prior to his joining the program. He credits long-time coach of the program Jack Warner for reinvigorating the team and bringing it back to prominence. Warner began his 25-year career with the Red around the same time that Anderson entered Cornell as a freshman.

“Jack Warner knew how to build a team,” Anderson said. “Even though a lot of people think that track is individual, there is a team aspect to it. We had a team attitude and in my four years, you could see it develop.”

After struggling to adjust to all the challenges that come with being a freshman in college, Anderson really got involved with the team sophomore year, spending time with the guys both in and out of practice.

After a successful junior season that included a third place finish in the NCAA in the six-mile, Anderson went to a training camp held by the US Olympic committee back home in Eugene. Spending time with other runners, many of whom were several years out of college, Anderson realized that running could be something to pursue after graduation.

Late in his senior year, Anderson’s season was truncated when he suffered a broken foot at the Ivy championships, ending his collegiate running career. After graduating, Anderson drew a low number in the Vietnam War draft and moved to California.

After traveling to watch the Beijing and London Olympics, Anderson skipped this month’s Rio games.

“I became a conscientious objector working in a kitchen in San Francisco for two years,” Anderson said. “What else am I going to do? I’m going to run.”

Life was simple in San Francisco. Each morning, Anderson would wake up at 5:30 a.m. and run five miles to work at a kitchen in a small cafe in a hospital. After a day of work, he’d run home — albeit this time at a slower pace, taking a more direct route. A quick nap later, Anderson would go out again and train. It was “eat, sleep, run, work.”

Working in the kitchen allowed Anderson to concentrate on his running and to set goals for himself, always making sure the goals were within reach.

He credits the simplicity of the San Francisco days for the success he would find later in his career.

“There was some kind of toughness that developed out of that and some focus as well,” Anderson said. “I didn’t have any distractions.”

On the World’s Biggest Stage

After months of working in the kitchen, Anderson was granted some leave time from his job in order to compete in the Olympic Trials back in Eugene. He had originally planned to only compete in the marathon, but a conversation with a fellow runner named Bill Clarke helped change Anderson’s mind.

“The gist of the conversation from Bill and my thoughts was kind of ‘why not run the 10K?’” Anderson recalled.

The initial trials and the finals for the 10,000 meter were held early in the 10-day meet, and then Anderson planned on having about a week to rest for the marathon, the event he was most focused on.

Despite his status as a “hometown boy,” Anderson admits that many of the local track fans were surprised he even made the finals for the 10,000 meter yet there he was, on a sweltering 95-degree day in Eugene, ready to race some of the most talented runners in the nation.

After the gun, the heat caused the pack to string out pretty quickly. Anderson had laid back, allowing some of the other runners to burn out. After keeping a slow pace for much of the race, he worked his way back into the fray, moving into fourth place with about a lap to go.

His remarkable comeback, passing Jack Bacheler on the final sprint, earned him a spot on the 1972 Olympic team. With his ticket to Munich booked, Anderson opted not to run the marathon in the trials.

While he didn’t find the same magic at the Olympics that he found at the trials, Anderson still considers competing at the games one of the highlights of his track career.

Walking into the Olympic stadium with the rest of Team USA was like nothing the then 23-year-old had ever experienced.

“There was just this huge rush,” Anderson said. “Because we were the U.S. team, the whole place went crazy when we came in. Probably only the German team got a bigger welcome.”

After Anderson was done competing, he took some time to enjoy the city, running the Olympic marathon route with some of his friends, just for fun. “We set the course record,” he recounted casually.

The Olympics were overshadowed by a terrorist attack on Israeli athletes and Anderson watched the events unfold from the edges of the athlete’s village. A darkness hung over the games following the attacks and Anderson actually left early, skipping the closing ceremonies all together.

Throughout college, Anderson never made competing in the Olympics his target destination. Instead of having these “dreamy” goals of representing his country, Anderson focused on what was in reach at the moment, then set about accomplishing that.

“First of all you have to have a goal, then you have to have a plan to get to that goal, Bowerman taught me that” Anderson said. “Lay out that plan and review it with some regularity and adjust it if you have to, because things happen.”

‘It was definitely worth it’

Back in the U.S., Anderson returned to his regiment of training, working and occasionally competing. After racing in a few marathons, he set his sights on the Boston Marathon, one of the world’s most popular track events.

Like the 10,000-meter Olympic trial held nearly a year before, the day of the race was another hot day. Again, the heat strung out the runners and Anderson hung back, keeping pace with some of his friends. At about the halfway point, Anderson had positioned himself just inside the top 10. As the temperatures pushed past 80 and the sun continued to beat down hard, he began to make his move.

One-by-one, Anderson passed his competitors, moving closer towards etching his name in the history of the famed marathon.

Finally, all that lay ahead of him was Olavi Suomalainen, six miles and the incline nickname “Heartbreak Hill.” Suomalainen, a 26-year-old from Finland, was the defending champion and the favorite entering the race. There was a large contingent of Finnish supporters in Boston and they had let everyone know they believed Suomalainen would be the one winning the race by painting an extra ‘N’ on the Finish Line sign on the asphalt at the end of the race.

At the start of Heartbreak Hill, Anderson inched past Suomalainen, taking the lead, a position he would retain for the rest of the race.

“Once I realized I was in the lead, I never ran so hard,” Anderson said. “It was all downhill after Heartbreak Hill and it was painful, but I obviously was motivated. When your legs are tired, the beating they take is something else on a downhill.”

After crossing the finish line, Anderson jogged back the way he came, soaking in the victory. To cool off, he jumped in a fountain and let the water wash over him.

“The next day walking down the steps was difficult,” Anderson said with a laugh. “It was definitely worth it.”

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GCR:

One of your fellow Olympic teammates and Oregonians was Steve Prefontaine who is larger than life due to his athletic achievements and early tragic death. Did you spend much training, travel and social time with Pre and what are some memories you would like to share?

JA

I didn’t train much with Pre as it would have been hard to keep up with him and my training was so different. We spent social time and travel time together. After the Olympics we both ran in a meet in Rome in the 1960 Olympic Stadium. I raced in Rieti and he may have also. Pre’s high school coach Walt McClure always talked about how there was one time in high school when I beat Pre to get a spot in the State track meet and that was one of several things in high school that lit a fire under Pre. He had expected to make it to State, but I finished in the third and final spot in our District meet. I guess he was pissed off enough that it added a little kindling to the fire, though he never mentioned it to me.

http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Anderson.aspx

One Comment On “Original Gangsters Of Running (Jon Anderson)”

1. July 12, 2020 at 5:52 pm   Great read!
   He was my first Nike hero, the year I opened my all Nike shoe store, 1972, in Long Beach, Ca.
   The store failed but it got me the job with Nike in Jan 1973!
   Nelson Farris

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Ruth Wysocki)

Real comedy doesn’t just make people laugh and think, but makes them laugh and change. – Sam Kinison

Ruth Wysocki was a member of the 1984 United States Olympic team which competed in Los Angeles in the 800 and 1,500 meters, finishing 6th and 8th, respectively. She was champion in the 1,500 meters at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials. Wysocki competed five times in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Ruth finished seventh at 1,500 meters at the 1995 World Track and Field Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

She was the 1978 AAU 800 meter champion and 1968 national age group cross country champion. Her personal best times include: 800m – 1:58.47; 1,000m – 2:38.36; 1,500m – 4:00.18; mile – 4:21.378; 2,000m – 5:40.09 and 3,000m – 8:52.91.

In 1997, Wysocki set several Masters Records at distances from 800 meters to 5,000 meters on the track, and 5k and 8k road races. Her Masters personal best times include: 800m – 2:03.95; 1,000m – 2:40.42 and 1,500m – 4:08.69.

Ruth resides in Temecula California with her husband Tom, with whom she has two children. – Gary Cohen wrote that.

When did you start running and why?

When I was 10, the local recreation department opened the stadium at Citrus Jr. College and we could go run and jump. They had all-comer’s meets on Fridays and we would compete for ribbons. Longest race for us was 200 meters. Ran the 50, 100, 200, and long jumped. A local team, the Covina Valley Vikings, would bring kids to the meets. At the end of the summer, my dad asked if I would like to join and signed me up. We met at Covina High School on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I remember the warm up that we called the Big Lap (probably between ½ and ¾ mile) followed by sprints and some sort of intervals.

My dad had resumed running after a nearly twenty-year hiatus. He was fourth in the California State Meet at 880 in 1946 when he was at Dinuba High School. He was the Athlete of the Meet at the first ever Master’s National Championships in 1968. I have three brothers who all ran as well. The oldest two (Alan and Parry) were in high school and running when I started. Brian would follow along several years later.

All were respectable 800 meter runners. Alan just missed the California State Meet in 1970 and continued running while getting a degree in Applied Physics at Cal Tech. He ran about 1:51 PR. Parry, after serving two years in the Army, ran at Citrus under Vince O’Boyle and won the Southern California Championships at 1500 meters, outleaning Chuck Hattersley. Brian ran on the first State Championship XC Team that Vince had at Citrus. Both he and Parry ran at Pt. Loma in San Diego.

I ran the 880 in my first AAU meet and ran 2:44. Two weeks later, I broke the National Record for 10-11 year olds, running 2:33. Ended the season at 2:30. Got a third place medal in the first meet, and I was hooked!

Until I was out of high school, I didn’t even run every day. I always worked hard at practice, but never ran on my own on the weekends or off-season.

Toughest opponent?

Sometimes I think my toughest opponent was my own mind. I tended to be hot or cold, but not often much in between. When it was going well, it was great, but when it was not, it was another story.

Learned later in my running career to fight harder when I didn’t feel so great.

Most memorable run?

Lots of memorable runs! Probably the first was winning the Nationals in 1978 at 800 meters. It was the first year working with Vince O’Boyle, and a real breakthrough for me. Vince and I worked together from 1975 on. Like a marriage – good times and bad, sickness and health, richer and poorer.

Many would assume the 1500 win at the Trials in ’84 would be the most memorable. It was certainly up there on the list! One of my most thrilling moments, though, was breaking 2:00 for the first time in the semis of the 800 at the ’84 Trials.

Biggest disappointment?

My performances at the Olympics in 1984. I think I simply tried too hard. Very disappointing to not run at my best on that stage.

Another big disappointment was in 1995 when I knew I was in fantastic shape, and after the World Championships, the 1500/mile were not Grand Prix events. Never got the chance to get into a fast race in Europe and see what I could do.

Special song of the era?

I used to psych up to Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business” and Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.”

What would you do differently if you could do it again? 

Tough one to answer.  Having had a long career, it’s hard to know what might have changed things. Doing more, or different, wouldn’t necessarily have changed things for the better.

In 1984, I changed my diet, and it had tremendous impact. However, I let it get a little extreme and got a bit obsessive about it. In 1985, I wasn’t racing well, and ended up finding out I was extremely anemic. If I could go back, I definitely would have been less obsessive about what I was (and wasn’t) eating.

Another change would have been race tactics, especially in races longer than a mile. I should have been a bit more patient in early stages of races, and not tried to control them so much early on. To be honest, when I followed Tom’s advice/suggestions, things usually went very well.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

Coming up blank on this one….

Favorite comedian?

Rodney Dangerfield and Sam Kinison.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  

Obviously, 1984 was a magical year for me.

1995 and the comeback from retirement.

1997-98 switching to Master’s Road racing.

And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

1984 – the years of background running, change in diet, “nothing to lose,” and got on a roll.

1995 – again – nothing to lose.

Master’s – it was like taking on a new sport.

What was your edge?

I think genetics come into play at some point.

Mental toughness.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

Not much, really. However, I was always good about stretching. Cross training (swim, bike) was what I had to do when injured, so it wasn’t very enjoyable. Inconsistent with weights.

Gained confidence from consistently running, so I didn’t have total faith in integrating other stuff.

“It’s funny because when you are competitor, no matter what you do, it seems you always are trying to be a little bit better than you are. Even if there is an Olympic experience, there is always something more to want. We all wished we had run a little faster, got that medal, run for a few more years or whatever.

Now, the more time passes and the more I look back, I realize, ‘Holy Cow! I was one of them!’ At the time when you are living it and even now watching tapes and up close and personal clips of other athletes I think of how they work so hard and are so dedicated. And at the time I never saw myself that way, though I’m sure that’s how it was. It was the lifestyle I chose and I was doing what I wanted to do so I didn’t see it as a sacrifice at the time.

Now I look back and think others are so phenomenal and I don’t see me that way.”

from http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Wysocki.aspx

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Paul Geis)

I think Paul was more like Pre than Pre wanted to admit. – Steve Bence

Track & Field News. The Bible Of The Sport.

On The Road. September 1980.

Geis Gets All Wet

Junction City, Oregon, August 9 – Paul Geis is tough.

On the morning of the Scandia Run, he relaxed by water skiing. A better runner than he is a skier, Geis managed to fall on his head.

On the afternoon of the Scandia Run, he checked into a local hospital, suffering from blood in his ears. The pain ringing in his head was so bad a doctor prescribed codeine.

On the evening of the Scandia Run, Paul Geis ran 28:23 for an abbreviated “six” miles. There was no drug testing.

Doug Brown, who tied with Tony Brien for second in 29:02, embarked on a road racing career hopeful of maintaining his 3.9% bodyfat until he makes his fourth Olympic team. That is a long time to plan a two-week trip to Los Angeles.

Joan Hansen destroyed the women’s course record (34:34 by Ellen Schmidt in 1977) by running 33 minutes flat.

Paul Geis 1953 – 2019 Obituary

Paul Geis, 66, died Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019 of what is suspected to be a Pulmonary Embolism. He was born in Houston, Texas and graduated from St. John’s [High School], where he still holds the record for the mile in 4:12.0. He began his college education at Rice University but transferred to the University of Oregon his Sophomore year to further pursue his running career under Coach Bill Dellinger.

His running accolades include being a part of the 1974 NCAA Champion Cross Country Team with Oregon, winning the 1974 NCAA 5000-meter title, and going on to become a 1976 5000-meter Olympic Finalist in Montreal. He continued his running career after college with Athletics West and was coached by Bill Bowerman. His running career is known for his rivalry with Steve Prefontaine. His best performances include the mile in 3:58.0 (1973); 2 miles in 8:21.8 (1976); 5000 meters in 13:23.38 (1974); 10000 meters in 28:06.62 (1980).

Paul graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, followed by his MBA from Stanford and had a successful career in finance. He spent 31 years in Oregon before returning to Texas. After retirement, he split his time between Oregon and Texas.

Paul had a big heart and was known for his deep love for the Oregon Ducks and cigars, his gregarious, larger than life spirit, his love for all things Costco and his avoidance of following the rules. He loved a good adventure but never missed his afternoon nap. He was a proud Grandpa and enjoyed doting on his grandchildren, Hazel (6), Memphis (3) and Zion (1).

In his later years, he found a deep love for golf and holds two holes-in-ones at Powell Butte’s Brasada Canyons Course on hole 12. He loved learning about history and was often found with a good WWII book in his hand. He was both witty and charming, able to start a conversation with anyone. He was both generous and caring, and competitive and stubborn.

Paul is survived by his fiance, Patricia Green, who he affectionately named PG squared; his children, Geoff Geis, Catie Geis, Blake Geis, Emilie Hinds; his son-in-law, Mark Hinds; and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Geis; his grandchildren, Hazel, Memphis and Zion. He was preceded in death by his parents, Duane and Lois Geis; and his brother, Greg Geis.

Geis was invariably compared to Steve Prefontaine. And the fans were not always savvy about it. Many years later, Paul spoke to Paul Omundson for Eugene Magazine.

One of the most interesting relationships is that between Pre and Paul Geis, a contemporary runner who transferred to UO from Rice and was almost as good as the Coos Bay superstar. At the time he was dubbed Pre’s heir apparent by the press. Geis is bugged to this day at the media’s depiction of him as Pre’s nemesis, his antagonist.

“When I came to Oregon, my goal was to beat him, not worship him,” Geis says point-blank. “There were a bunch of people around the UO who put Pre on a pedestal. I didn’t do that. Just because I aspired to beat someone as a competitor doesn’t make me a bad guy.”

Off the track, when competitive flames were non-existent, the two runners were buddies.

“We partied, chased girls, and drank together,” Geis says. The two even survived a summer in close quarters on the European track tour, living out of their suitcases for five weeks.

“I admired him as a fierce competitor,” Geis continues. “But from my point of view, he was not a smart runner. I mean really, why do you want to routinely tell your competition what your strategy is before you race them?”

Does Pre work out with you?

“Hardly at all any more. I don’t work out that hard.”

https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/paul_geis.pdf

From ARRS (Association Of Road Racing Statisticians)

Personal Bests

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	15 km	45:28		Tampa FL/USA	11 Feb 1979
RD	10 mi	48:04		Gainesville FL/USA	19 Feb 1979
OT	2 mi	8:24.8		Eugene OR/USA	29 May 1973
OT	5 km	13:23.38		Helsinki FIN	26 Jun 1974
OT	10 km	28:06.22		Eugene OR/USA	06 Jun 1980

Performances

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
06 Jun 1980	1	28:06.22		OT	10 km	Eugene OR/USA	Prefontaine Memorial
17 May 1980	4	13:34.76		OT	5 km	Eugene OR/USA	n/a
25 Jul 1979	4	13:37.23		OT	5 km	Turku FIN	Paavo Nurmi Games
28 Apr 1979	1	28:20.6		OT	10 km	Seattle WA/USA	n/a
19 Feb 1979	3	48:04		RD	10 mi	Gainesville FL/USA	Oak Mall
11 Feb 1979	7	45:28		RD	15 km	Tampa FL/USA	Gasparilla Distance Classic
31 Dec 1978	12	23:25		RD	8 km	Los Altos CA/USA	Runner’s World Midnight
10 Jun 1977	5	13:45.4		OT	5 km	Westwood CA/USA	AAU Championships
15 May 1977	1	37:03		RD	12.55 km	San Francisco CA/USA	Bay to Breakers
17 Apr 1977	7	14:36.6		OT	5 km	Santiago CHI	n/a
15 Apr 1977	8	31:19.4		OT	10 km	Santiago CHI	n/a
11 Aug 1976	3	13:27.43		OT	5 km	Helsinki FIN	n/a
30 Jul 1976	12	13:42.51		OT	5 km	Montreal PQ/CAN	Olympic Games
28 Jul 1976	2	13:32.36		OT	5 km	Montreal PQ/CAN	Olympic Games- Semifinal #1
27 Jun 1976	3	13:38.5		OT	5 km	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
11 Jun 1976	3	13:43.8		OT	5 km	Westwood CA/USA	National AAU Championships
13 Jul 1974	5	13:39.8		OT	5 km	London ENG	AAA Championships
10 Jul 1974	2	13:34.4		OT	5 km	Koblenz GER	n/a
26 Jun 1974	3	13:23.38		OT	5 km	Helsinki FIN	TOP Games
20 Apr 1974	1	12:55.8		OT	3 mi	Eugene OR/USA	n/a
24 Jul 1973	3	13:46.0		OT	5 km	Minski BLR	USA vs Soviet Union
12 Jul 1973	3	13:29.0		OT	5 km	Münichen GER	USA vs West Germany
16 Jun 1973	4	13:09.2		OT	3 mi	Bakersfield CA/USA	National AAU Championships
29 May 1973	2	8:24.8		OT	2 mi	Eugene OR/USA	n/a
20 Apr 1973	1	13:39.6		OT	3 mi	Lawrence KS/USA	Kansas Relays
07 Nov 1970	1	9:59.2		XC	2 mi	Houston TX/USA	n/a

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Nina Kuscsik)

“During the winter, you head out into the darkness for a run.

“When spring comes, and the first crocus pokes up its head… you know it was worthwhile.”

When did you start running and why?

I grew up in Brooklyn, active in all kinds of exercise. I was a speed bike racer, and a speed skater on roller skates and on ice skates.  We called running “dry training” when us ice speed skaters went running in the summer.

I went to college and became a registered nurse, and I realized how many people didn’t exercise because they had physical work to do, like mowing lawns, cleaning house, walking to shop and to work.  But I believed that using your body for daily activities was good for you – even walking several blocks instead of taking a bus.

After giving birth to my three children, and having them play a lot, I started walking and jogging around the areas where they played.  Then running was the easiest exercise to do, since I didn’t need to travel to do it. I had, and still have, a great area to run in where I live. I also had some friends from my skating days that also ran, and we would make dates to run together.

Of course, after buying running shoes and running magazines, I learned about the Boston Marathon. My husband also started running, as did two fellows from my ice speed skating group. We heard about the Boston Marathon, and decided to do it in 1969. Of course, women were not official entrants, but we all had a good run and we met other runners, that I am still friends with to this day.  We continued to run Boston every year .

Most memorable run and why?

I was so happy to win the women’s Boston Marathon in 1972, and that would be the most memorable for me.  I think 1972 was the first year that women were officially recognized by the AAU (the USA governing Organization of that year).

And my 50-mile run in Central Park in 1977. I knew I had to pace myself properly and I was comfortable throughout the run. My training for this event was so good. I worked at Mt. Sinai hospital across the street from Central Park, and I would run after work. Thank goodness, my mother was available to look after my kids.

Biggest disappointment and why?

No disappointments, since I was able to run the paces I chose and if any woman finished ahead of me, that would be ok by me. I hoped they really appreciated their completed marathon.

What would you do differently if you could do it again? 

I would do nothing different.

Why?  I was very happy and proud with my exercise programs.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  

My best stretch was 1970-1978. I was in my 30’s, I had already given birth to my three children, who at that time were two- to nine years old. 

From 1970-1973, I ran eighteen marathons, and I won fourteen of them, and came in second in the other four.

In 1971, I was one of the first two women to run a sub-three-hour marathon.  The other woman was Beth Bonner.

In 1972, I ran seven marathons and won them all.

In 1977, I ran my best marathon, 2:50:22, at the Women’s National Marathon in Minnesota, and set an American record for my 50-mile run in Central Park, NY.

Why do you think you hit that level at that time?

My body was in good shape, and I moved it around so much, doing housework, caring for my kids, and enjoying all the exercise I had time to do.

What was your edge?

I think just the running speed and distance workouts that I did, and climbing stairs as a workout, my bicycling. I did extra exercises every day for my back. And my love of running.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

Same as above – stair climbing, bicycling, speed work, and back exercises.

Because we finished just a couple of places apart at the 1974 Yonkers Marathon, any special memories of that race?

I just remember I finished 94th overall, I think there were about 350-400 runners that year.

I also remember I won the women’s division that year, but I did not break 3 hours, my time was 3:00:01.6.

I had also won it previously in 1970, 1972, and 1973.

EXTRA:

I remember when I worked at the hospital, I used to bring the medical students out for a run, for them to learn that running or just jogging was an easy to do exercise available to many people. Even walking is good.

How Six Women Changed The New York City Marathon Forever

By Talya Minsberg  Nov. 4, 2017. The New York Times

In the fall of 1972, the New York City Marathon organizer Fred Lebow contacted The New York Times. He told reporters to come to the start line of the race, then in its third year, promising a sight they would not want to miss.

The race would be the largest yet, with over 250 runners set to attempt the 26.2-mile course, all of which would be run in Central Park.

In the crowd were six women, front and center. They approached the start line and prepared to run in the first New York City Marathon in which women’s results would count.

Women had been barred from road races since 1961, as experts claimed distance running was damaging to their health and femininity. Some officials infamously warned that a woman’s uterus might fall out should she attempt to run such distances.

For years, women had made their way into races, surreptitiously or otherwise. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer ran the Boston Marathon under the name K. V. Switzer.

But it was not until 1972 that the Amateur Athletic Union, then the governing body for marathons in the United States, allowed women to officially take part in distance road running.

The relaxed rules issued by the A.A.U. insisted on a separate but equal start. Women were allowed to run the marathon if they started 10 minutes before or after the men, or if they started in a different area altogether.

So on a sunny Sunday that October, the marathon was set to begin with a separate start for the women, 10 minutes before the men. As the gun went off, the women sat down. Gerald Eskenazi’s article from Oct. 2, 1972, about the protest.

The reporter Gerald Eskenazi and the photographer Patrick A. Burns captured the scene for The Times.

“They sat for 10 minutes in protest against the Amateur Athletic Union, which had called for a separate but equal race for women,” Eskenazi wrote on Oct. 2, 1972. “The A.A.U. does not sanction races in which men compete against women. But as soon as the 272 men were ready to go, the women stood and then began running with the men on the 26-mile, 385-yard course.”

The six women — Lynn Blackstone, Jane Muhrcke, Liz Franceschini, Pat Barrett, Nina Kuscsik and Cathy Miller — sat with handmade signs created that morning, a couple of which read: “Hey, A.A.U. This is 1972. Wake up.” Muhrcke, pictured second from left, wore a Superman T-shirt.

Kuscsik, second from right, was one of the main organizers of the protest. “I was just checking to make sure everyone had their signs held up right,” she said of those 10 minutes. “It was fantastic.”

Earlier that year, Kuscsik became the first woman to officially win the Boston Marathon. She went on to be the first woman to finish the New York City Marathon that day. She called the win, one of many in her career, “an important one, because it was official.”

The photograph of the runners was printed across four columns of The Times, and the story spread. The A.A.U., embarrassed by the sudden news media onslaught, scrapped the “separate but equal” rules soon after.

“It was a huge, breakthrough year,” Switzer said. “In 1972, it counted. It wasn’t just, ‘You’re a girl.’ It was, ‘You’re an athlete.’ It made all the difference, and then we realized the potential for women’s running.”

In 1974, Switzer won the New York City Marathon. This year, at 70, she’s running it again.

Switzer will have a lot of company. Women’s road racing has grown rapidly since the rule change by the A.A.U. In 1980, 10 percent of marathon runners in the United States were women. In 2016, that rose to a record 44 percent, according to a Running USA report.

There were 21,464 female finishers in last year’s New York City Marathon — the most ever. On Sunday, a comparable number of women, if not more, will compete. This writer will be one of them.

Could the six women who sat have imagined the revolution to come? “Never,” Muhrcke said. The 77-year-old is still running, and has a coming 15K race in New York.

“I think for some men, the first time they were beaten by a woman, it came as a little surprise,” she said. “But they adjusted to it.”

I went toe-to-toe with Nina. She was tougher than I was and that big toothy smile freaked me out.

But I figured her being female was just the handicap I needed to compete with her as an equal.

I went toe-to-toe with Nina even though she didn’t know about it. I went up against Jackie Hansen the same way.

I am not the kind of runner who can beat these women if they know we’re racing.

1974 Women
 2:43:54.6  (1) Jacqueline Hansen (CA/USA)               20 Nov 1948   01 Dec 1974   Culver City CA USA 
 2:46:24    (1) Chantal Langlacé (FRA)                   06 Jan 1955   27 Oct 1974   Neuf Brisach FRA 
 2:47:12a   (1) Michiko Gorman (CA/USA)                  09 Aug 1935   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA 
 2:50:31.4  (1) Liane Winter (GER)                       24 Jun 1942   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:51:38a   (1) Marjorie Kaput (AZ/USA)                  28 Sep 1958   21 Dec 1974   Scottsdale AZ USA 
 2:51:45.2  (2) Chantal Langlacé- 2                      06 Jan 1955   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:53:01a   (2) Christa Vahlensieck (GER)                27 May 1949   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA 
 2:54:28    (1) Judy Ikenberry (CA/USA)                  03 Sep 1942   12 Jan 1974   San Diego CA USA 
 2:54:40.4  (3) Christa Vahlensieck- 2                   27 May 1949   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:55:12a   (3) Nina Kuscsik (NY/USA)                    02 Jan 1939   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA 
                 10
 2:55:12a   (2) Diane Barrett (AZ/USA)                   16 Jan 1961   21 Dec 1974   Scottsdale AZ USA
 2:55:18    (1) Judy Ikenberry- 2                        03 Sep 1942   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
 2:55:59.6  (4) Manuela Angenvoorth (GER)                27 Aug 1946   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:56:25.2  (5) Jacqueline Hansen- 2                     20 Nov 1948   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:57:41    (1) Karin Pagaard (DEN)                             1947   22 Sep 1974   Copenhagen DEN
 2:57:44.4  (1) Liane Winter- 2                          24 Jun 1942   05 May 1974   Wolfsburg GER 
 2:58:09.6  (6) Joan Ullyot (CA/USA)                     01 Jul 1940   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER 
 2:58:16a   (1) Ellen Turkel (NY/USA)                           1954   26 Oct 1974   Niagara Falls CAN 
 2:58:34    (2) Irja Paukkonen (FIN)                     07 Oct 1949   12 Jan 1974   San Diego CA USA 
 2:58:44    (2) Marilyn Paul (OR/USA)                    20 Jan 1938   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
                 20
 2:58:46a   (4) Manuela Angenvoorth- 2                   27 Aug 1946   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA 
 2:58:47    (7) Judy Ikenberry- 3                        03 Sep 1942   22 Sep 1974   Waldniel GER
 2:58:55    (3) Peggy Lyman (CA/USA)                     30 Mar 1947   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
 2:59:24    (2) Marijke Moser (SUI)                      13 Nov 1946   27 Oct 1974   Neuf Brisach FRA 
 3:00:01.6  (1) Nina Kuscsik- 2                          02 Jan 1939   02 Jun 1974   Yonkers NY USA 
 3:00:10    (1) Kathleen Lynch-Gervasi (CT/USA)                        03 Mar 1974   Middletown CT USA 
 3:00:56    (1) Joan Ullyot- 2                           01 Jul 1940   07 Dec 1974   Livermore CA USA 
 3:01:15    (4) Mary Etta Boitano (CA/USA)               04 Mar 1963   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
 3:01:23    (1) Eileen Waters (CA/USA)                   03 Dec 1945   13 Oct 1974   Santa Barbara CA USA 
 3:01:27a   (3) Gabriele Andersen (ID/SUI)               20 Mar 1945   21 Dec 1974   Scottsdale AZ USA 
                 30
 3:01:39a   (5) Katherine Switzer (NY/USA)               05 Jan 1947   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA 
 3:01:49    (2) Eileen Waters- 2                         03 Dec 1945   01 Dec 1974   Culver City CA USA 
 3:01:59    (1) Cindy Dalrymple (VA/USA)                 05 Mar 1942   15 Dec 1974   Honolulu HI USA 
 3:02:48    (1) Anne Marie Saugnac (FRA)                 10 Sep 1942   27 Oct 1974   Bordeaux FRA
 3:03:15.8  (1) Maria Brzezinska (CAN)                          1948   25 May 1974   Vancouver BC CAN 
 3:04:11    (5) Nina Kuscsik- 3                          02 Jan 1939   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
 3:05:02    (1) Suzanne Gaylard (RSA)                                  19 Oct 1974   King William’s Town RSA 
 3:05:06    (1) Siv Jansson (SWE)                        31 Oct 1944   24 Nov 1974   Enhörna SWE 
 3:05:07    (6) Lucy Bunz (USA)                          01 Jun 1946   10 Feb 1974   San Mateo CA USA 
 3:05:18a   (6) Lydia Ritter (GER)                       08 Nov 1941   15 Apr 1974   Boston MA USA

In 1974 I ranked myself #13 among women marathoners in the world.

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http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Kuscsik.aspx

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Original Gangsters Of Running Vol. 2 (Jim Pearson)

When I was a new runner in New England reading my bi-monthly Runner’s World over and over and over again, I remember black & white photos of a distance runner in the Pacific Northwest who always seemed alone and soaking wet and having a great time. Hair plastered, eyes tight, he was a winner. Not famous. Might’ve even been the same photo. Over and over again. – JDW

When did you start running and why?

When I was in the 7th grade, Alan Adkins said, “Let’s turn out for track and field.” I asked him what that was, and he said “You run and jump and throw things.” That sounded interesting, so we showed up the first day of practice but were told that it was for 8th and 9th graders only. Lake Stevens High in those days included grades 7 through 12. With 7th to 9th grouped together usually in junior high sports – football, basketball, baseball and track.  

 A year later, I showed up for this strange new sport. I chose the long jump (neé broad jump) because I wouldn’t have to go over a bar or anything and the 660 yard run because nobody else would run that far.

You have to realize I had spent my elementary school years as a sickly child. I was withheld from recess most of the time; I missed 45 of 90 days one semester of second grade. I was the only kid growing up at Lake Stevens who did not learn to swim before he was 12 years old. I learned to swim in a river during Boy Scout camp.

It was probably great for my self-esteem to be the best at something, albeit due only to lack of competition. I did okay in both events. In the ninth grade Buzzie Schilaty was better than I was, but he opted for the 330. His dad (Walt Schilaty) was one of America’s top 100-yard sprinters in the 1930’s. Walt watched me during my races and noted I could beat everyone through the 440, but the rest of the free world seemed to go by after that.

Digression. Walt was a 100 runner who I was told qualified for the Olympics but couldn’t afford to go. The last time I looked he was still at Western Washington University (Bellingham Normal when he was there; Western Washington State College of Education and Western Washington State College when I was there) top ten in the 100. He is in the WWU Hall of Fame. I’m in there as well. When I gave my little speech, the first thing I said was “Thank you for not judging me while I was here.” I lettered one year because of the points I scored in the broad jump and the hop, step and jump ( the names changed after 1996).

First, he showed me how not to “run like a girl.” That was years before Title IX. Girls my age played field hockey and six-girl basketball only against their schoolmates at LSHS. He also talked to me about going out too fast, so I followed his advice, held back and almost fell down with 220 to go because I had so much left. After that I was competitive in both events.

By my junior year I had dropped my mile time to 5:03 which was pretty good for our league. As a senior I ran the 100 yards (10.7), the 440, and broad jumped. I made it to state in the jump that year (1962) and placed 11th, the last year Washington had only one huge state championship. That was also the last year the 440 was run from a straight line across the track with everyone aiming for pole position, and I think the last year for the 220 on the straightaway.

Back to Buzzie. After my ninth grade year, Walt withdrew Buzzie from Lake and rented an apartment so his son could run for Snohomish High, coached by Keith Gilbertson, Sr. At the end of the year, Buzz called and urged me to join the Everett Elks track team which included athletes from all over Snohomish County and was coached by Gilbertson. He convinced me that Gilbie could really improve my performances.

I had no idea how true that was going to be. Right away I could see improvements in my jumping, but this guy, no matter how much I improved, kept subtly sticking me in with the distance runners. He was a soft-spoken man, never raised his voice or threatened in even the slightest way, but when he said to do something, we all knew it should be done.

The team wasn’t a bunch mediocre athletes unlike yours truly; it included the best runners, jumpers and throwers from the county as well as a few world-class athletes (Cliff Cushman, Olympic silver in the hurdles and Helen Thayer, discus thrower from DownUnder. I jumped in such events as the Oregon AAU championship and then sat in the infield and watched America’s best milers (Burleson, Grelle, San Romani, Jr., and others) and realized they weren’t very fast. They were just going 60-second laps. I could do that in tenth grade. I just couldn’t do 1.5 of them. I lacked endurance.
Basically, Gilb kept me in the game past high school.

Of course, I joined the cross-country team at Western Washington State College of Education (imagine that much on the back of a warmup jacket) and can claim only one moment of success of any kind. Our five guys my junior year went to Whitworth University on the opposite side of Washington for the NAIA district championship. Somewhere late in the race I caught our Number 4 runner who was walking and heading toward the cars.

Now, Keith had taught me how to race. I knew to blow by #4 as hard as possible to crush his spirit, but instead, I said, “Jog with me.” He did, and when he saw the finish line, he used his 49-second 440 speed and left me in the dust. Last again, but my name is engraved on Western’s first-ever NAIA title, and I claim the position of being the most valuable member of the team. Jim Freeman may have been among the leaders, but if Phil Walsh is allowed to quit, we don’t win.

Anyhow, I kept running and jumping after college with distance starting to win out. One day at a summer practice Coach Gilbertson said, “Jimmy, you need to get more consistent.” Somehow that clicked with me. I had run whenever I wanted and taken time off whenever I wanted and hadn’t given anything else a thought.

I started to run more often and within a few months put the last zero into my diary. If I can run each of the next however many days, I will have run 50 years without missing a day of running. [February 15, 2020 seems about right.]

My goal of rising to mediocrity, the middle of the pack instead being a straggler, lasted only a short time as consistency put me in a position to win a lot of medals. Thank you, Keith Gilbertson, Sr.

Well, you asked a simple question, but I didn’t find the answer so simple. I had a slow start in the running business. When I was inducted into the WWU Hall of Fame, my first comment was “Thank you for not judging me while I was here.”

Toughest opponent and why?

Well, in some ways, Frank Bozanich was my fiercest opponent. He would hammer from the start, whereas I liked an even pace. I had to hope he wore out before I did. The only times I beat him came when I ran more his style or when someone else ran him into the ground.

We were both at a 50 championship race in Chicago where they held a banquet or something. We were all asked to speak a little  I just remember some idiot getting up and saying how great Bozanich was, how I had held the American record, and how there were others in the same range. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone set a new world record tomorrow.”

This buffoon was dressed in cowboy boots and wearing a cowboy and saying things like that. Where did they dig him up.? Well, to make a short story long, the guy’s name was Barney Klecker. He was unlike any ultra runner I had ever seen.

Before Barney arrived on the ultra scene, we would often talk to each other in the early stages. On out and back courses we would wave, nod, somehow acknowledge each other as kindred spirits.

Klecker had none this. His eyes were set on the concrete pathway the way you see a 10k racer. It was all business. On the bright side, it wasn’t too discouraging. This idiot could never hold that pace. He would die soon. And, indeed he did. His last ten miles were much slower, but, to our surprise, they were faster than even our first ten miles. Barney Klecker set a world record that day. Obviously, he knew something we didn’t. Barney Klecker was the real deal.

I told his wife this story at the reunion of the first U.S. women’s marathon trials in which she competed. And recently cheered for their son as he won an NCAA cross-country regional championship.

Most memorable run and why?

The AAU American championship in 5:12:41. A new U.S. record is memorable. Same as an hour run of 11 miles, 844 yards – done in the midst of hard training – because it was a short race where I did fairly well. These are probably my two best races, but the most memorable may be a 20-mile in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

It was the BC championships. I live about 20 miles from Canada, the distance was right, and they always put on good races. I had never broken two hours for that distance, but I thought that maybe I could run 1:57 if everything worked right. The problem was my monthly visitation with my young son ended up being the day before the race. I couldn’t miss seeing him, so I spent all day Saturday doing son and dad things until around 8 p.m. I returned him to his mom, stopped and bought a bag of cookies and a bag of Snickers candy bars and commenced the 350-mile drive.

I ate all the cookies and all the candy bars. Around 2 a.m. I pulled into the driveway and found half the Snohomish Track club in my house. I got fewer than four hours sleep and woke up sick to my stomach. I wasn’t ill. It’s how one must feel after eating all those peanuts. Good sense told me I used bad sense and the sub-two-hour 20-mile would have to wait. With others depending on me for rides, I still had to drive up to Brockton Oval.

My decision was to run the first five miles and quit. My alimentary canal could hold its contents that long. So I entered the race. At the five-mile mark I had set a new PR (since I was in Canada, that would be a PB). My stomach didn’t feel any worse, so I decided I could run one more lap and quit. I did continue and set a new PR/PB. I actually felt pretty good, so I thought I could last for one more trip around before I stopped.

Result: a third PR/PB of the day. Having run that far and being in the lead, I couldn’t quit. However, now the end was near and my mind took over. I faded as expected, but at the finish I was third in the BC championships and still held on for a sub-two hour time of 1:49:11. That’s not a typo. I ran a full ten minutes under.

What is so memorable is that a freakish set of events took my head out of the race which allowed my body to perform at the level for which I had trained. I tell this story to the athletes we coach when they seem to be getting into their own way. My son Joel tells them about my achievements, so they have no idea that I may have dealt with the same demons that afflict them.

When Joel coached at the college level he would fly me in at the end of cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons which made his teams feel as if they were getting special treatment. It didn’t matter to them they were actually all better than I was and my distances aren’t even remotely the same as theirs.

Biggest disappointment and why?

This one is easy. In December of 1977, I flew to Santa Monica with the intention of winning the AAU national 50-mile track championship. Unfortunately, Ken Moffitt arrived with the same plans, and his were apparently better than mine. I had no trouble running in second place, but at around 40 miles I slipped back to third. Was tired and being beaten and just stepped off the track. My brother had driven my Porsche 914 to LA, so I grabbed my stuff, we headed north hoping to get to Eugene to watch friends in the OTC marathon.

It wasn’t until we passed Sacramento that I realized I could have jogged in and still been third in the national championships. I have forever regretted this. When I was still the American record holder, I wrote a book on running. Recently, my son Joel got me to revive the effort and update it a bit. In the racing section, I added a few paragraphs under the sub title: There Must Be a Plan B which isn’t a copout, but a “what if” option.

Jacqueline Hansen told me she stopped as well. She knew she could no longer set the 50-mile record, but not finishing would negate the 11 world intermediate records she had already recorded. She hopped back into the race and finished in 7:14, not what she had wanted but still not a bad time.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Why?

I just found the missing answers to your questions. Since I found them, I thought of two more memorable moments:

In February of 1972 when I ran 2:25:35 at the Trail’s End Marathon in Seaside, Oregon, I passed Gerry Lindgren with 2.5 miles to go. I said, “Hang tough” and got a “Hi” in return. Now, beating Gerry was cool, but I’m savvy enough to know that beating Gerry Lindgren didn’t make me as good as he was. What was so memorable to me was he spied me at the post-race chili feed and came over and said, “How could you look so tough when you passed me.” To have him remember me and to give me that compliment was an overwhelming gesture.

The other memorable moment was initiated following my October 25, 1977, American record 50 mile run. Defending AAU 50 champ Max White was a good sport. He gave me a high five as he crossed the line for the out and back final two miles, and we talked about various things after he finished.

One thing he said stuck out: “It’s too bad you can’t be in the Olympic Trials.” I asked him why, and he responded with “Because you have to qualify by the end of the year, and you won’t be able to run a marathon for at least six months.”

He said that as a statement of fact, but I took it as a challenge. I thought of that every day until the Portland Marathon 34 days later where I ran 2:22:32 to qualify for the 1976 trials.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

Don Kardong: “Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.”
Satchel Paige: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”

Special song of the era?

“59th Street Bridge Song” by Simon & Grafunkel.

Favorite comedian?

At the time it was the Brothers Smothers and Bill Cosby.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?

From 1974 through 1984 I ran 67 races from 26.2 miles to 100 kilometers:
1974 placed 5th in AAU 50k in3:10:29; injured due to taking advice from friend.
1975 1st in AAU 50 mile in American record 5:12:40.1; 3rd in marathon 34 days later 2:22:32 to qualify for ’76 trials.
1976 2nd in AAU 50k 3:03:39; 33rd in trials.
1978 Oregon AAU first in 5:47:42
1979 2nd in RRCA national 100k 7:44:10; 2nd at Yakima 100k in 7:44:10; 3rd in AAU 50 mile 5:38:51’
1980 3rd in RRCA 100k 7:51:51; 1st in Yakima 100k 7:07:49; 5th in Chicago 50 in 5:32:48.
1982 1st in 60k 3:49:14
My 60 k and track 50 in Santa Monica were both 4th best U.S. all-time (at that time).

My two best 100ks were second fastest U.S. ever. Between the first and the second someone passed me. I had a bit of trouble in Eastern America races since I taught until 3 p.m. before traveling over 100 miles by car to get to SeaTac to fly across the country. The Florida 100ks started a few hours after I landed.

And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

From 1974 through 1984 I ran over 57,500 miles. I averaged 100 miles a week for 11.5 years. I set personal records for shorter runs, usually during my second or third run of the day. Was very fit.

What was your edge?

My edge was that I really didn’t feel that I was that good, so in my mind I was always the underdog in the race. That actually takes off a lot of the pressure. It’s odd. Since I felt that way about myself, I really didn’t think some of the people I always beat were that good. In my old age I look back and realize some of them would be winning races today with the times they ran back in the day.

I didn’t look down on anybody, but these people were always behind me. I just realized lately that in the long things I didn’t even know who else was there beside the few I really had to tangle with. It’s hard to believe that I had such a narrow focus. It wasn’t until I read Kenny Moore’s Bowerman and the Men of Oregon that I understood the Olympic trials course was two laps and that it was the same course as the ’71 nationals and the ’72 and ’76 trials. I ran in all three.

I’ll be honest. Never had much interest in going past twenty-six-miles-and-three-hundred-and-eighty-five yards. The marathon was long enough for me. Why become an ultramarathoner?

I was finishing marathons without getting very tired, so trying something longer just seemed like the thing to do.

Getting injured before the 1974 50k may have been to my advantage since I just kept moving close to training pace and never got truly involved in the race itself. The result – for whatever the reason – gave me the idea that I could run 50 miles. I was surprised recently when I transcribed my 1975 diary; I wrote two paragraphs at the start about my plans for the year. They included running over 11 miles in the Hour Run and running in the National 50-mile and even trying to win it.

You know how the 50M turned out, but the 11 miles and 844 yards in the hour showed that I was improving. I had run over 5,400 miles in 1974 and was about to run much more than that in 1975.

A little less than five months after the 50-mile, I placed second in the heat of Sacramento in 3:03:39 for 50K. There were no aid stations that I recall. I was really disappointed in my effort. There was no way, however, I could match the awesome race that Chuck Smead ran that day. [ Smead’s obscenely fast 2:50:46 was an asterisked American record for years due to different measurement standards. Chuck is another OGOR, if I can find him.]

A week before the 1974 AAU National 50k Championship I was hanging out with Guy Renfro at a Snohomish Track Club get together. Guy had run at the University of Oregon. He seemed to have an in-depth knowledge of running science. His daughter Sarna later won several Washington state titles in cross country and track.

Anyhow, we were talking about the upcoming 50k which I was going to run. He asked about my training, which had been two a day runs totaling a bit over 100 miles a week. He asked about long hard runs, and I responded that I hadn’t run any. He said I wouldn’t run well if I didn’t do any, so five days before the big race, I ran 14.1 miles in the morning and 10.3 later that day which ended with a painful leg injury. I wasn’t sure until race day that I would actually enter the race.

I have this image of you soaking wet. What’s your thinking about running/training in the rain?

That’s a tough question. I enjoy when it doesn’t rain, and in a normal year it does rain often, not a lot, but often. This year was one of the six dryest years since I was born.

I remember standing with a group of Ferndale High School runners at the glass door as we peered out into the rain. We would just stand there waiting. eventually someone (maybe I did it; maybe one of the kids) would open the door, and our run would begin. That would happen often. The hard part was over. The worst part after opening the door was that there was always some kid who wanted to hit every pool of water available for splashing everyone.

Running in the rain isn’t that bad; going out into it is.

In Marysville where I now live, about 75 miles below British Columbia, the wind does not blow as hard or as often as it did in Ferndale which is fifteen miles below BC. It’s the wind with rain that can be difficult for running, so things are better in this area.

The simple answer to your question is that running in the rain is just a nuisance; opening the door to get out there is the hard part.

I was fortunate enough to have it rain the morning of my 50-mile record run. Of course, that’s not what I felt as I drove in the rain to Seattle that day. I had never had anything to drink or eat during a race, so the 50-mile would have been no exception. When I complained about a slight hamstring cramp after 33 miles, one of my running friends suggested that the cramp may have occurred because I was not drinking. At 39 miles I took a swig of some drink and at 42, I did the same. In total that was four or five ounces. The nastier weather probably kept me from sweating a great deal.

Don Kardong said something once about training in Seattle and referenced the image of a spider getting washed down the sink.

Kardong has lived too long on the east side and probably has just a blurred vision of his younger days. I cannot relate to the spider analogy. Once you’re out there and running, all is good.

I must admit that before we moved to Spokane for that brief few years that I had no idea how hard it was to train in Whatcom County, Washington. In Spokane the thermometer dropped much lower than on the west side. However, running in a temperature as low as negative 11 never bothered me. On west side, going to a track meet on a warm day in April becomes unbearable as soon as the sun drops below the horizon. The same with the higher temperatures. At 95 in Spokane, things are good. At 85 in Bellingham, it is miserable.

I’ve got a ton of photos, but I think I’ve probably figured out the photo you mentioned. I believe that it appeared in the February 1976 Runner’s World. I’m pretty sure they never returned the negative. It was during the Portland Marathon which was held on Sauvies Island 34 days after my 50-mile run. That may be why you thought I looked determined or however you described it. I do think the 50-mile did affect me a bit, but I did get the job done.

In the early Eighties, when I was a Master of the Universe at Nike, HR held an intramural half-marathon on Sauvies Island. I paced a young woman to a time which qualified her for a trip-for-two to Hawaii.  She ended up taking her mom.

Years ago now, son Joel Pearson penned this report.

Jim Pearson’s Sample Training

Jim was basically a self-coached athlete who followed somewhat the teachings of New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard and the advice and encouragement of his summer coach, Keith Gilbertson, sr.

In retrospect, he has been heard to say that his training mirrored that of the great Clarence DeMar, the seven-time Boston marathon winner: very high mileage with short local road races tossed in. Since he never thought of himself as a good runner, this low key attitude about intensity seems quite logical. The higher than normal mileage rose out of a self-imposed challenge to see what his body could handle.

As a result, he had an 11 1/2 year stretch where he AVERAGED over 100 miles per week. His longest streak of consecutive 100 miles or better weeks hit exactly a year and a half: 78 weeks. Pearson ran no exceptionally high weekly mileage–a best of 185 miles–but recorded some fairly high months–729 and 719 (back to back). His two best years were 6,174 miles in 1975 and 6,028 miles in 1978.

This type of mileage led to a fairly easy AAU National 50 mile title in 5:12:41 for a new American record. The endurance was further emphasized by his running a 2:22:32 marathon just 35 days later. The key to his progress was consistency which led to a streak of over 49 years without missing a day of running.

Pearson admits that had he had a coach who controlled his practices, he would have run more short and intense workouts. “With the training program I used,” Pearson explained, “I was able to surpass 2:45 in the marathon which was my lifetime goal. In fact, when I started running the ultras, I could run the first 26.2 faster than that. That was the case in the record run, and then I ran the last 25 miles at a faster pace.”

When he ran the marathon just five weeks later, he slowed only 25 seconds on the course which consisted of two identical laps. Most of his successful races were run with negative splits.

“My greatest mistake was not in my training, but in my failure to rest adequately. I tapered well for the record 50 mile (see below), but later would run a marathon in the 2:40 range the week before an ultra. In retrospect, I can see that decision as being a mistake.”

Sample of training: (21 weeks)
The 16 weeks prior to Pearson’s 50 mile American record: (# is miles that week)
1) 158    5) 161    9)  166     13) 119
2) 165    6) 159    10) 130    14) 123
3) 175    7) 158    11) 125    15) 109
4) 166    8) 161    12) 130    16) 111
Week 17=102 miles and a 5:12:41 American record for the 1975 U.S. 50M Champs!

Note: Tapering for the race began seven weeks before the championship race.

18) 109
19) 142
20) 106
21) 113

Week 22 = 104 miles and a third place finish – Portland marathon 2:22:32.
Note: After a rest week (109 miles), a longer week was run before tapering resumed.

If your idea of a rest week is 109 miles, you might just be an OGOR.

January 4, 2020JDWRunning Free← Canine AmoreGERONTOLOGY →

One Comment On “Original Gangsters Of Running Vol. 2 (Jim Pearson)”

1. JDW January 4, 2020 at 2:57 pm. The timeline of me being a new runner doesn’t align with Jim’s appearance in RW. Memory conflict, not fake news.

And the first shall be last. Jim was actually the initial entry in Volume Two, but I simply thought it right to open with Buddy Edelen and Ron Daws.

With any luck – it’s like fishing for mountain trout – we can land an OGOR or two more soon.

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Philosopher OGOR (George Sheehan)

“There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life.

“But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you.

“Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.”

Found what might have been introductory notes for a running seminar that wasn’t paying top dollar.

One of the savviest parts of pretending to be an expert is to quote the experts. Like being a cover band.

For those of you who would rather be listening to Dr. George Sheehan tonight, I offer the following.

“It came about when I was about forty-five. I was following a pre-ordained life. Very dull, stultifying. I was seriously considering becoming a real estate agent or something exciting like that. I’d completely blown my mind. I’d fall asleep in front of the TV, get bombed out on the weekend.

I was developing fat in my body, fat in my brain and fat in my soul. THEN I STARTED RUNNING… It’s changed my point of view. I’m more alive. Life has become a really great day-to-day enjoyment, a puzzle.

Life has become a fantastic game.”

George said it. No source listed.

I knew exactly what he was talking about.

“The distance runner who accepts the past in the person he is, and sees the future as a promise rather than a threat, is completely and utterly in the present,” George said. “He is absorbed in his encounter with the everyday world. He is mysteriously reconciling the separations of body and mind, of pain and pleasure, of the conscious and the unconscious. He is repairing the rent, and healing the wound in the divided self. He has found a way to make the ordinary extraordinary; the commonplace, unique; the everyday, eternal.”

George Sheehan’s Biography From Georgesheehan.Com

George Sheehan died four days short of his 75th birthday on November 1, 1993. He used to say humans come with a 75-year warranty, but it was not age with which he was concerned. It was life in the present. “Don’t be concerned if running or exercise will add years to your life,” he would say, “be concerned with adding life to your years.” He liked to quote William James, who said, “The strenuous life tastes better.”

George Sheehan lived a strenuous life. He renewed his life at the age of 45 and turned it inside out. He returned to his body, and to running, and he shared with his readers all of his experiences in this new world of exercise and play, of sweat and competition, of physical, mental and spiritual challenge.

He was born in Brooklyn in 1918, the oldest of a doctor”s 14 children. An outstanding student, he was also a track star at Manhattan College. He became a cardiologist like his father. After medical school he served in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II as a doctor on the battleship USS Daly. Just before leaving for active service he married “the most beautiful woman on the Jersey Shore,” Mary Jane Fleming, and together they subsequently raised a dozen children.

But success and security in the suburbs were not enough for him. He became “bored” with medicine, with getting “bombed out” every weekend, with falling asleep in front of the TV. He went back to reading philosophy. He read The Greeks, Emerson, Thoreau, Ortega, and James. Then he read Irenaeus, one of the early church fathers, who wrote, “The glory of God is man fully functioning.”

George Sheehan knew he wasn”t fully functioning. He started to run. He began in his back yard (26 loops to a mile) and then became something of an oddity in Rumson, NJ running along the river road during his lunch hour wearing his white long-johns and a ski mask.

His new life had begun and its message was soon clear—“Man at any age is still the marvel of the universe.” Five years later, he ran a 4:47 mile, which was the world”s first sub-five-minute time by a 50-year-old.

He began writing a weekly column in the local paper. In short time, the running world was listening. This self-described loner from Red Bank, NJ became one of the most sought out experts on health and fitness. And his door was always open.

He continued the column for twenty five years. Many of these years were served as the medical editor for Runner’s World magazine. He wrote eight books and lectured around the world. “Listen to your body,” was his slogan. “We are each an experiment of one.” One critic referred to his talks as “the running community’s equivalent of a Bruce Springsteen concert, though listening to him was more like taking off with John Coltrane on some improvised solo.”

Dr. Sheehan was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1986. By the time it was discovered it had spread to his bones. For seven years he lived with the cancer, and “made every day count.” He was a runner to the core and he would not let the cancer change that. He ran until his legs could no longer carry him.

Through it all, he remained true to himself, continuing to write about his experiences. This time it wasn”t about running, it was about dying. Going the Distance was his last book. It was published shortly after his death.

George Sheehan never stopped searching for the truths of his life. “We are all unique, never-to-be-repeated events,” he said. His goal was to be the best George Sheehan possible. He was fond of quoting Robert Frost’s line, “I am no longer concerned with good and evil. What concerns me is whether my offering will be acceptable.”

Dr. George Sheehan, Running Figure, Dies At 74

By Frank Litsky for The New York Times. November 2, 1993.

Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist who became the philosopher of the recreational running movement in the 1970’s and 1980’s, died yesterday at his home in Ocean Grove, N.J. He would have been 75 years old on Friday.

His son, George 3d, said the cause of death was prostate cancer, from which his father had suffered since 1986.

When he learned he had cancer, Dr. Sheehan ran between radiation treatments and frequently in pain. He seemed concerned mostly that the illness would interfere with his speaking, writing and running, and at one stage he stopped hormone treatment because it had caused him to run slower.

For a while, he cut down on speaking. But when he became restless with his new sedentary life, he resumed training and racing because, he said, “There’s a healthy way to be ill.”

He said he had no time for self-pity.

“The last time I cried,” he said, “was at John Havlicek’s last basketball game.”

A Dynamic Speaker

If Frank Shorter, with his 1972 Olympic marathon victory, inspired the American running boom of the 1970’s, George Sheehan told embryonic recreational runners what they should try to get out of it. As a runner, he was gaunt and ungainly and often successful. As a public speaker and author, he was witty, self-deprecating and encouraging, with an unyielding zest for life.

In April, he was honored at a dinner, where a letter to him from President Clinton, a faithful recreational runner, was read. It said in part, “You have shown us that we run best when we run with the simple joy of children, and that running and racing give us the chance to become in fact what we already are in design.”

Dr. Sheehan gave up his medical practice in 1984 to devote full time to speaking, writing and running. He was a charismatic speaker who would address corporations, conventions and runners’ groups three or four times a week. He once made five talks in one day for one sponsor.

He would stand on a podium, dressed in running shoes, a T-shirt or turtleneck and chinos or corduroy slacks. Without notes, he would chat for an hour. An informal log of one session showed that he quoted 40 philosophers, authors and historical figures, including Ortega, Cervantes, Tolstoy, Anton Gide, St. Thomas Aquinas, Chesterton, Camus, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Jung, Emerson, Thoreau and William James.

Dr. Sheehan was born and raised in Brooklyn, one of 14 children. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1940 from Manhattan College and a medical degree in 1943 from the Long Island College of Medicine, now known as the State University of New York Medical College Downstate. He interned in the Navy for three years and later practiced as a cardiologist in Red Bank, N.J.

A Return To Running

At Manhattan College, he was an outstanding mile runner. After college, he gave up running in favor of tennis and squash racquets. In 1962, when a patient telephoned him at home at 2 A.M. for what Dr. Sheehan considered innocuous reasons, he punched a wall in anger and broke his right hand. His summer vacation was coming and he could not play tennis, so he started running again. Five days a week, instead of eating lunch, he ran.

“I found running,” he said, “and that made it the best year of my life. I was in middle-age melancholia. I had to pull the emergency cord and get off the train. Before I ran, I was getting bombed every weekend. I didn’t smoke because I was too cheap.”

At age 50, he set a world age-group record for the mile of 4 minutes 47 seconds. But he preferred road races, and starting in his late 40’s he ran in 21 consecutive Boston Marathons.

“When I run the roads, I am a saint,” he once wrote. “For that hour, I am an Assisi wearing the least and meanest of clothes. I am Gandhi, the young London law student, trotting 10 or 12 miles a day and then going to a cheap restaurant to eat his fill of bread. I am Thoreau, the solitary seeking union with the world around him. On the roads, poverty, chastity and obedience come naturally. I am one of the poor in spirit who will see God. My chastity is my completion in the true Eros, which is play. And the Ten Commandments are the way the world works.”

His books included “Dr. Sheehan on Running,” “Running & Being: The Total Experience,” “This Running Life,” “How to Feel Great 24 Hours a Day” and “Personal Best.” He was writing a book on his experiences and feelings about dying. Some of his books were collections of columns he wrote for Runner’s World magazine, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, The Daily Register of Shrewsbury, N.J., and other publications. He was a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.

Dr. Sheehan is survived by his wife, the former Mary Jane Fleming; seven sons, George 3d of Sea Bright, N.J.; Timothy and Peter of Brooklyn, Andrew of Pittsburgh and John, Stephen and Michael of Red Bank, N.J.; five daughters, Mary Jane Kroon of Rumson, N.J., Ann and Nora Sheehan of New York, Sarah Adams of East Quogue, L.I., and Monica of Middletown, N.J.; 17 grandchildren, four brothers and five sisters.

Some Reflections From The Road

Selections from the lectures and writings of Dr. George Sheehan:

“The runner does not run because he is too slight for football, or hasn’t the ability to put a ball through a hoop, or can’t hit a curveball. He doesn’t run to lose weight or become fit or to prevent heart attacks. He runs because he has to. Because in being a runner, in moving through pain and fatigue and suffering, in imposing stress, in eliminating all but the necessities of life, he is fulfilling himself and becoming the person he is.”

“Some think guts is sprinting at the end of a race. But guts is what got you there to begin with. Guts start in the back hills with six miles to go and you’re thinking of how you can get out of this race without anyone noticing.”

“When we’re running in the back of the pack, unconcerned with what others are doing, driven by the need to do our best, we make the effort, and we make it more often. And for those few moments we become the equal of anyone else on this earth.”

“I’m not concerned that I’m living with cancer and trying to make an adjustment. I try to make it tougher on the cancer and easier on me. I have to keep myself from overthinking. But I don’t think the problem is the tumor. The problem is my age. Research physiologists find that when you’re about 70, there’s a significant breakdown in performance. I think something happens to set the clock back on you.”

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Original Gangsters Of Running (John Dimick)

Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. – Edward Abbey

Birth date 20 Sep 1949

When did you start running and why?

I’m a Vermont country boy who grew up in a small town when television was in its infancy – a snowstorm in a box – and kids spent their time playing outside with friends in the neighborhood. In small town Vermont parents didn’t worry too much about you. Just get home before dark. I walked or ran everywhere I went, including to school about a mile away. I didn’t even have a bike. When we moved to Barre, Vermont, I was in the fourth grade and we were even farther out in the country, high on the hills above the town. I spent a lot of time just running around in the nearby woods and fields with my two dogs. I got an early start on my aerobic base.

In seventh grade we moved to Brattleboro and I was enrolled in a very small Catholic school, thirty-two in my graduating class in 1967. Basketball was the school’s sport with a fairly successful history. I made the high school team but spent most of my time warming the bench. If there was a Silver Sliver Award I would probably have my name engraved on it. But during my sophomore year the coach decided a cross-country team would get the basketball squad in shape for the more important season. It was pretty evident running was a sport where I had some real potential.

Unfortunately, the coach was much more informed about basketball than running and practices were always the same. Run from here to there. The training course we used was a loop and – as soon as we were out of his sight – half the team would race cross lots through the woods and wait for me to come around, at which point they would take their turn jumping onto the course to finish the loop.

I worked pretty hard and raced pretty hard and finally qualified myself to run in the state meet as a senior where I placed 21^st. The coach actually asked me if I needed him to come to the meet. Fortunately, my dad was very supportive as he’d run XC for a season at the University of Vermont back in the 30’s.

I decided to go to UVM because they had a running program and because my dad and older sister had graduated from there. UVM had a Varsity and a freshman team and I made the freshman team. We weren’t very good and had difficulty even competing against Burlington-area high school teams but at least now I was getting a little real coaching. The camaraderie was the best part, especially for a kid from a small school in a small town who was now on a big college campus. It was like having a small family.

As a sophomore I made the varsity and we had a superstar from Ohio who was pretty highly touted. Partway through the season he began to struggle during a dual meet. In the final uphill half mile, I passed him and then went on to pass the opposing team’s lead runner. To everyone’s amazement including the coach, I won. He dubbed me “The Toughest Thing on Two Feet.” That was the beginning of the growth in my self-confidence as a runner and leader within the team. The team continued to improve for the next three years, culminating with our second place finish in the Yankee Conference and a fifth place finish in the New England Championships.

A really significant event took place during my sophomore year, 1969. During the Christmas break a friend form high school cross country invited me to see a movie with him at his church in Brattleboro. The movie was, “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner,” based on Alan Sillitoe’s book. The movie is a social commentary as well as an interesting running story. Then my friend told me he was going to enter the Boston Marathon in the spring and suggested I try it as well. The challenge was irresistible, so I went back to UVM, told my coach about my plan to run the marathon in the spring instead of running indoor track, “trained” and ran. I ran a 2:53:36 and placed 110^th out of about 700 or so finishers, I think. At that time I believed it was a once in a lifetime experience. Before the 1970’s, running careers generally ended after you graduated from high school or college.  

A Return To Running And Its Dreams

The Viet Nam War weighed heavily on our lives in the late 60s and early 70s. I had sat around drinking beers with a large group of guys during my junior year to watch the draft lottery and to get a look at what fate might have to offer me after graduation. September 20, number 63, might as well have been number 1. In the spring of my senior year I travelled to Manchester, New Hampshire, for my draft physical carrying a small note from my eye doctor explaining I had an eye virus they were treating me for. Obviously, I was in great shape, as potential draftees worked our way through the various stations, bend over and spread’em, etc. As we readied to get back on the bus to return to Brattleboro, I was called back for a final meeting with one of the doctors.

The result was a temporary medical deferment which ultimately led to a permanent deferment when the virus flared up again later in the fall of 1971. They knew what they were doing I guess because my vision in that eye has gradually been reduced to legally blind in one eye. As I pulled back onto campus I spotted one of my track teammates and yelled out the car window to him my good news. I asked him if he wanted to bike tour through Europe with me after graduation and the next grand adventure was set in motion.

We had a great time in Europe but had to cut the trip short, as he got a call from his conscientious objector board of review. I found a job as a carpenter and spent the next year and a half earning money during the day and drinking money away after work. Work hard, play hard, but not train hard. At some point I finally started to come to my senses and decided to return to school and get a degree in Industrial Arts Education. Maybe Tim Hardin’s singing of “If I Were a Carpenter and You Were a Lady” at Woodstock were echoing around somewhere back there in the mist.

The return to campus sent me back into the world of running and the second phase of my running career began. I had a couple of ugly breathless back of the pack finishes but finally met up with my old friend Larry Kimball who was living in the area. Along with Larry and a couple of other friends I started to actually train and race again. We set a goal of running Boston in the spring of 1973. The period of social distraction may have been something that I needed at that time so I really have no regrets. We trained pretty hard, often twice a day and come April we headed down the highway for Boston.

Jon Anderson won the race in 2:15:03, Tom Fleming second in 2:17:03, and Olavi Soumalainen was third in 2:18:21. I finished a respectable 92^nd in 2:45:03. On the trip back home I asked Larry, the Vermont running guru with a photographic memory, what he thought it might take to qualify to compete in the ’76 Olympic Marathon Trials. In a flash, Larry said he expected a 2:30:00 might be the cutoff point. Only 15 minutes faster? The seed was firmly planted.

[I was there in ’73, about four hundred places back. It was way too warm. Way. Mr. Dimick must be the first racer not to mention the damn heat. What does that say, I wonder?]

So now I was entering a brave new world, the world of road racing with a new and unbelievable goal to make it into the Olympic Trials in 1976. I went to seriously training twice a day, upping my weekly mileage, adding in interval training on the track and using hard fartlek sessions. I also accepted a teaching position back in Brattleboro, so now I was pretty much training alone as I have been throughout my running career. A Solitary Man.

This was the era when the AAU pretty much ruled the running world, so naturally I raced in as many of the NEAAU and AAU Championships I could reasonably get to. Racing improved over time. In 1974 my buddies and I crammed into a VW Bug and drove to West Virginia, for the 2^nd annual Charleston Distance Run and the inaugural induction ceremony to the new National Track and Field Hall of Fame. The following year I was running well enough to have my expenses paid to fly down for the race. I raced well and kept moving up through the field and when I passed ’72 Olympian Jeff Galloway near the finish I was really psyched. I ended up in sixth place. The real thrill was when Jesse Owens placed the medals on the top ten finishers standing on the podium.

The Summer Of 75, A Running Odyssey

1975 was one of the most exciting times in my ten-plus years of active road racing. March was a great month with a close second to Bill Rodgers at the Amherst 10-miler, finishing ten seconds back. A week later I came close to John Vitale, placing second to him 14 seconds back and at the end of the month I finished 4^th in the AAU National 30K behind, Vitale, Rodgers, and Fleming. I ran a 1:33:55 breaking the unofficial 30K record along with the other three.

Buoyed by these good results I found a friend, Lynn Capen from UVM to set out for the National 25K Championships in Buhl, Minnesota that summer. The plan was to race in Buhl, travel on to visit his old high school coach who had a ranch in Prey, Montana and was working as a ranger in Yellowstone and then head south to visit a lady friend of mine in Boulder, Colorado.

There was a great article by David Kayser in the September 1985 issue of Running Times entitled The Summer of ’75, A hard-core road runner fondly recalls the year he journeyed to Buhl, Minnesota for the National AAU 30 Kilometer Championship.

Lynn and I loaded our tent, sleeping bags, and gear into my brand new Dodge Dart Sport and headed first north to Canada and the west to Minnesota. Dave describes the virtual zoo that surrounded the race in Buhl and associated scene of our gathering in nearby Hibbing at Race Director Jim Randall’s home. It is a classic description of what it was like to be a hard core runner in the early days of the running boom. I raced okay and finished third behind winner Steve Hoag and second place Bob Fitts. I got to be friends with Steve and we stayed at his place in Minneapolis on our return trip.

The visit to Montana was also classic. We rode horses on the ranch, visited the park and went dancing in a saloon in the town of Prey, population about 50 I think so the supply of ladies to dance with was a bit limited but it was fun nevertheless. On the trip south we got out of the car up on Togwotee Pass, elevation 9,658, and tried a short run. We started laughing at the lack of oxygen and the run lasted about fifty yards.  Boulder was an unexpected bonus for us. During our second training run along the Flat Iron Trail we came across another runner who invited us to join him for an interval training session with a group of runners down on the College campus. The runner’s name was Gary Bjorklund. Gary was living with a trailer full of like-minded runners, all hoping to make an Olympic team.

The guy in charge of the interval work was another fairly good runner, Frank Shorter. We had a couple of weeks of outstanding training at altitude with Shorter, Bjorklund, Mike Slack, Pablo Vigil and many others. Frank invited us to dinner at his home one evening and pumped me for information about what Bill Rodgers might be up to. Frank had actually gone to high school at Mount Herman, a private prep school about fifteen miles south of my high school but our paths never crossed in those days.

At the end of this spectacular week we loaded the back of my car with cases of Coors Beer for our friends back in Vermont and headed back to Steve Hoag’s home in Minneapolis for a couple of days of running with him. We ran one day with Steve’s good friend, ’68 Olympic Marathon runner Ron Dawes and that was pretty cool as well.

In the meantime I’d been invited to Cudahy, Wisconsin by one of the runners I’d meet in Hibbing to race in the USTFF National 10 Mile Championship. The race favorite was defending champion and outstanding track runner, Glenn Herold. It was a very hot day and Glen struggled a bit. I won the race in 50:27, about a minute ahead of Herold to cap off an epic journey to the west. I don’t think much of the Coors made it back to Vermont, however. The exceptional training and racing set me up well for the race a few weeks later in Charleston, West Virginia, and the trip with Larry Kimball to the International Rice Festival Marathon in Louisiana in October. There I hoped to achieve my goal of qualifying for the ’76 Olympic Trials.

Meeting The Goal

The qualifying standards for entering the Olympic Marathon Trials in 1976 were 2:25:00 qualifying and sub-2:20:00 would earn you an expense-paid trip. Larry Kimball and I decided the Rice Festival Race would be a good race on a flat course, so we booked our flights and headed south. There was a good quality field of runners and I went out with the leaders with one goal, get home in under 2:25:00. As we raced along I realized that if I hung with the lead group I’d have a shot at the sub 2:20:00. It was close but I sprinted down the stretch to the finish line and crossed the line in 2:19:51.

It was the best nine seconds that I never ran! What would have seemed like an impossible dream as a college runner was now a reality, I would have an opportunity to race against the best in the nation at the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials in Eugene, Oregon in the spring. Larry and I and Bill Haviland, another qualifier, headed straight to the French Quarter where we celebrated our success. Little did I know that my return to New Orleans in 1979 would be a truly extraordinary return.

Biggest disappointment?

Like most athletes I had a lot of ups and downs but I would say my biggest disappointment was the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials. I’d had a dreamlike year in 1975-76, starting with the epic running adventure in Minnesota, Montana, and Colorado during the summer of ’75. My confidence level was at a high point and racing had been going very well as the National 30- Kilometer Championships in Albany, New York arrived. The race was exceptionally fast. The early pack of Bill Rodgers, Tom Fleming, John Vitale, Amby Burfoot, myself and others flew away from the start with a bit of tail wind. Bill won the race in world record pace, finishing in 1:29:04 or about 2:04:13 marathon pace. Tom Fleming was second in 1:30:59 and I was third in 1:31:46.

Based on the finishing time and place I suddenly realized, not only would I achieve my goal of running in the Olympic Trials but I had a legitimate chance of actually making the team. I was ready for the trials or so I thought for about twenty-four hours; the next day my Achilles was so inflamed, I could barely walk. I tried everything I could think of to recover and prepare. Stationary bike, physical therapy, a month of resistance pool training, etc., to no avail.

I flew to Eugene and ran the race, finishing near the back of the pack in 43^rd with a time of 2:33:50. My friend Steve Hoag, also injured, ran along with me but ultimately dropped out. Bill made the team and Tom Fleming finished 5^th and Amby Burfoot finished 10^th. I’d had a shot but it wasn’t meant to be.

Toughest opponent?

I guess I was a pretty good distance runner and had a really rewarding running career with some very bright flashes of what greatness might feel like but I don’t feel I quite made it into the top tier on a consistent basis. But without question the one opponent I had the good fortune to both train with some a bit and to compete against often was Bill Rodgers. Associating with Bill brought me to a higher level of confidence and achievement. We are about the same age and started our post-collegiate racing at about the same time in the early ’70s.

I can recall the first time I saw Bill. He was sitting on the high jump pit at the indoor track at the University of Vermont. Not warming up but rather intently studying a heavy text book I think on his way to an advanced degree in special education. As part of his conscientious objector service, he was working at a special needs facility in Massachusetts. We all needed to find some way to support ourselves at that time before the good runners received shoe company sponsorships.

I can’t recall how Bill did in his race but I was impressed with him as an individual beyond his running ability. I had several opportunities to compete against him in New England as we both were starting out. I came close a couple of times before he entered another universe in the world of running.

I had recently come across an article quoting Bill that elevated my self-image significantly at the time. It was in a news article prior to the old Charlie’s Surplus Race in Worchester, Mass. before the ’76 Trials.

“He (Bill R.) is sticking to his Olympic training routine right up to race day and will be fairly tired going into it. ‘If John Dimick shows up, he could easily beat me.’”

If that wasn’t enough to really get my competitive juices flowing when I read that, then I don’t know what could. We’d gone stride for stride in several races before Bill ultimately put the hammer down and floated away. I visited Bill a few times at his home in Medford to train and occasionally party along with the Greater Boston crew. We went on one 17-mile training run that was more like a race. Afterwards we sat in his kitchen having a chat while Bill ate mayonnaise straight from the jar. At that time it was one of his favorite recovery snacks, I think.

My association with Bill really helped me to climb up to a higher level than I thought was possible and I’d like to thank him for that. When I had the opportunity to travel to Kyoto, Japan along with another good friend, Pablo Vigil, I received a telegram from Bill wishing me luck. That race was a week after my son Michael was born and I’m afraid it wasn’t one of better runs but it’s still pretty cool to get a telegram from arguably the best marathoner of that era. I’m sure Bill Rodgers was the toughest competitor that many runners in my generation had the honor to compete against.

Most memorable run?

The 1976 National 30K was pretty memorable and the 1978 BAA Marathon was a real high but they can’t top my only marathon win, the USTFF National Marathon Championship in New Orleans in 1979. The whole scene was a bit bizarre, starting with my wife and I having to split up midway, due to some airline problems. To set the scene you need to know that the policemen in New Orleans went on strike just before Mardi Gras was about to begin. We were called together that evening by the race organizers and told – due to the strike – the marathon wouldn’t take place and we’d be running a 10K instead. With that we all headed back to our rooms.

A short time later we were called back to a second meeting. The race timing company had done some work and discovered the 24-mile long twin causeway across Lake Pontchartrain had measured benchmarks at each end. It would be easy to certify the remaining distance at the start and finish. Due to some incredible efforts, the race organizers got permission to hold the race on the causeway. One side could be closed for the race, making policing of traffic pretty simple and now the marathon was back on. Just don’t miss the bus to the start.

Race day was wet and windy but fortunately the wind was out of the north and at our backs. I didn’t know too many of the other runners but I’d been around enough to recognize Ron Hill for Great Britain, one of my marathon heroes from “Visions of Eight, “ the 1973 documentary about the 1972 Olympics in Montreal.

The race itself was surreal. It might be compared to competition during the current pandemic. Twenty-four miles with zero spectators. Nobody.

The lead pack broke out fairly quickly and wheelchair athlete, Bobby Hall, blew away and was soon out of sight. This may have been the first time in a major marathon the wheelchair athlete finished much faster than the runners on foot. Bob went on to design high tech racing wheelchairs and it’s expected the wheelchair division will be significantly faster than the elite runners.

I ran the first ten miles with Ron Hill and when we ran past the feed zone I made my move and opened up a lead. For about ten miles you could not see either shoreline, due to the Earth’s curve.

I was racing alone with only the seagulls for company. Every so often the traffic on the other causeway would pass by going one direction or the other, honking and tooting encouragement and then back to the eerie silence. At times I thought I could hear the sound of footsteps but it was only the echoes of my own steps bouncing off the bridge abutments. I think I might have been hallucinating just a bit.

Finally, I could see the southern shoreline and the end of the causeway. I struggled for a bit with side cramps and I knew my feet were being shredded by blistering but, as I reached land, I realized I was going to win this race. The course turned right and then turned right again and I was sprinting toward the finish. I couldn’t quite comprehend the time I was reading on the clock above the finish, 2:11 and counting.

I crossed the line in 2:11:53, the fastest marathon in the world that year at that point. Bob Hall rolled back to congratulate me and a bit later Ron Hill crossed the line in third and congratulated me as well. It was a pretty proud moment for me.

My wife Lynne and I were both working in education, so we both had the following week off. Part of the deal in my racing there was, if I won, the race organizers would pick up the tab for the flight down and back and put us up for the week. Although it was a bit rough walking on my shredded feet, we had a great week and this was by far my most memorable race. 

What would you do differently if you could do it again?

If I had the opportunity to do it again, I think I would have benefitted from having good coaching, like Bill Squires provided for the Greater Boston Track Club runners. I was very isolated up in Vermont and the bulk of my training was by myself. I trained hard and fast too much and a good coach might have had me back off more and get more rest.

I used the hard day – easy day approach. All of my training was pretty much determined by what I could learn from reading coaching books or writings in Runner’s World. I also tried to pick the brains of good runners like Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter.

I worked full time as a teacher throughout my racing career, so my training, distance, etc. was somewhat restricted by my job and time element. I was fortunate to be in a school system that made some allowances for me to travel a bit and I’m very grateful to them.

Favorite philosopher? Quote?

I’ve always liked being outdoors far from the madding crowd. Cycle touring through Europe, backpacking in Glacier National Park, trekking along Vermont’s Long Trail, hiking into the high peaks of the White Mountains or in the National Parks of the Colorado Plateau, canoe trips to the Quetico Provincial Park in Canada or down east in Maine. I like grand adventures and epic odysseys like the western running trip of ‘75.

Quote:

I’ve read a fair amount of work by Edward Abbey (1927-1989) who was a park ranger and essayist in the southwest of the U.S. He’s considered a strong influencer of the modern environmental movement. I particularly enjoyed two of his books, Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang.

“A man on foot, on horseback, or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized vehicle tourist can in a hundred miles.”

I guess that means the OGORs have that pretty well covered with 100 miles or more a week training.

Special song of the era?

The Beatles arrived on the American scene when I was a freshman in high school, so the rapid changes in music in general were the background sound during the development of my running career. There was so much music and so many great songs, it’s difficult to isolate anyone in particular. My crazy attendance at the Woodstock Festival colored my experiences for several years. The Eagles were on the radio constantly during the great western trip of ’75. Out of all of the great groups I guess I’ve always been partial to Crosby, Stills, and Nash and later Young. Of all of their many hits I’d say I like “Wooden Ships”.

Favorite comedian?

I think I tend to be a pretty serious guy. I never spent a lot of time with comedians but I’ve always had a good time watching Chevy Chase’s movies. “Funny Farm” was actually filmed just up the road in Townsend, Vermont and I knew a couple of locals who they hired as extras. It’s still a bit of a joke around here. When the filming was finished, they had to replace all of the trees on the town common. The film called for fall foliage, during the summer filming, so the film crew sprayed the green leaves orange and killed the trees.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?
And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

I think I had two pretty good stretches of running. The first period was 1974-1976 when I was developing fast and trying to make the ’76 trials. It was the true beginning of the running boom set off by Frank Shorter’s Gold Medal in Munich. The injury to my Achilles slowed me down for a bit and sent me off to the mountains, hiking and sorting things out for a bit until the embers flashed back into flames again in 1978.

The second phase was 1978-1981. The breakthrough race at Boston got me started. An Athletic Assistance sponsorship from Nike opened up several new doors and the Mardi Gras Marathon 2:11:53 was the race that took me around the world, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Kyoto, Berlin and a few others.  I had my ups and downs but by and large I was pretty consistently finishing somewhere in the 2:15 to 2:17 range. 

The competition was much stiffer during this phase and I was getting a bit older, always had a full-time job, and starting my family of three children. I ran my final marathon in 1983 at Boston in one of the best American marathons ever in my opinion. I finished in 2:15:23 for 26^th place with 24 American runners ahead of me, I believe. I qualified to compete in my third Olympic Marathon Trials in 1984 but I was continuing to fight injuries and opted to call it a day.

What was your edge?

I take great pride in being one of Vermont’s good distance runners. I always was proud to be a high achieving runner from a state more noted for its great skiers. I almost always wore a green kit in honor of representing the Green Mountain State. I felt a bit like a Robin Hood-type character who would sneak down out of the mountains and quietly run away from the pack and take the prize back up into the hills. It was a bit of a mystique that I encouraged. I also believed I had trained harder than the rest of the field. Training twice a day, often in the dark in below-freezing temperatures, 100 miles a week.

What supplementary exercise did you do?

Brattleboro, Vermont is about ten miles south of Putney. Putney was the epicenter of Cross-country skiing in the United States during the 60s, 70s and 80s. John Caldwell was a cross-country skier who skied for the USA in the 1952 Winter Olympics. He went on to write several books and has been called the “guru” of Nordic skiing in North America. His books were published by Stephen Greene Press.

Stephen was my neighbor. When I started running XC in high school he bought me skis, boots, and poles, so I was introduced to the sport at the same time that I started competitive running. If I had attended the public high school instead of the tiny private Catholic school, I might have opted to go in that direction. I was surrounded by young skiers who ultimately made several Winter Olympic Teams. Lynne, my wife, and I drove up to Lake Placid in 1980 to watch the Olympic Relay Race. The team was made up of four friends who lived within a ten mile radius of my house in Guilford. Tim Caldwell, Stan Dunklee, Jamie Galanes, and 1976 silver medalist Bill Koch. I felt like I was the black sheep of the area as a high performing runner amidst all of the local skiing greats.

That was motivating as well. I skied for UVM during my senior year and coached a couple of seasons of high school Nordic at Brattleboro Union High School. I believe it was classic ski training with the high school team in 1978 that helped get me ready for my breakthrough marathon race, the 13^th place 2:15:53 at Boston in the spring. I also used a regular light weight room training routine.

For the past ten years I’ve spent a lot of time road cycling and find I can recreate the training effect I missed when I gave up serious running due to continuing injuries. I’m still pretty close to my old running physique today at 5’8” and 130-135 lbs. F or my age group I’m a pretty good hill climber and there are no shortage of great hill climbs in my area of the world. Cycling doesn’t tend to hurt you as long as you “keep the rubber on the road.” I also do a fair amount of hiking along the Appalachian Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail and in the high peaks of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

The Next Best Sport To Long-Distance Running. When The Snow Flies And The Urge To Run Is Strong Cross-Country Skiing Can Provide A Good Substitute

Runners World article, December 1979.

The article explains the basics of Nordic skiing as an exercise in the winter but the segment I think is interesting from a personal standpoint in my running career is as follows:

“In the 1977-78 season, I coached the cross-country skiing team at Brattleboro Union High School in Vermont. I skied with the team each day, averaging about 70 kilometers a week in addition to 70 miles of running. The ski training was performed at three-quarter effort, with at least two five-kilometer sessions at top effort each week. I also tried to run at least one hard fartlek session a week.  I maintained this training routine for most of December, January, and February.

“At the close of the season, I jumped into the 15-kilometer Washington’s Birthday Ski Race and aggravated a slight knee injury. I had to reduce my total training mileage to about 25 miles per week of slow running at the end of February and the beginning of March. The knee recovered in time for Boston, but I was skeptical of my conditioning because of the injury. I ran 2:15:58 for 13^th place that day. I believe that the overall strength, conditioning, and cardiovascular efficiency through a hard season of skiing and running carried me through.”

The 1978 BAA Marathon was a real breakthrough race and ultimately led to a Nike Athlete’s Assistance sponsorship, travel and gear.

Note on coaching: I stopped coaching two years ago, in 2018 after having coached for a combined total of 68 seasons of Cross-country Running, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, and Nordic Skiing at Brattleboro Union High School in Vermont. Over 40 years. I had several individual Vermont State Champions, a couple of New England Champions, A couple of athletes who went on to do well as  Individuals in the NCAA National Collegiate Championships and one former runner who made the U.S. World Junior Cross-Country Team that competed in Barcelona. Great kids and lots of fun.

What was your toughest injury and how did you deal with it?

My toughest injury was the Achilles strain just before the ’76 Olympic Marathon Trials. I tried physical therapy, weight training, training on an exercise bike, and resistance pool training. For the pool training I traveled to the Northfield School for Girls in Northfield, Massachusetts. This was the sister school to Frank Shorter’s high school at Mount Herman. The track coach there rigged me up with a waist belt with surgical tubing that we attached to the side of the pool and I would run in place in the water. More than anything else, I tried to keep my head in the game but ultimately it was much too close to the important race for an adequate recovery.

The artist as runner or vice versa?

What do you do when you’re no longer able to “run like the wind”? For years you’ve had a sense of self-worth and importance and perhaps even a brief taste of fame from working hard and climbing up to the top of the rankings. But inevitably at some point we all start to slip back down into reality. We all age.

In my case, I’ve always achieved a bit of satisfaction, success and reinforcement from my ability to draw.  As I noted earlier, in the fifties television, etc. wasn’t the great influence it became later on. Computers, internet, social media, and electronic games were all just science fiction then. Kids played together or read books. I could create my own imaginary and fantastic worlds by drawing. A few years ago, a childhood friend who later was a college roommate sent me a packet of little car drawings I’d given him back in second or third grade. They weren’t anything too special except that he’d valued them enough to hold onto them for over fifty years. I won a few school and local art contests back then. The public schools were much more supportive of the arts than the Catholic school I attended and the art work was put on hold until college.

When I got to college I loved the running and it was the part of my college experience that I focused on the most. I was history major with a political science minor and I wasn’t a great student by any assessment. We’d been through several years of the Beatles and the growth of Rock and Roll and in 1968 we entered the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius. During the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college an old high school friend was getting married and he asked me and another old classmate to be in the wedding party. After the wedding we were waiting for the bridesmaids to gather up their belongings and we had big plans to drive them back up north to where they lived. He suggested we go for a ride on his motorcycle while we waited. It was a bad, bad, bad idea. We’d hardly started when instead of curving left with the road, he went straight and we were airborne over the town yard sand pit. I ended up in the woods seventy-five (75!) feet away with a broken collarbone. Consequently, I had to give up my summer job working in the local lumber yard. It also left me with several weeks of freedom.

A couple of weeks later a lady friend of mine was having a birthday get together and I headed up for the weekend. We were watching a music concert on the television and I commented it looked like fun. I’d like to go to one. My friend said there was one coming right up across the state line and maybe I could check it out. I was never a real music nut but it has always been background noise for my imagination. Always one to try to impress a nice looking young lady, I told her I was going to check it out and go. I’m not sure she was impressed.

So a week or two later I tossed a few things in a knapsack, threw it over my good shoulder and stuck out my thumb heading west toward Woodstock, New York where I thought this concert was going to take place. When I caught my second ride the driver asked me where I was heading. When I told him he started laughing and told me that it wasn’t being held in Woodstock, it was on a little farm in Bethel, New York, and did I realize traffic getting into the place was backed up for forty miles? Perhaps a bit of hyperbole there but he said he knew the area well and he’d take me there. So the naïve little cross-country runner from Vermont ended up at what is arguably the most famous rock concert of all time and as you might expect, it was a mind-altering experience in every sense of the word.

Once I got back to UVM I decided to change my minor to art. I started out by signing up for basic drawing. The class was a bit dry at first but when we got to the life drawing part – the part with the very attractive model – I was sold. I remember taking a few of my drawings back to the fraternity where I was living and having the guys ask if I was getting credit for this class. My answer was ‘of course’ and I was working extra hard to get an A++ on this part.

I liked the instructor a lot. He was a gnarly-looking guy, not much older than me. He became a noted instructor of printing and lithography; I studied stone lithography with him until I graduated. In retrospect, this new direction as an artist and hippie wannabe didn’t exactly lead me to my best athletic performances at that time but it was a lot of fun.

My career in education always allowed for a considerable amount of creativity. When I finally retired from teaching after thirty-seven years – when I turned sixty – I was looking for some type of disciplined activity like running had been. I took a few painting classes and I approached this return to the art world like a business of sorts.

It’s been a grand experiment and very rewarding. I do okay and get a fair amount of positive feedback. My work has been picked up by a good local gallery, I have a website, http://www.johndimickartist.com, I get into some juried shows and occasionally win a prize but I keep it all in perspective. It’s intended to be fun, so I’m not as disciplined as I was with my running career. I meet new and interesting people and paint with a nice friendly group.

Family, cycling, hiking, skiing, painting and more.

Life is actually pretty good.

Some Of My Stats

440 yards            52 seconds          UVM

880 yards            1:57.1                    UVM

1 mile                    4:12.6                    UMASS, Amherst

2 mile                    9:16                        UVM indoors

5 K                          14:31                     Dartmouth Indoors

5 miles                  23:47                     Lowell, MA

10K                         30:10                     Keene, NH (lead car led me down a side street unfortunately)

10 Mile                 49:09                     Cherry Blossom

Half Marathon   1:05:55                  San Juan 450

15 miles               1:18:56               Charleston, WV

25 K                       1:19:40                  NE AAU 25K, Holliston MA

30 K                       1:31:45                  Nat AAU 30K, Albany NY

Marathon            2:11:53                  New Orleans      1979

University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame

Run Vermont Hall of Fame           inducted 2011

Keep Moving!

On his website, John Dimick describes himself this way. I might add ‘excellent dude.’

John S. Dimick
Teacher, Runner, Coach, Painter

The Dimick family moved to Brattleboro in 1961 when my father, Everett Dimick , was hired as the Principal of the new Brattleboro Junior High School.  I  grew up in Brattleboro and graduated from the next to the last graduating class of St. Michael’s High School of Brattleboro in 1967. I graduated from the University of Vermont in 1971 with a history major and art minor specializing in stone lithography under the direction of Bill Davison. Long distance running was an important part of both my high school and college experience.

After graduation I biked around Europe with a friend and when I returned I worked as a carpenter in Guilford, VT. for a year. I returned to UVM in 1972 and received a teaching certificate in special education and industrial arts which led to a career in education teaching in Brattleboro, teaching special education for 16 years and middle school industrial arts and technology education until retirement from teaching in 2009. I pursued my passion for distance running for many years, qualifying for three U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon along the way. 

After retiring from a very disciplined running career in the mid-80’s, I took up watercolor painting studying under the direction of Maisie Crowther. Throughout my teaching career I coached Cross-Country in the fall and Track and Field in the spring and I have finally retired from coaching after 42 years and 68 seasons. I have enjoyed drawing, both free sketching and technical drawing all of my life.

Recently I have rediscovered my paint brushes and I am currently working primarily in watercolors. I work at my studio at home and also I spend time painting with the Brush and Palette Painters, a group of watercolor painters at the Gibson Aiken Center in Brattleboro. I am a member of the Vermont Watercolor Society and have recently been awarded signature member status.

copyright John S. Dimick

The University of Vermont Hall of Fame describes him thus.

John S. Dimick 1971 – Cross Country, Skiing, Track and Field

Though he was a stalwart cross country runner as an undergraduate, John Dimick’s finest athletic moments have been post-UVM, and he continues to register notable achievements as a world-class marathoner. At UVM, Dimick, a 1984 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, earned three varsity letters in cross country and two each in indoor and outdoor track.

He co-captained cross-country in 1970 (with Perry Bland, currently women’s ski and cross country coach at UVM), when he was also a member of UVM’s cross country ski team. As a junior, he was the state champion at 880-yards, and he won the now-classic Archie Post five-mile race his senior year, 40 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. In his sophomore year, Dimick bypassed the indoor and outdoor track seasons to prepare for the B.A.A. (Boston) Marathon, planting the seeds for what would prove to be an illustrious long-distance running career. He placed 92nd in that, his first marathon, at a time when marathon running was thought to be a sport for half-crazed adventurists.

Since then, as his sport continues to grow in popularity, Dimick has qualified for the Olympic trials in 1976, 1980, and 1984, although an injury kept him out of this year’s trials. He continues to run Boston, obviously, and finished 13th in 1978 and 26th in 1983, with a time of 2:15:23. In 1979, he qualified for the Olympic trials with a 2:16:31 clocking at the Nike-Oregon Track Club Marathon. His best time ever, however, came in 1979 at the Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans, where he ran a blazing 2:11:53, at the time the ninth-fastest time ever in the United States and the 18th best in the world. He has excelled internationally as well, placing second in the Copenhagen Marathon n 1981, and fourth at the Berlin Marathon that same year. In 1979, Dimick was named Vermont Athlete of the Year by the Vermont Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Dimick is a teacher at Brattleboro Union High School, in the Diversified Occupations Program, a vocational program for mentally handicapped students. He is also the head coach of women’s track and field at BUHS. He and his wife, Lynne (UVM ’71), and their children, Elizabeth and Michael, live in Guilford, Vt. Michael went on to become a student-athlete at UVM also in track and field.

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
30 May 1983	1	30:38		RD	10 km	Maynard MA/USA	Maynard Elks
18 Apr 1983	26	2:15:24	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
19 Mar 1983	8	37:13		RD	12 km	Holyoke MA/USA	St Patrick’s Day
17 Mar 1983	2	30:27		RD	10 km	Cambridge MA/USA	Red Cross Challenge
27 Feb 1983	1	51:33		RD	10 mi	Amherst MA/USA	Sugarloaf Mountain AC
25 Jul 1982	4	40:22		RD	12.87 km	Stowe VT/USA	Matt’s Union Bank
27 Sep 1981	4	2:20:45		RD	Marathon	Berlin GER	Berlin
22 Aug 1981	1	30:50		RD	10 km	Fredonia NY/USA	Fredonia Farm Festival
26 Jul 1981	7	42:29		RD	12.87 km	Stowe VT/USA	Moriarty Matt’s
20 Jun 1981	2	2:15:11		RD	Marathon	Copenhagen DEN	Copenhagen
14 Sep 1980	1	31:29		RD	10 km	Brattleboro VT/USA	Famolare Turning Leaves
26 Jul 1980	3	35:31		RD	11.265 km	Purdys NY/USA	Dannon Road Runners Club
24 May 1980	17	2:16:07.5	a	RD	Marathon	Buffalo NY/USA	US Olympic Trials
26 Jan 1980	19	31:47		RD	10 km	Hamilton BER	Bermuda
10 Nov 1979	9	1:19:45		RD	25 km	Youngstown OH/USA	International Peace Race
30 Sep 1979	1	1:01:29	x	RD	Half Mara	Hanover NH/USA	Dartmouth Medical School
09 Sep 1979	16	2:16:30		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	Nike-OTC
26 Aug 1979	1	38:35		RD	12 km	Bennington VT/USA	Bennington Battle
06 May 1979	1	51:57		RD	10 mi	Bennington VT/USA	Bennington
01 Apr 1979	7	49:10		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Perrier Cherry Blossom
17 Mar 1979	13	37:16		RD	12 km	Holyoke MA/USA	St Patrick’s Day
18 Feb 1979	1	2:11:53	a x	RD	Marathon	Metaire LA/USA	Mardi Gras
27 Jan 1979	17	31:40		RD	10 km	Hamilton BER	Bermuda
24 Sep 1978	3	1:07:38		RD	Half Mara	Manchester VT/USA	Maple Leaf
10 Sep 1978	11	2:17:51		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	Nike
20 Aug 1978	30	34:46	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
08 Jul 1978	3	53:49		RD	10 mi	Lake George NY/USA	Adirondack Distance Run
02 Jul 1978	1	44:53		RD	14.2 km	Killington VT/USA	Perrier Killington
17 Apr 1978	13	2:15:57	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
31 Jul 1977	3	51:47		RD	10 mi	Lake George NY/USA	Adirondack Distance Run
04 Sep 1976	1	25:11		RD	5 mi	Burlington VT/USA	Archie Post
22 May 1976	43	2:33:50		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
28 Mar 1976	3	1:31:46	a x	RD	30 km	Albany NY/USA	Bankathon
18 Oct 1975	6	2:19:51	a	RD	Marathon	Crowley LA/USA	Rice Festival
30 Aug 1975	6	1:18:56		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Classic
05 Jul 1975	3	1:24:05		RD	25 km	Buhl MN/USA	AAU Championships
21 Apr 1975	73	2:26:26	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
23 Mar 1975	4	1:33:55	a x	RD	30 km	Albany NY/USA	Bankathon
07 Sep 1974	1	26:17		RD	5 mi	Burlington VT/USA	Archie Post
15 Apr 1974	153	2:38:42	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
19 Sep 1970	1	26:43.6		RD	5 mi	Essex Junction VT/USA	n/a
05 Sep 1970	1	26:43		RD	5 mi	Burlington VT/USA	Archie Post
21 Apr 1969	110	2:53:36	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston

---

Original Gangsters Of Running (Chuck Smead)

Age is not the flight of years;

it is the dawn of wisdom in the mind of man.

–  Joseph Murphy 

I remember he was not fashion conscious.

Remember we were at a race, could’ve been the Avenue of The Giants marathon. The tiptoe through tall timber.

I was complaining as usual about that last hill and Chuck looks at me and asks, “What hill?”

The idea I would be friends with a guy who enjoyed running up and down mountains amuses me still.

I could barely handle the flatlands.

Google him and you get, ‘Charles “Chuck” Smead is an American long distance runner, his most significant mark on the sport a second place in the Marathon at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City.

‘Originally from Santa Paula High School in Santa Paula, California, where he was an outstanding two-miler, taking second place at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in 1968.

‘He also won the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in 1974.

‘He continued to excel in long distance at Humboldt State University, where he won the NCAA Division II 6M/10K Championship twice. In 1972 he began a string of three straight wins in the famous Pikes Peak Marathon, he added a fourth victory in 1976. He has completed the race at least a half dozen times.

‘In the 1970s he was among the first luminaries of ultramarathoning. He was twice ranked in the United States top ten in the marathon. He continues to be active, winning the M60 division of the 2012 USA Masters 5K Cross Country Championships.

‘Smead has been credited with spreading the sport of ultramarathoning into Europe.’

Oh, my goodness, I think Google might have missed some stuff about Chuck Smead.

When last I lost track of him, he was a god in Switzerland or any venue with astronomically tall hills.

Hi Jack, Read most of your Original Gangsters of Running. Very interesting!  Sorry you cannot run anymore. I do a lot of walking now, too. NEVER walked before! It is a lot tougher at our age. Think I have out-survived all the runners of my era as far as competing at a high level. No one who I ran against in the old days still competes at a high level. Not a single one, as far as I know.

Everyone among the best in the “old” guys group basically started running later in life. I won the national XC championship year before last. Was second last fall at the 5K XC nationals at the top of my age group.

My answers to your questions may vary a lot because I have been running competitively since 1965. I only stopped for several years in the early 1990s to play tennis.

Guess my thought is like when you ask: “What was your biggest disappointment in running?” Since my running career is still going – and I have been at it almost sixty (60) years – my best answer may not come from the “old days” but recently.

Remember, I was never that great of a track/road runner, compared to mountain running. I will be the freak of everybody you have. Seems everybody you have are track/road/marathon/ultra runners. No mountain runners. I do have all my running books back to 1968, so I can hopefully get things right and not exaggerate stuff.

At our age things are hard to remember and like all old stories from the past, things can get a bit embellished over time. Many times when people find out I run, they tell me stories about their running. I have had many people around my age – or especially quite a bit older – tell how what great runners they were many years ago. Like placing second in Boston marathon.

Never heard of them. I check it out online and at best all they might have done is maybe run – or more likely watched – the Boston marathon once. Did not get second. With the internet you better not make stuff up as you can check on most anything. Running is very obscure compared to Baseball, Football, etc.. No one tries to tell you they played in the Super Bowl years ago as everybody knows about that.

However, running is totally different. No one knows much about it or its history, besides the Olympics. Especially in this country.

Still baffled about my IT Band [Iliotibial Band Syndrome] problem. Figuring out what to do still. Maybe you need a question: What was your toughest injury and how did you deal with it?? IT band is like no other injury. You can run fast (sprint) with it! Just not far. Uphill OK; NO downhill. Can run uphill for six miles – no ill effects. Downhill, 1/4 mile and you’re in trouble. It does not warn you it is going to blow up until way after you run. It feels OK running, then at night it hurts and swells up.

Will answer a few questions to start with and will keep at it until done.

I will put a T if it applies to the old days. N if recently. 

When did you start running and why?

I started running in 1965. I joined the Santa Paula HS cross-country team to get in shape for basketball and tennis. Was a football player. However, freshman football was four short games, no letter and a lot of calisthenics. Figured XC would be better.  I was right. Ended up #1 man. Our team was terrible, so I was not that hot. Was MVP and lettered Varsity. Freshmen very rarely lettered varsity in those days.  MVP of a varsity team never in our area. Eventually gave up tennis 1966 and basketball 1967. 

Toughest opponent?

I have had lots of tough opponents over the last 55 years. Many rivals, also. None of them run any more. The toughest really stand out, one from each era.

T-  I can not recall the exact year but probably mid-1970s. I was winning all the road races in Southern California. Most pretty easily. They had a race in Long Beach, California. It was called the 16.2 Mi. Marathon prep race. I showed up in decent shape. I got my ass handed to me so badly I will never forget it. So bad I thought of quitting running. 

A guy named Otis Martin from San Diego showed up. He made running look so easy. He just cruised away from me after 5 miles and never saw him again. Do not know much about him but he won the 2-mile in the California State Championships. He ran 9:00 flat on dirt track. I think he was about 3 years older than me. Do not know if he even went to college. Showed up out of the blue and disappeared just as quick. Never saw him again in a race or results. I will never forget him.

The other guy who comes to mind is Kirk Pffeifer of San Diego. I did not compete with him much. He moved into my area for awhile. Was able to train with him some. Same year he ran 2:10 in Fukuoka. I set PRs in training with him. NO one beat me uphill in those days. Kirk did.  

N- Most of my races are on the Road/XC. I won all the mountain races I entered lately but that is not very many. The road is challenging. I would say the toughest guy out there is Tom Bernhart. Only way I beat him is if he does not show up. He was done running last year as he has bad knees. There are other guys that may be better for short periods of time but they are injured a lot and not anywhere as consistent as Tom. 

Biggest disappointment?

Pike Peak Ascent 2017. I trained my rear end off all summer. Was in super shape. Wanted to break the 65-69 age-group record. Got the 60-64 record a few years before. The race people decided to cancel the ascent but did not tell anyone until five minutes before the start. They changed the race to Barr Camp (about halfway up). NO chance for record. The reason was “unsafe condition above timberline. Was a lie. Race started at 7:00 AM. Was foggy at the time, so you could not see the top. By 7:20 fog cleared and it was crystal clear on the top. Perfect running weather.

Think race officials were afraid that maybe a thunderstorm would come in the PM. They let in 1000 extra entrants, mostly slow flatlanders from sea level. Apparently, they did not prepare properly for them. ‘Dangerous weather’ was an easy out for them, as they did not have to worry about getting a couple thousand off the top.

However, IF the weather had been bad, it would have been a disaster. Two thousand people racing from 6200-10600 feet. Run hard uphill, then have to run jog walk back. NO warm clothes/sweats at the finish. This is far more dangerous than going to the top where there is a change of clothes waiting for you. Complete fiasco.

I was totally mentally down for a solid month after that. Was a long recovery. Felt like total failure, even though I did everything I was supposed to do except run the race.

What would you do differently, if you could do it again?

Run less junk mileage. Rest more. Do higher speed/quality pickups/intervals and less volume. Especially in high school and college. I think it would have been more efficient for the shorter races I ran then. However, the volume was maybe helpful in my success at road racing and the marathon (2:23 at age 17.)

Things I did right 1) Stay off pavement/roads for the most part. Ran on dirt. 2) Run lots of hills and mountains. I attribute this to why I am still running well at almost 70.

Favorite philosopher?

Murphy – “If you are feeling good do not worry, you will get over it.”

Favorite song?

“Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road” by Loudon Wainwright III.

Favorite comedian?

Rodney Dangerfield. Could identify with him. “Never got any respect.”

What’s the worst injury?

Pulled Achilles tendon in late 1969. Was never the same until summer of 1972.

Forty-eight years later, you are battling another injury. Tell me more about your IT Band [Iliotibial Band Syndrome] problem.

The IT band problem started in late May of last year. IT band is pretty common but is usually misdiagnosed. It appears to be a knee problem, as the band actually attaches under the side of the knee. I have a pretty good Physical Therapist here and he was not even close. He thought I had a bone chip. When you tell someone your knee hurts on the side, they assume it is a problem in the knee itself. NOT a knee problem. 

I had no idea it was IT until four months later. Was basically no better. Carol got tired of me moping around and decided to do research. She found the information and we figured out what it was. I am perfectly fine now.

Main things we learned.

1) almost always IT is misdiagnosed.

2) Typical treatments/therapy/advice do not solve the problem.

3) You need lots of rest to let the inflamed fat on the attachment settle down.

4) Several exercises with bands work.

5) Direct ice on it, followed by heat helps. Unfortunately, it takes a couple of hours to do the treatment. Better have NetFlix or some other entertainment, as it is long boring process.

6) Running sustained on flats and downhill will aggravate the problem big time. Sustained uphill is okay.

7) Sprinting/running fast over short distances did not affect it. Probably only running injury this is true.

I was able to go on longer runs six to eight miles in the mountains with the injury. I ran all the ups. Did pickups (as long as quarter-mile-plus.) on the flats and downs. No ill effects. However, if I went two miles sustained on the flats, it would blow up. Strange injury!

What supplementary exercise, if any, did you do, are you doing?

Basically, in the old days, just pullups and sit-ups. Some stretching/yoga. Also did some lifting on legs. Used a pulley machine. Light weight, lots of reps. Never lifted heavier weights.

Now I have to spend way more time on supplementary exercise. Do the same now but have added two types of back exercises, foundation training, bands and squats with no weight. 

What was your edge? What’s your edge now?

I am built pretty well to run uphill. However, for flat road/track racing, I am built a bit heavy. I guess my edge was to try to 1) Out-train my competition by running difficult courses like 5000′ vertical or at noon when it was 100 degrees. 2)Be consistent in my training. 3) Find other edges like A)Make sure my racing shoes were as light as possible. B) Be prepared for the conditions of the race like if I am going to run in Puerto Rico, be sure I heat train by wearing lots of clothes on warm days.

Now I guess my edge is all the fast guys have retired and I am the only one left out there.

Your build helped with mountain running?

I was 5’9″ tall and 140 pounds in the old days. Do not have small bones like most good road/ track runners. Disadvantage on road/track but good for power for running uphill. 

Like a couple of old distance runners in no particular hurry, took some time to get Chuck’s OGOR application approved.

To be honest, he lost me at ‘mountain running.’

But I am always amazed how hard some people can work. And work and work.

Chuck Smead doing it still.

And getting respect.

Legends Of The Trail

By Meghan M. Hicks for Trail Runner magazine. June 25, 2013.

Chuck Smead Takes on the Euros

“In those days, I was getting a course record every time I raced.” Colorado’s Chuck Smead is not afraid to tell you how it is. In reference to his 1970s dominance of American running, he isn’t exaggerating, either.

Smead, now 61, was the 1972 and 1973 winner of the Pikes Peak Marathon and the 1974 and 1976 winner of the Pikes Peak Ascent. His 1976 ascent win included a course-record time of 2:05:22—which stood until 1993 when Matt Carpenter ran 2:01:06. He placed second in the marathon at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, located at 7900 feet altitude, by running a 2:25:32 and 29 seconds back from the winner. And, in 1976, he won the inaugural Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Inc. 50K National Championship; his obscenely fast 2:50:46 was an asterisked American record for years due to different measurement standards.

In 1977, Smead became the first fast American trail runner to take his talents across the pond. That year, he won Switzerland’s Sierre-Zinal, perhaps the most respected mountain-running race on Earth. Smead raced Sierre-Zinal four more times in the late ’70s and early ’80s, bringing with him other fast dudes from the United States like Pablo Vigil and Dave Casillas. This troupe together started a trend of Americans racing in Europe that has grown to what’s now a veritable exodus each summer.

“Chuck was the Jack Kerouac of united states mountain running. he was Just a vagabond in Europe, but such a fast one,” recalls Vigil, the Colorado mountain runner who won Sierre-Zinal four consecutive times between 1979 and 1982. “He blazed the way for me to go for the first time in 1979. Now, I’ve traveled to and raced in Switzerland so many times that it’s my home away from home.”

“Seven or eight summers total I raced in Europe,” remembers Smead. “Each time, I stayed a couple weeks—maybe a month—and ran as many mountain races as I could.” Why exactly did Smead cross the Euro  mountain-running threshold when no one else was?

“Easy answer, money. I was a poor teacher with a mortgage payment, a wife and young kids. making money on running in America made for a scrappy existence.” he continues, “I could go to Europe for a month, all expenses paid [by race organizers], and make $4000. Back then, that was a ton of money.”

Smead has never stopped racing, though he’s now converted to chasing age-group course records at prestigious races. “Let me tell you the truth. I wake up and think, ‘My competition is running today, so I have to run, too.’ I enter races now because they keep me from being lazy. I’m old, but I want to live a lot longer. This crap keeps me healthy.”

Smead and his wife, Carol, live on 10 flatland acres outside of Mosca, Colorado, which is effectively the middle of nowhere. They have three grown boys and the couple is, according to Smead, semi-retired. “I’m a stamp dealer and Carol’s a tutor. We don’t really need our jobs, but be want them. Old people need things to do, you know.” Smead runs most days, “I do lots of speed workouts, not much mileage but almost all of it fast on the dirt roads out here. I live in the death zone, at 7600 feet. Living at this altitude is hard on the body. No two-a-days up here.” On easy days, Smead swims and pool runs at a nearby hot-springs pool.

Turns out, Smead’s still better than almost all of his competition, too. Last fall, he championed the 60-64 age group at the USA masters 5K cross country championships with a 19:42, 32 seconds faster than everyone else. In 2011, he won and set a course record in the men’s 60-64 age group at the Pikes Peak ascent with a 2:58:47.

“I’m not through with the Mount Washington road race. I tried for my age-group win there in 2012, and failed. I’m going back.” Smead is also thinking about another shot at Sierre-Zinal this summer, “Europeans aren’t as into age-group records as Americans are, but I can’t help wanting to go after a record there, too.” Clearly, Smead’s got some more pioneering to do.

Timeline
— 1972 > Chuck Smead wins the Pikes Peak Marathon for the first of two times.

— 1973 > Smead wins the NCAA Division II Six-Mile Championship for the first of two times while in college at Humboldt State University.

— 1974 > Smead wins the Pikes Peak Ascent for the first of two times (In 1976, he would win and set an ascent course record of 2:05:22, which stood until the reign of Matt Carpenter began in the 1990s).

— 1975 > At the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Smead runs to a silver medal in the marathon. Smead nearing the finish line at 14,050 feet during the 2011 Pikes Peak Ascent.

— 1977 > Smead wins arguably the most prestigious mountain-running race in the world, Switzerland’s Sierre- Zinal. He would race it four more times in the coming years, never placing out of the top five.

— 2008 > Smead sets a men’s 55-59 age-group record at the Mount Washington Road Race with a 1:17:15.7.

— 2011 > Smead sets the men’s 60-64 age-group record at the Pike’s Peak Ascent with a 2:58:47.

— 2012 > Smead wins the men’s 60-64 age group at the USA Masters 5K Cross Country Championships with a 19:42. .

Personal Bests

These PBs just don’t seem right.

Yes, most of my PRs are wrong. Like I ran 10K on Rd in Switzerland in 28:35. Think half or more are wrong. I will try to figure out what they are.

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	5 km	14:37		Westlake CA/USA	07 Nov 1982
RD	10 km	29:40		Los Angeles CA/USA	19 Oct 1980
RD	15 km	46:43		Canoga Park CA/USA	12 Oct 1980
RD	10 mi	47:47		Washington DC/USA	30 Mar 1980
RD	20 km	1:03:18		Point Mugu CA/USA	21 Nov 1982
RD	Half Mara	1:05:45		Coamo PUR	06 Feb 1977
RD	25 km	1:17:45		Ventura CA/USA	03 Mar 1979
RD	30 km	1:36:23		Culver City CA/USA	18 Feb 1979
RD	Marathon	2:13:47		Eugene OR/USA	13 Sep 1981
IT	3 km	10:31.66		Albuquerque NM/USA	04 Mar 2011

Performances

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
28 Oct 2017	50?	1:03:23		RD	15 km	Tulsa OK/USA	Tulsa Run- V40
16 Jun 2012	100	1:26:05	a	RD	12.231 km	Pinkham Notch NH/USA	Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington
02 Oct 2011	94	19:13.5		RD	5 km	Syracuse NY/USA	Syracuse Festival of Races
04 Mar 2011	1	10:31.66		IT	3 km	Albuquerque NM/USA	USA Masters Championships- V55
10 Feb 2007	66	32:00		XC	8 km	Boulder CO/USA	USA Crosscountry Championships- Masters
04 Jun 2005	25?	53:42		XC	10 km	Vail CO/USA	Gore-Tex USA Trail Running Championships
06 Feb 1993	15	1:07:37	a x	RD	Half Mara	Las Vegas NV/USA	Las Vegas	$750
26 Apr 1992	26	25:57		RD	8 km	Denver CO/USA	Cherry Creek Sneak
27 Oct 1991	51	15:20	a	RD	5 km	Chicago IL/USA	Rogaine	$150
20 Oct 1991	40	15:10	a	RD	5 km	Providence RI/USA	Downtown	$250
22 Sep 1991	10	25:02		RD	5 mi	Denver CO/USA	Alamo Alumni Run
04 Sep 1989	25	32:18		RD	10 km	Denver CO/USA	Soundtrack Main Course Challenge
10 Sep 1988	5	1:37:42		RD	30 km	Santa Barbara CA/USA	Festival	$300
28 Aug 1988	1	59:42		XC	12.9 km	Kitzbühel AUT	Hornlauf
30 Aug 1986	4	2:35:57		XC	37 km	Creede CO/USA	Creede Wilderness Run
05 Jan 1985	2	14:55		RD	5 km	Ventura CA/USA	Buena
04 Dec 1983	DNF	DNF	a	RD	Marathon	Sacramento CA/USA	California International
16 Oct 1983	22	2:19:24		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	America’s
15 May 1983	3	2:18:59		RD	Marathon	Cleveland OH/USA	RevCo Cleveland
08 May 1983	14	30:03	x	RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Rock ‘n Run
05 Feb 1983	4	1:08:17		RD	Half Mara	Bakersfield CA/USA	Bakersfield
05 Dec 1982	9	29:54		RD	10 km	Beverly Hills CA/USA	Perrier
21 Nov 1982	6	1:03:18		RD	20 km	Point Mugu CA/USA	Lasse Viren Invitational
07 Nov 1982	3	14:37		RD	5 km	Westlake CA/USA	SPA-TAC Championships
24 Oct 1982	30	2:18:10	a	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
09 Oct 1982	2	23:50		RD	8 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	SPA-TAC
26 Sep 1982	6	31:38		RD	10 km	Stateline NV/USA	Tahoe	$600
29 Aug 1982	1	59:17		XC	12.9 km	Kitzbühel AUT	Hornlauf
15 Aug 1982	6	1:06:39		XC	16.95 km	Montana SUI	Sierre-Montana
21 Feb 1982	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Long Beach CA/USA	Long Beach World Runners
13 Sep 1981	8	2:13:47		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	Nike-OTC	$2,000
21 Jun 1981	2	30:11		RD	10 km	Century City CA/USA	Century City
24 May 1981	2	30:08		RD	10 km	Brentwood CA/USA	Brentwood
16 Nov 1980	9	1:06:45		RD	20.5 km	Malibu CA/USA	Lasse Viren Invitational
08 Nov 1980	4	29:51		RD	10 km	Woodland Hills CA/USA	Diet Pepsi
19 Oct 1980	4	29:40		RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Los Angeles AC Mercury
12 Oct 1980	3	46:43		RD	15 km	Canoga Park CA/USA	Chaminade Reservoir
28 Sep 1980	2	2:16:47		RD	Marathon	Chicago IL/USA	Chicago
14 Sep 1980	1	29:07	x	RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	NBC Peacock
04 Jul 1980	2	47:08		RD	15 km	Santa Barbara CA/USA	Semana Nautica
24 May 1980	23	2:16:57.6	a	RD	Marathon	Buffalo NY/USA	US Olympic Trials
30 Mar 1980	4	47:47		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Cherry Blossom
02 Mar 1980	2	1:18:52		RD	25 km	Ventura CA/USA	TAC Championships
26 Jan 1980	13	30:43		RD	10 km	Hamilton BER	Bermuda
07 Dec 1979	8	1:06:00		RD	Half Mara	Las Vegas NV/USA	Las Vegas Celebrity Sun
09 Sep 1979	20	2:16:48		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	Nike-OTC
26 Aug 1979	11	50:05		XC	6.4 km	Morcles SUI	Trophee des Martinaux
18 Aug 1979	6	49:40		XC	9.7 km	Tanay SUI	Vouvry-Tanay
12 Aug 1979	4	2:38:37		XC	29 km	Zinal SUI	Sierre-Zinal
16 Jun 1979	1	37:42		RD	12 km	Winslow AZ/USA	Clear Creek Hospitality Park
26 May 1979	2	2:20:06		RD	Marathon	Los Angeles CA/USA	Hang Ten
03 Mar 1979	3	1:17:45		RD	25 km	Ventura CA/USA	SP AAU Championships
18 Feb 1979	1	1:36:23		RD	30 km	Culver City CA/USA	SPA AAU Championships
20 Aug 1978	1	52:14		XC	7.2 km	n/a SUI	Six-Blanc
13 Aug 1978	3	2:43:32		XC	29 km	Zinal SUI	Sierre-Zinal
27 May 1978	1		a	RD	Marathon	Athens GRE	Spirit of Pheidippides
14 May 1978	2	2:17:31		RD	Marathon	Cleveland OH/USA	RevCo
05 Feb 1978	7	1:07:16		RD	Half Mara	Coamo PUR	San Blas
11 Sep 1977	3	2:14:39		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	AAU Championships
27 Aug 1977	1	1:13:13		XC	21 km	Hyeres FRA	n/a
21 Aug 1977	1	35:33		XC	8 km	n/a SUI	Tr du Six-Blanc
14 Aug 1977	1	2:41:48		XC	29 km	Zinal SUI	Sierre-Zinal
19 Feb 1977	7	44:02		XC	14.4 km	Alameda CA/USA	World Crosscountry Trials
06 Feb 1977	8	1:05:45		RD	Half Mara	Coamo PUR	San Blas
27 Nov 1976	17?	31:01		XC	10 km	Phiadelphia PA/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
01 Aug 1976	1	2:05:22		XC	Half Mara	Manitou Springs CO/USA	Pikes Peak Ascent
17 Jul 1976	1			RD	23.336 km	Idaho Springs CO/USA	Mount Evans Ascent
17 Apr 1976	2	2:34:50		RD	Marathon	Saratoga CA/USA	Paul Masson
11 Apr 1976	1	19.592 km		OT	One Hour	Santa Paula CA/USA	n/a
21 Mar 1976	1	2:50:45.7		RD	50 km	Sacramento CA/USA	AAU Championships
31 Jan 1976	8	38:20		XC	12 km	Belmont CA/USA	World Crosscountry Trials
20 Oct 1975	2	2:25:31.6		RD	Marathon	Mexico City MEX	Pan Am Games
23 Aug 1975	2	2:28:22		RD	Marathon	Flagstaff AZ/USA	Pan-American Games Team Trial
15 Jun 1975	1	2:23:11		RD	Marathon	Cedar City UT/USA	n/a
04 May 1975	4	1:06:09		RD	21 km	Duitama COL	n/a
11 Aug 1974	1	2:09:59		XC	Half Mara	Manitou Springs CO/USA	Pike’s Peak- Ascent
05 May 1974	1	2:21:05.8		RD	Marathon	Weott CA/USA	Avenue of the Giants
12 Aug 1973	2	3:51:42		XC	Marathon	Manitou Springs CO/USA	Pike’s Peak
04 Aug 1973	1	48:24		RD	15 km	Littleton CO/USA	AAU Championships
06 May 1973	41	3:02:08		RD	Marathon	Weott CA/USA	Avenue of the Giants
16 Dec 1972	6	1:21:30		RD	25 km	San Diego CA/USA	National AAU Championships
11 Nov 1972	6	24:53		XC	5 mi	Wheaton IL/USA	NCAA College Division
13 Aug 1972	1	3:44:21		XC	Marathon	Manitou Springs CO/USA	Pike’s Peak
05 Aug 1972	1	49:10.2		RD	15 km	Littleton CO/USA	AAU Championships
21 May 1972	17	39:31		RD	12.55 km	San Francisco CA/USA	Bay to Breakers
22 Apr 1972	1	1:06:37.6		XC	17 km	Vacaville CA/USA	n/a
19 Mar 1972	4	1:37:09		RD	30 km	Pacific Grove CA/USA	Pacific Association AAU Championships
12 Feb 1972	1	42:40		RD	13.6 km	Trinidad CA/USA	Trinidad Beach Run
27 Nov 1971	51	31:11		XC	6 mi	San Diego CA/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
13 Nov 1971	5	30:23		XC	6 mi	San Francisco CA/USA	n/a
30 Oct 1971	6	30:42		XC	6 mi	Arcata CA/USA	n/a
06 Sep 1971	1	1:03:59		XC	12.87 km	n/a CA/USA	Mount Baldy
24 Jul 1971	4	18.895 km		OT	One Hour	Goleta CA/USA	n/a
05 Jul 1971	2	47:40		RD	15 km	Santa Barbara CA/USA	Semana Nautica
06 Jun 1971	15	2:28:01		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	AAU Championships
29 May 1971	1	59:45		XC	18.5 km	n/a CA/USA	Mount Wilson
08 May 1971	3	1:20:57	x	RD	25 km	Fullerton CA/USA	n/a
06 Feb 1971	4	2:31:10	a	RD	Marathon	Las Vegas NV/USA	Las Vegas
07 Dec 1969	40	2:46:01		RD	Marathon	Culver City CA/USA	Western Hemisphere
29 Aug 1969	1	1:46:34		RD	30 km	Santa Rosa CA/USA	National Junior AAU Championship
26 Jul 1969	2	19.040 km		OT	One Hour	Goleta CA/USA	n/a
04 Jul 1969	1	48:24		RD	15 km	Santa Barbara CA/USA	Semana Nautica
24 May 1969	1	2:23:04	a x	RD	Marathon	Palos Verdes CA/USA	Palos Verdes
11 Jan 1969	4	2:35:59		RD	Marathon	San Diego CA/USA	Mission Bay
08 Dec 1968	3	2:29:57	a	RD	Marathon	Palos Verdes CA/USA	Palos Verdes

Database updated with data from 22 Jun 2020 15:42:51.

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Bobbi Gibb)

I was a grizzled 26-year-old married veteran when I ran my first marathon. I was a month older when I ran my second, the 1973 Boston. A tough day and I distinctly remember I felt more manly for having finished. And survived.

Even if I did throw up the beef stew.

More ‘manly.’ What an idiot. More human, I soon learned.

Bobbi Gibb had already proved that.

Her Boston victory in 1966 was one long race for a woman, one giant leap for mankind.

When did you start running?

Started running when I was two-years-old and have never stopped!! Always just love to run and watch the world wheel by and feel the wind on my face and the energy of the universe flowing through me. Isn’t it amazing? Just to run!!!

Toughest opponent?

Never really had an opponent.

Is this because there were no competitions or no other girls or you lived in the woods?

It is because in 1966 there were no other woman marathon runners, at least none I’d ever heard of. In 1967 there was one other woman in the race, but I didn’t know she was there. She finished about an hour behind me. In 1968 there were five women in the race, but again I had no idea they were there somewhere behind me.

Most memorable run?

My most memorable run was, of course, April 19, 1966.  It was the first time any woman had run the Boston Marathon at a time when it was almost universally thought a woman was physically unable to run a marathon. At the time, the longest AAU women’s race was 1.5 miles.  My victory on Boylston Street was front page headlines. And I met so many wonderful people!!!

Running Boston changed the way men thought about women and the way women thought about themselves.
If a woman could do this, this that was thought impossible, what else could women do? What else could people do???

And it was fun!!!! Except for the blisters.

Which is why Nikes were invented, but that’s another story.

Biggest disappointment and why?

That would have to be 2001. I was running Boston to raise money for ALS research; one of my best friends, Buck Robinson, had come down with the dreaded disease.
I’d trained up and was running really well, then I came down with bronchitis just before the race. Since I’d been on TV talking about ALS and there was a lot of publicity about it, and since I didn’t want to let the team down, I ran sick as I was.  It was slow going, I could hardly breathe. I made it to the top of Heartbreak and doubled over in pain. Got on the medical bus, which headed back out to Wellesley, picking up runners who had dropped out.

Finally, after some forty-forty-five minutes I estimate, we arrived back at the place where I had gotten off the bus. “Stop, I want to get off,” I said. The cramp had released and I wanted to finish the race. A cold headwind blew. Finally I got to the final stretch and just as I turned down Boylston Street, two huge street sweepers started up and escorted me to the finish. I glanced at the clock. The six hour mark had passed, almost everyone had gone. I laughed to myself, thinking the First Will Be Last, an inglorious finish.

But the silver lining, we raised over 100,000$ for the lab. And afterwards I met Dr. Brown, the head of the lab. I became interested in finding a cure and wrote him a forty-page letter about my ideas. He hired me and I’ve been working with the lab to find a cure ever since.

What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Why?

What would I do differently? On that first run in 1966 I would have pasta loaded instead of roast beef,,, and broken in my new running shoes…. and drank water along the course…..

There is so much she would do differently, Bobbi answered the question twice.

Of course, in those days, 1960’s and before, there were no women marathoner runners and hardly any men running. Boston was the only major city marathon I knew of and that was only two-hundred or three-hundred men, and these were runners from all over the world. There was no running movement yet, although I hoped people would join in and start one.
If I were running now, there would be a huge community of runners, coaches, books on running, etc…
I would have running shoes that fit and were broken in, so I would not have gotten blisters. I would have known to drink water along the course, which I didn’t in 1966.
I would have had a coach and running companions, which I did not have in 1966, 1967 and 1968, my three wins.
I’m sure my times would have been quite a bit faster. Fewer blisters and less dehydration will do that.
I’m so happy now that millions of people are finding the same joy and healthful living as I find in running!!

The newspaper described me as “a shapely blonde housewife.” So, I figured if people saw that, they might be inspired to run. People would think, if a shapely blonde housewife can run 26.2 miles in – what was then a fairly good time, 3:31:40 – then so could they run it.

Favorite philosopher?  Quote?

Aristotle. The universe is “a self-thinking mind…”

Special song of the era?

Favorite comedian?

I don’t know who my favorite comedian is. The most laughs I have is when my son and I get bantering about something.

What was your ‘best stretch of running’?  And so why do you think you hit that level at that time?

Best stretch of running was 1964 to 1966. I was totally focused on training for Boston and it was top priority.
After that I was in college, pre-med, math, philosophy, science and didn’t have as much time to train. In the 1970’s I was working in Jerry Lettvin’s lab at MIT, in neuroscience….. going to night law school and having a baby…. again… not as much time to train. Then I was working as a lawyer in intellectual property and raising my family. Again not enough time to train. Although I have always, and still, run an hour or more most every day.

You say your best stretch was 1964 to 1966. What made those years “best” when your wins at BAA were ’66 -’68? Was something more rewarding going on or was it the training itself?

I should have said ’64 through ’66. That first Boston run was a peak experience even with the blisters. I felt I was changing people’s consciousness about women and about running… after all if a “shapely blonde housewife” as the press described me could do it, anyone could do it, right!!! 😇
My 1964 training by running all across our beautiful country was an amazing experience!!! Each day running in a different place and sleeping out under the stars. A fantastic experience!!!

In 1967 I was in college at the University of California in a tough pre- med/science/math curriculum and didn’t train as much. In the ’67 marathon I was sick, with the flu. And because of the negativity around K. Switzer, who was an hour behind me, there was more hostility. (The male runners and officials were threatened by her illegal entry that jeopardized the accreditation of the men’s division race and would have negated the running times of the qualified runners.) In contrast 1966 had been upbeat and positive.

In 1968 I was training even less and had made the mistake of wearing a sweater. It was a hot day and I was very over heated and dehydrated. 
That’s why I say ’64, when I first fell in love with the Boston Marathon, through ’66 were the years I ran the most. After that the other demands of life took up more time… having a family and a job etc. – all good things.

But I’d made my point at Boston and done what I set out to do. And I still run an hour or more a day. It keeps me healthy and sane.
I’ve had thousands of miles of running since I first started, probably over 100,000 – all good miles..

What was your edge?

Edge? Not sure I ever had an edge. 🙂

What supplementary exercise did you do?

Other activities…. I swam a lot…. good for anaerobic/aerobic stuff…..

What was your toughest injury and how did you deal with it??

Toughest injury wasn’t so much a running injury…. but I was sprinting at the time…
Stunningly beautiful winter day, new fallen snow glistening in the sun… walking in the woods…. came to an open field…. so filled with joy I sprinted full speed…. hit black ice under the snow…. heard my right ankle crack and break….. crawled a half mile or so to a house…..To hospital…. They pinned ankle together, and put on a cast….On crutches and the next day I was cantering up and down the beach….
They didn’t think I’d run again, at least not Marathon distances…. But I was determined…After the cast came off my ankle was frozen and immobile… In an “L” Shape…I sat on the edge of the tub with my ankle in hot water and tried to move it…. willing it to move… gradually slowly little by little it began to move…. every day I’d canter on crutches ….. And soak and move my ankle…I kept at it for months… the pins were removed and I now have full mobility in that ankle and never missed a day of running…

Those final few paragraphs are just the way she told it to me.

I could see the rhythm and hear the colors she painted.

https://fitandfeminist.com/2016/03/30/fifty-years-ago-bobbi-gibb-was-a-bandit-and-now-shes-a-legend/

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Q&A: Boston Marathon History-Maker Bobbi Gibb

We spoke with Gibb 50 years after she became the first woman to finish the race by JAMIE DUCHARME_· 3/23/16 for Boston Magazine.

Photo by Olga Khvan

On Marathon Monday 1966, Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb crouched in the bushes in Hopkinton, her body concealed by Bermuda shorts and a hooded sweatshirt, ready to make history.

When the pack began to run, she leapt out to join. Three hours, 21 minutes, and 40 seconds later, she became the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon—even though, at that time, women weren’t allowed to register for the race.

This year, Gibb, a neuroscientist and artist, is serving as race grand marshal and working on a sculpture of herself that will eventually* adorn the marathon course at an as-yet-undetermined location. The installation again makes history, as the first sculpture of a female runner along the race route.

We caught up with Gibb, 73, to talk about her historic run, her sculpture, and the state of women’s running.

What made you run the race in 1966?

Women have been deprived of opportunities for centuries and centuries. I wanted to change that. When I ran, I felt free and I felt full of life. People thought I was nuts—nice, but nuts. I wrote my application [to the marathon], and [the Boston Athletic Association] wrote back, ‘Women are not physiologically able to run marathons.’ I said, ‘If I can prove this is wrong, that’s going to throw into question all the other false beliefs that have been used to keep women down for centuries.’ I decided to run anyway.

Where did you find the courage?

It amazes me now, when I look back, that I followed my heart. When I love something, I follow it. They say love casts out fear, and that’s true.

How did male runners react?

They were happy. They were supportive. They said, ‘We won’t let them throw you out. It’s a free road.’ For a grown woman to run in public was totally improper and way out of the social norm. But the crowds were all enthusiastic. Pretty soon the reporters started to pick up the story, and then a radio station started to broadcast my progress. I got to Wellesley and the women went crazy.

Was the B.A.A. equally supportive?

No. The marathon, in those days, was a men’s division race, which means women were not qualified to run. If there is a woman running in a men’s division race, it jeopardizes the accreditation of that race. They had to be very clear that I was not part of the men’s division race. It was an unsanctioned women’s division race. [The women’s race was sanctioned in 1972.]

What was the run like?

I had no coach, no books, no idea, really, how to train. It was my first-ever race. I had bought new boys’ running shoes and I had horrible blisters. I didn’t know you had to drink water, and I was severely dehydrated. I had eaten a huge meal of roast beef the night before, thinking you needed protein. I did everything wrong; it’s amazing I finished at all. But I knew I had to finish, because here I was, making this public statement. It was a huge responsibility.

What has the impact of your run been?

What I wanted to happen, happened. It galvanized people. It really changed the way people thought about women; it changed individual and social consciousness. It inspired lots of people, men and women, to run.

Fifty years later, you’re making a commemorative sculpture. How did that come to be?

We were going to do a sculpture of [Olympic marathoner] Joan Benoit and Joan said, ‘No, I want to see a sculpture of you there. You were the first.’ I said, ‘Oh, my god. Doing a sculpture of myself—that’s a little embarrassing.’ I wasn’t looking for it, I wasn’t expecting it.

Is it odd to make a sculpture of yourself?

At least I know what I look like! I don’t need a model.

Do you still run?

I’ve always run an hour or two a day—I still run an hour or two a day. I just love the feeling of running.

What about the sculpture?

The bronze was cast and ready to install in Hopkinton over one and a half years ago. It is sitting at the foundry, waiting for the covid thing to pass, so we can have the ceremony in Hopkinton and install and unveil it.

Just as we are all waiting to have a real life non-virtual Boston Marathon again.

Ain’t that the truth, Bobbi Gibb, ain’t that the truth.

Bobbi Gibb is recognized by the Boston Athletic Association as heralding the pre-sanctioned era as the women’s winner in 1966. Kathrine Switzer is known for being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry in 1967. It was not until 1972 that women were welcome to run the Boston Marathon officially.

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OGOR (Miki Gorman)

“All I want to do is speed, speed.“

1979 Cascade RunOff 15K. Coming back into town, it’s downhill, and I ran my fastest five kilometers ever. Distinctly remember there was a headwind and so I instinctively tucked in behind the runner ahead of me. I recognized the back view of Miki Gorman, she was famous after all, and I laughed to myself. I am 6’3″ tall and she barely broke five feet. She was no wind-break but she towed me to a personal record.

Not the size of the woman in the fight, but the fight in the woman, that makes all the difference.

Miki Gorman was a fighter.

Michiko “Miki” Suwa Gorman (August 9, 1935 – September 19, 2015) was an American marathon runner of Japanese ancestry. Gorman did not begin running competitively until she was in her mid-30s, but rapidly emerged as one of the elite marathoning women of the mid-1970s.  She is the only woman to win both the Boston and New York City marathons twice and is the first of only two woman runners to win both marathons in the same year.

Michiko Suwa was born to Japanese parents in Qingdao, China, grew up in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture during the post-war years and moved to the United States in 1964.  Shortly after she moved, she married Michael Gorman. At 5’0½” tall and 86 pounds, she took up running while in her early 30s to gain weight. In 1970, as her first event, Michiko (later “Miki” Gorman) ran an indoor 100 mile run in 21:04:00 in Los Angeles, California.

Gorman set an unofficial world’s best for the women’s marathon of 2:46:36 at the Western Hemisphere Marathon (now the Culver City Marathon) on December 3, 1973, just four years after she started to run. Four months later, in April 1974, she won the Boston Marathon in a course record of 2:47:11. Gorman would also place second at Boston in 1976, and won Boston again in 1977.

Gorman also won the New York City Marathon twice, in 1976 and 1977, at the age of 41 and 42 respectively. Until November 5, 2017, when the race was won by Shalane Flanagan, she had been the last American woman to win the New York City Marathon. She set a personal best during her 1976 victory with a time of 2:39:11, then the second fastest women’s marathon in history and just a minute off the world record.

Gorman participated in the 1977 World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden and again in 1979 when they were held in Hanover, West Germany. At Gothenburg, she easily won her masters division in the 1500 meters, 3000 meters, cross-country, and marathon competitions.  In Hanover, at the age of 44, she won her division in the 5000 meters, 10000 meters, and marathon races.

In 1978, Gorman set a women’s world record in the half-marathon.  Frequently injured in subsequent years, Gorman competed sporadically through the years 1978 to 1981. She decided to retire from competitive running in 1982. In Miki Gorman’s hometown of Atsugi, Japan, the city named a 10 km in honor of her called the Gorman Cup.

Gorman was inducted into both the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame and the USATF Masters Hall of Fame, as well as the National Distance Running Hall of Fame.  In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Gorman’s name and picture. In 1981, a film called “Ritoru Champion” (known on video in America as My Champion), starring Yoko Shimada and Chris Mitchum and documenting the events of Gorman’s life, was released.

Gorman died in Bellingham, Washington, at age 80 after a five-year battle with cancer.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Overlooked No More: Miki Gorman, The Unlikely Marathon Winner

Gorman at 40, was self-conscious about her body and had recently given birth when she entered the New York City Marathon. Her win made her that much more of a pioneer for women in the sport.

Oct. 31, 2018

Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. With Overlooked, we’re adding the stories of remarkable people whose deaths went unreported in The Times.

By Amisha Padnani

Miki Gorman was sitting alone at a corner table of a Magic Pan restaurant in Manhattan on Oct. 23, 1976, when her food arrived: not one, but two large crepes stuffed with mushroom and spinach souffle.

A couple sitting nearby gawked at her. Gorman, at 5 feet tall or so, weighed only 90 pounds, and the plates of food covered her table.

“I’m running the New York City Marathon tomorrow!” she told them. “And I’m going to win.”

And so she did, the first woman to cross the finish line the next day. Even more, she won again the following year. No other American woman would take the title for the next four decades.

“We’ve gone so long without winning, I can’t believe it,” Gorman told The Washington Post in 2004, long after her retirement in 1982. “My win was a lifetime ago.”

It wasn’t until 2017 that Shalane Flanagan would end the 40-year drought, crying, cursing and pumping her fist as she broke the finish line tape at 2:26:53. It was no small feat; by that time the New York City Marathon had become the world’s largest race, with more than 50,000 participants. (This year’s marathon is on Sunday.)

Gorman was not around to see Flanagan’s victory; she died on Sept. 19, 2015, at 80, in Bellingham, Wash. The cause was metastasized lung cancer, her daughter, Danielle Nagel, said.

Despite Gorman’s accomplishments, news of her death was not widely reported at the time. No word of it reached The New York Times.

If it had, readers would have learned of record-breaking achievements that landed her in several halls of fame. One feat, in 1978, was a world best for a woman in the half marathon, at 1:15:58. She also won the Boston Marathon in the women’s category in 1974 and 1977, the latter victory coming, remarkably, the same year that she won in New York. She is the only woman known to have won both races twice.

“She ran everything, from track races and really quick stuff all the way to these 100-mile races,” said George Hirsch, chairman of New York Road Runners, a nonprofit running group that organizes the marathon. “There’s no one that I know of to this day who has that kind of a range and excelled in them all.”

Her success followed a life of hardship.

Gorman was born Michiko Suwa on Aug. 9, 1935, to Japanese parents in occupied China, where her father was working for Japan’s imperial army. They later moved to Tokyo; after World War II, she helped care for her younger twin brothers there.

“My father returned from the military looking like a skeleton,” she wrote in a first-person account for The New York Times in 2005. “Well, we all looked like skeletons. We were always hungry.”

Their diet, she wrote, had consisted of soybeans that had been soaked for a couple of days, along with a little rice.

She was 28 in about 1963 when an American Army officer stationed in Japan offered her a job in the United States as a nanny. He brought her to his home in Pennsylvania, where she worked long hours doing household chores for the family.

A few years later she answered an ad from California seeking a secretary who could speak both Japanese and English. She got the job and moved to Los Angeles.

There she earned $300 a month (about $2,400 in today’s money), sending some of her pay home to her mother in Japan.

In the 1960s she met and married Michael Gorman, a stockbroker from Cleveland. Miki Gorman worked as a secretary during her running years and afterward, retiring in 1994. She and her husband separated in 1982.

Not long after their marriage she confided in him that she felt insecure about her looks. “I was embarrassed that I was so small,” she told Runner’s World magazine in 2010.

Her husband suggested that she accompany him to an athletic club, thinking that if she exercised she would be hungrier and would eat more and put on weight. Though she didn’t gain weight, she returned to the club regularly to run along an indoor track.

The club offered a trophy for the member who ran the most miles for a month, and in October 1968 Gorman set her sights on winning. The contest included a 100-mile race that would involve running 1,075 laps on the track. She began training.

“The first year I stopped at 86 miles,” she said. “I cried.”

The following weekend she ran more than 20 miles, surpassing her competitors. “I got a huge trophy,” she told The New York Times in 2010.

She returned the next year and finished all 100 miles, then competed in the race again the next three years.

Gorman started running in cross-country races and found that she could win easily. Once she began passing taller and younger women, she realized her height and weight were not disadvantages.

“I gained so much confidence from my running,” she said. “I finally realized that being small didn’t have to hold me back.”

Laszlo Tabori, the celebrated Hungarian coach who was then based in Los Angeles (he died in May), took notice of her wins and began training her.

By the time Gorman signed up for the New York City Marathon in 1975 — five years after its inception — she was an unlikely candidate to win. She was already 40, considered old for an elite runner, and had given birth to a daughter, her only child, at the start of the year.

But while most runners train to build up to the 26.2-mile distance, Gorman had been running 100-mile distances. She wound up finishing second among women, behind Kim Merritt.

The next year was the first time the marathon course would traverse all five boroughs of New York City, having until then been confined to loops through Central Park. Some 2,090 runners lined up at the start on Staten Island, by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Only 88 of them were women.

Gorman quickly lost sight of Merritt ahead of her. Still, she zipped along the course, dodging obstacles, according to the book “First Ladies of Running” (2016), by Amby Burfoot.

Few roadside barriers protected the route in those days, and at one point a St. Bernard dog bounded right up to her. (“He was almost as tall as I was,” Gorman said.) Then there was the metal grating, now covered, on the Queensboro Bridge. (“My toes felt like they were on fire.”) The wind blowing against the runners was no help, either. (“I tucked behind the bigger runners whenever I could.”)

But then she caught sight of Merritt and bore down on her. As they entered the hills of Central Park, the final stretch of the race, she rolled past Merritt, barely giving her a glance, and kept her pace all the way to the end. Her time was 2:39:11, a course record for women.

A surprise awaited at the finish: The couple from the night before at the Magic Pan restaurant had come to watch the race.

“She was happy to see them,” her daughter said. “And the couple was shocked that this little Japanese woman actually won.”

Just as she said she would.

Miki Gorman, Women’s Marathon Pioneer, Dies At 80

Boston and New York City winner was a key figure in the early days of big-city marathons.

BY ROGER ROBINSON OCT 6, 2015 for Runners’ World

Gorman, a Japanese-born American, won the Boston and New York City marathons in the mid-1970s, playing an important role in keeping American runners and races at the forefront of the newly established women’s marathon. She set the world’s fastest time by a woman in a certified marathon race in 1973 (2:46:36), and a world best for the half marathon in 1978 (1:15:58). In 1976, she also ran what was then history’s second-fastest marathon time, 2:39:11, which was her personal record.

If the women’s marathon been included in the 1976 Olympics, or if the IAAF World Championships had been created by then, Gorman would certainly have been a leading medal contender. Lacking those ultimate goals, and the fame they gave later to Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz, Gorman achieved the best then available, by winning the triple sequence of New York City in 1976, Boston in 1977, and New York City in 1977. The quality of her performances helped position those two races as major annual marathons for women as well as men.

She was born Michiko Suwa on August 9, 1935, to Japanese parents, in China, where her father was serving in the imperial army. During World War II, she and her twin younger brothers were evacuated from Tokyo just before fire-bombing razed the city. At age 8 she helped her little brothers survive, and walked six miles each way to attend school.

In 1951, one of the first signs of Japan’s re-emergence from defeat was to send a marathon team to Boston, including the winner, Shigeki Tanaka.

“But no women ever ran in Japan in those years. Women could not do anything so public,” Gorman told Running Times in 2010. There is thus a case for seeing her as the precursor of Japan’s famed line of women marathoners, which includes two Olympic gold medalists, as well as being historically significant as an American runner.

In 1963, at age 28, she moved to the United States, working and attending college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She married businessman Michael Gorman, and moved with him to Los Angeles.

There she became probably the only person ever to take up running in order to gain weight.

“I was embarrassed that I was so small [5 feet, 87 pounds]. My husband helped me go to the gym where he was a member, and I began to run,” she said in 2010.

Despite some disapproval from male members of the gym, she persisted, and found a mentor who encouraged her to enter a 100-mile/ 24-hour indoors race, inside the gym. The first time, she stopped, exhausted, at 86 miles, but returned the next year, and eventually completed the annual indoors ultra event four times.

She also experimented with cross country, where women were slightly more familiar, and began to win. She linked up with Lazlo Tabori, the athlete-coach originally from Hungary, who was then based in Los Angeles and coaching Jacqueline Hansen, among other leading male and female runners.

Gorman tried track, and finally the marathon. Women were only then becoming officially accepted, and only seven performances faster than 3:00 had been recorded since the first, 2:46:30 by Australian Adrienne Beames at Werribee, Melbourne, in 1971. In Gorman’s debut, at the Western Hemisphere Marathon, in Culver City, California, in December 1973, she ran 2:46:36, only six seconds slower than Beames’ off-the-charts time. Beames’ run was unsanctioned, effectively a time trial, though accurately measured, so Gorman’s became the world’s best in a competitive situation. Gorman was 38.

Four months later she won the 1974 Boston, in a course record 2:47:11. In 1975, she was second to Kim Merritt at New York City. Then came the New York City-Boston-New York City triple, in 1976-77. The third was achieved at age 42, as a new mother.

Gorman’s fastest, 2:39:11 at New York in 1976, (when the world best was Hansen’s 2:38:19) was a prodigious performance. She finished 14 minutes ahead of Doris Heritage Brown, in the first five-boroughs version of the marathon, when the course included cobbles, gratings, tight corners, pedestrian bridges, and flights of steps. And, for the tiny Gorman, a collision on one narrow bridge with a large St. Bernard dog.   

The Avon Women’s Running Circuit sent Gorman and her baby to Japan, as ambassador and role model for Japanese women runners. Her world record for the half marathon came in 1978, but injuries ended her marathon career. Shy and retiring, Gorman lost contact with the sport, and moved with her daughter, a leading yoga teacher, to Vancouver, and then Carlsbad, California.

Though always reluctant to accept acclaim, Gorman was honored by the New York Road Runners as “Runner of the 1970s” in 2009, and inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame (1996), the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame (2001), the National Distance Running Hall of Fame (2010), and the New York Road Runners Hall of Fame (2012). In 1981, a film called Ritoru Champion (known on video in America as My Champion) documented Gorman’s life.

Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2010, Gorman was declared cancer free shortly before attending her Hall of Fame induction at New York in 2012, but suffered a recurrence in 2013. 

As The Miles And The Years Pass By

By Miki Gorman for The New York Times. October 30, 2005

The night before the 1976 New York City Marathon, I was sitting alone at a corner table of the Magic Pan restaurant. While waiting to be served, I thought about my condition and training of the past year. I was confident of winning but knew it wouldn’t be easy. Once again, my strongest competitor, Kim Merritt, the young, beautiful blonde I had been unable to beat, would be defending her title.

After I was served my dinner — two full entrees of mushroom and spinach soufflé — a British couple next to me stopped their conversation and looked at me amazedly, comparing the dishes with my size. I weighed 90 pounds.

“I’m running the New York City Marathon tomorrow!” I said. “And I’m going to win.” Their eyes got even bigger. “Are you?” they said, adding that they would be at the finish line.

The blast of the starting cannon was startling. The race had begun. Several helicopters were flying overhead. Soon after we ran up the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Kim was out of sight, as usual. The course was challenging. We ran over cobblestone streets and a pedestrian bridge, where I bumped into a St. Bernard. The hardest part was running over the steel on the Queensboro Bridge; we didn’t have thick-soled running shoes back then.

But I was used to less-than-ideal conditions. I was born to Japanese parents in occupied China in 1935, and my family lived in Tokyo after World War II. Tokyo was a vast burned field. My father returned from the military looking like a skeleton. Well, we all looked like skeletons. We were always hungry. Often we ate hard soybeans that we would soak for a couple of days. And rice. A few grains of rice floating in water. No seasoning. I was about 9 years old, and I had twin brothers who were a year old. We had trouble feeding them.

My father found work as a medical practitioner in a remote mountain area north of Tokyo. I was a fifth grader. The elementary school had only three classrooms. Two grades were combined as one class, and the school was five kilometers away, so we had to walk 10 kilometers every day; there were no buses. The villages had only a barbershop and a bicycle repair shop. No bookstores or candy stores, but straw roofs and unpaved roads next to the river. The green valley looked rather strange but beautiful.

I moved to the United States when I was 28 to work as a nanny in a small town in Pennsylvania and to attend Carlisle Commercial College. Then I found a job in Los Angeles, where I started running. I wanted to run because I wanted a trophy, to tell you the truth. And I wanted to gain weight. I weighed 84 pounds when I came to America, and I figured if I ran, I would become hungry and eat more. I guess it worked.

Most people start out by doing 5- or 10-kilometer races (3.1 or 6.2 miles), but I started with a 100-mile indoor race. There was a race at the Los Angeles Athletic Club that was 100 miles, and you had to finish in one day. It was not an official race, because you had to keep count of your own laps, and 100 miles was 1,075 laps.

The first time I ran the New York City Marathon was in the fall of 1975, and I had given birth to my daughter that January. The marathon then was four loops around Central Park. That was extremely difficult because it was hilly, and after you finished a loop, you had to start all over again. I finished second to Kim. I decided to train hard for 1976.

The spectators were fantastic. Nearly 30 years later, I can still hear their cheering voices. Kim was nowhere to be seen for a long time, but I was relaxed, running at my pace, until I spotted her familiar long, blond hair. My heart started beating faster. The distance between us was narrowing, and finally I caught her outside Central Park. I ran beside her for a while, pretending I was still fresh. Then I passed her and accelerated as fast as I could, using up all my lung capacity. I was shocked to hear my own huge sounds of inhaling for the rest of the race. The first and only time I looked back to see where Kim was, I couldn’t see her.

With a police escort, I crossed the finish line. Tears ran from my eyes. My body was crying from fatigue. As promised, the British couple was there and waving enthusiastically. I established a course record, 2 hours 39 minutes 11 seconds.

I didn’t win any money for winning the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon. It’s much different now. And things are different back in the small village in Japan. The roads are paved, the roofs are modernized and televisions are in every household. This year, several villages merged and became one town, Aizumachi, in Fukushima.

I visit every five years to attend a road race that was established in honor of my winning the New York and Boston marathons. Its participants are few compared with those for road races in big cities, but it is a well-organized and lovely foot race. This year was its 20th anniversary.

Personal Bests

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	5 km	17:59		Los Angeles CA/USA	09 Aug 1981
RD	10 km	35:23		Beverly Hills CA/USA	17 Sep 1978
RD	15 km	57:15		Portland OR/USA	24 Jun 1979
RD	Half Mara	1:15:58		Pasadena CA/USA	19 Nov 1978
RD	25 km	1:38:40		n/a CA/USA	12 Mar 1977
RD	30 km	2:03:17		Springdale OH/USA	06 May 1979
RD	Marathon	2:46:37		Culver City CA/USA	02 Dec 1973
OT	3 km	10:15.4		Goteborg SWE	08 Aug 1977
OT	5 km	17:39.2		Hannover GER	30 Jul 1979
OT	10 km	36:21.9		Hannover GER	27 Jul 1979

Date	Finished	Time	Flags	Type	Distance	Site	Race	Prize money	Actions
09 Aug 1981	1	17:59		RD	5 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Nisei Week
19 Oct 1980	7	37:47		RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Los Angeles AC Mercury
14 Sep 1980	5	36:31	x	RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	NBC Peacock
09 Aug 1980	14	37:41		RD	10 km	Seattle WA/USA	Sportswest Women’s
18 Nov 1979	16	2:54:09		RD	Marathon	Tokyo JPN	Tokyo International Women’s
11 Nov 1979	3	35:47		RD	10 km	Santa Monica CA/USA	L’eggs YWCA
04 Nov 1979	4	37:30		RD	10 km	Inglewood CA/USA	Naturite International
04 Oct 1979	1	36:06		RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Mercury
22 Sep 1979	32	2:56:55		RD	Marathon	Waldniel GER	Avon
02 Aug 1979	2	2:54:10		RD	Marathon	Hannover GER	World Veterans Championships
30 Jul 1979	1?	17:39.2		OT	5 km	Hannover GER	World Veterans Championships
27 Jul 1979	3?	36:21.9		OT	10 km	Hannover GER	World Veterans Championships
01 Jul 1979	3	36:19		RD	10 km	Century City CA/USA	Century City
24 Jun 1979	7	57:15		RD	15 km	Portland OR/USA	Cascade Run-Off
02 Jun 1979	26	36:45	x	RD	10 km	New York NY/USA	Mini-Marathon
06 May 1979	12	2:03:17		RD	30 km	Springdale OH/USA	Avon
28 Apr 1979	7	59:53	x	RD	10 mi	New York NY/USA	Trevira Twosome
21 Apr 1979	2	38:05		RD	10 km	Palos Verdes CA/USA	George Allen March of Dimes
14 Jan 1979	4	18:24		RD	5 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Sunkist Qualifier
31 Dec 1978	5	28:02		RD	8 km	Los Altos CA/USA	Runner’s World Midnight
26 Nov 1978	2	36:44		RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Mercury
19 Nov 1978	1	1:15:58		RD	Half Mara	Pasadena CA/USA	Rose Bowl
12 Nov 1978	1	35:31		RD	10 km	Hollywood CA/USA	Hollywood
05 Nov 1978	1	35:35		RD	10 km	Los Angeles CA/USA	Quaker 100% Natural
22 Oct 1978	22	2:58:15	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
17 Sep 1978	2	35:23		RD	10 km	Beverly Hills CA/USA	Perrier Beverly Hills
03 Jun 1978	15	36:24		RD	10 km	New York NY/USA	L’eggs
20 May 1978	1	1:20:56		RD	Half Mara	Indianapolis IN/USA	500 Festival
19 Mar 1978	DNF	DNF		RD	Marathon	Atlanta GA/USA	Avon
05 Nov 1977	2	36:00.0		RD	10 km	Guyanilla PUR	n/a
23 Oct 1977	1	2:43:10.0	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
13 Aug 1977	1	2:57:05		RD	Marathon	Göteborg SWE	World Veterans Championships
11 Aug 1977	1	35:28		XC	10 km	Goteburg SWE	World Veteans Championships- V40
08 Aug 1977	1	10:15.4		OT	3 km	Goteborg SWE	World Masters Championships
04 Jun 1977	9	36:00	x	RD	10 km	New York NY/USA	Mini-Marathon
18 Apr 1977	1	2:48:33	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
12 Mar 1977	1	1:38:40		RD	25 km	n/a CA/USA	n/a
24 Oct 1976	1	2:39:11	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
09 May 1976	1	3:02:05	a	RD	Marathon	Cleveland OH/USA	Case Western Reserve
19 Apr 1976	2	2:52:27	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
13 Mar 1976	1	1:40:17		RD	25 km	n/a CA/USA	n/a
07 Dec 1975	1	2:47:45		RD	Marathon	Culver City CA/USA	Western Hemisphere
28 Sep 1975	2	2:53:02.8		RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
15 Apr 1974	1	2:47:12	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
02 Dec 1973	1	2:46:37		RD	Marathon	Culver City CA/USA	Western Hemisphere
31 Oct 1970	1	21:04:xx		IT	100 mi	Los Angeles CA/USA	n/a

Source: Association of Road Racing Statisticians

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Original Gangsters Of Running (Dr. Joan Ullyot)

“I will do it. Just not now.”

I will do it. Just not now. That’s what Dr. Joan Ullyot said to me the last time we talked. And now I will have to induct her into the Original Gangsters of Running without her help. And she was great at helping.

Dr. Joan Ullyot, born 07/01/1940, passed away, 06/18/2021, of an apparent heart attack.

She was a trail blazer of the highest order. The highest.

Joan opined in a New York Times article (4/16/76) about the wisdom of women running.

[Katherine Switzer] became proof that women could run that distance without becoming ill, as had been assumed, and without becoming masculine, as had been whispered.

And soon, other women joined her on the roads.

“It snowballed,” said Dr. Joan Ullyot, a marathoner and physiologist from San Francisco. “When I started running in 1969 I was the only woman out there. I seem to have recruited a lot of women to it just by example. Where I live it’s a social thing now. We run instead of going to cocktail parties.”

Later in the piece, written by Tony Kornheiser.

Dr. Ullyot explained that the body uses up glycogen—“muscle starch”—during an extended run. She said that no body had enough stored glycogen to sustain a run of 26 miles 385 yards. So the body must burn its fat deposits as a reserve.

“Women seem to be able to burn fat better than men,” she said. “After 20 miles or so when the glycogen is used up, men tend to ‘hit the wall.’ They have to go the last few miles on sheer guts. Women don”t seem to hit the wall, because they convert from glycogen to fat more easily, more naturally. So there is reason to theorize that their bodies are more adaptable than men to long distance running.”

Not every doctor accepts that theory.

Dr. Ernest Jokl, a physiologist from Lexington, Ky., who has worked with Dr. Ullyot, called her theory “a lot of unproven rubbish.”

I raced Joan once.

Tasked with putting together a group of experts for a marathon symposium in Greece, Dr. Ullyot was an obvious choice. Not many female running experts in 1978. She was fun in a no-nonsense kind of way.

Joan and I ran at about the same level. So, when we raced the original course from Marathon to the Olympic Stadium in Athens, she was one of my targets. I took off like a bat out of hell on a difficultly hot day, like a guy without much sense. Joan started like a calm scientist in complete control. I got way out ahead of her.

One huge hill looms in front of me.  I am sure if I can get to the top of that one huge hill, I can finish.  It is literally all downhill from there.  I slow to a walk. Soon I hear footsteps.  Two guys walking faster than I am walking.  Then Dr. Joan Ullyot, running at the same pace at which she began.  There is something Medusan about her.  I look into her eyes and turn to stone.  The other two men see her and break into a jog, chasing up the hill after her…  can’t let a woman beat them. I can.  I can let a woman beat me.  No problem.  Not that I am “letting” Joan beat me; she’s doing it by herself, by her strength and wisdom.  Me, by my stupidity and hubris. The pain would be incredible if I didn’t believe it.  But I do.  I think of George Sheehan’s maximal stress test and I, too, wonder: “When can I see the baby?”

I start to laugh and then I cry.

https://www.jackdogwelch.com/?p=7717

The first question on the application to the Original Gangsters Of Running is When did you start running and why?

Joan supplied the answer to Gary Cohen.

GCR: For anyone under the age of 40 or 45, it is difficult to fathom the lack of opportunities that girls and women had to compete in sports until sometime in the mid-1970s. What it was like for you growing up as a teenager in the 1950s and then during your young adult years in the 1960s as far as sports and athletic opportunities? Joan: Girls didn’t run. I don’t know why, but they just didn’t. I grew up in the 1950s mostly and at school I was on the swim team. A lot of other girls were playing volleyball and sports like that. There was no running team for girls. There were some girls in Pennsylvania that I heard about later who were good runners but were not allowed to run competitively because they were girls. None of us ran and we weren’t particularly interested in running.

GCR: You didn’t start running until well into your young adulthood. How and why did you start running? Joan: When I got married at age twenty-five to Dan Ullyot, who had been a 400-meter runner in high school and college, he took me to the track with him one day and I ran a quarter mile. Oh, that was painful, so I didn’t try to do that again. The way I got started is that I read Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s ‘Aerobics’ book and it was very good. The book finished up with instructing readers to do a one- or two-minute run and that was very painful for me, too. It was not very interesting.

GCR: After that painful introduction to running, what led you to start toward really becoming a runner? Joan: We moved to San Francisco when I was twenty-nine and I didn’t start running until I was thirty years old. The reason I started was because I was getting a little bit plump around the middle. Somebody said that running was good for that, so a friend and I went down to Golden Gate Park, which was near where I worked at UCSF Medical Center. My girlfriend and I went with our jeans and sneakers and it seemed everyone was staring at us while we jogged around the mile loop in the park. We managed it which was good. She called up her husband and said we had run a mile and he said, ‘You’re a gazelle!’ I told my husband I had run a mile and he said, ‘How fast?’ I felt like Ferdinand the Bull. I liked to be out in the park running along the trees smelling the flowers. When she could no longer run with me there were some men out there and I joined them and ran along to get up to a three-mile run and I took off from there. I met a couple of girls from UCSF who were in their late twenties, one is Gail Rodd, and who are still good friends of mine. We started running together in the park and we were joined by other girls. We would run down to the beach and back a couple of miles every day.

GCR: Since you were getting in better shape were there races that attracted you to enter? Joan: My first race was when I ran the Bay-to-Breakers race in 1971. It had a few thousand runners but nearly all were men. I think there were only three or four women. One was Mary Etta Boitano. Her last name now is Blanchard, but Mary Etta was just a little girl of about eight-years-old. She was such a good runner that she would win all of the local races for girls. She also won the Dipsea one year. But back to the Bay-to-Breakers which was a seven-mile distance and I had never run more than three miles. So I ran the first three miles of the race to the base of the Hayes Street hill and then walked up the hill. Then I walked and jogged the rest of the way to the beach. Actually, it wasn’t too bad. I think I ran it in 57 or 58 minutes, which was pretty decent. I didn’t know I was fast.

GCR: From this longest distance of seven miles you ramped up to your first marathon two years later in 1973. Why did you start thinking about running a marathon? Joan: Everybody in those days who ran, all of my friends, started thinking about running marathons. One ran a five-hour marathon and one ran a 4:50 marathon but I couldn’t run one because I got injured and had a stress fracture in my foot. When I recovered from that, I ran my first one in 3:17.

GCR: What was your training like before your first marathon in 1973? Joan: I did a long run and I remember it because I was running with Mary Etta Boitano. I ran twenty miles with Mary Etta and Walt Stack and some others a week or two before my first marathon. Mary Etta said, if I could do that twenty-miler then the marathon is nothing because so many people are there helping you out in the marathon. In these twenty-milers there is no one helping you along the way, so she thought, compared to a twenty-miler, a marathon was easy. Walt Stack also sponsored weekly runs and was encouraging us all. I had been at a running camp with him and some others in Colorado in 1972 and had done the Pikes Peak Marathon afterward, which was only up to the top, and a half marathon distance. Walt said, if you ran up to Pikes Peak that your time for that half marathon would be about your time for a regular full marathon. He was right. I went to the top in about 3:20 and my first marathon was 3:17.

GCR: What was the local racing scene in San Francisco like for women at that time? Joan: Walt Stack was a great promoter of women in running, even though there were so few of us. In local races put on by the DSE club, which is the Dolphin South End Runners, there would be about one hundred runners and only about ten were women. He would give everyone who finished a ribbon, which was nice, with the name of the race on it. The top five men and the top five women would get place ribbons, one through five, and they were very sought after. People used to criticize Walt for giving five place ribbons to men and five to women when there might only be five women in the race. Walt would always say, ‘We have to support the women because they have been discriminated against for so long.’ He was a real pioneer. He is the one who told me I should run whatever pace was comfortable in my first marathon.

The rest of the interview can be found at http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Ullyot.aspx

Jacqueline Hansen, the first female OGOR, offers this remembrance.

Joan Ullyot
A pioneer distance runner, author, and medical physician, Ullyot’s expertise and lobbying helped open doors for women in running. Notably, her efforts helped changed the minds of the IAAF and IOC, who had previously clung to an archaic view that the sport was detrimental to a woman’s health.

A 1961 graduate of Wellesley College, Ullyot was an accomplished runner herself, having finished the Boston Marathon ten times, winning the masters title there in 1984. Additionally, she was the only woman to run in every women’s international marathon championships, held in Waldniel, West Germany (1974, 1976, 1979) and she set a PR of  2:47:39 in winning the St. George Marathon in 1988 at age 48.

However, her biggest contributions to the sport came off the race course. In the early 1980s, her research on the sport’s impact on women was presented to the IOC by the organizing committee for the Los Angeles Olympics, leading to a vote to include the women’s marathon in the 1984 Games.

Additionally, Ullyot’s work as a writer both through her regular columns in Runner’s World and Women’s Sports & Fitness magazines and her books, Women’s Running, and Running Free helped an unknown number of aspiring participants in the sport.

Ullyot was a member of the Advisory Board for the Melpomene Institute, an organization focused research projects on behalf of female athletes, and served on the International Runners Committee, seeking parity for women distance runners in the Olympic Games and all international competition.

These are the words  I wrote for her RRCA Hall of Fame induction in 2018.  Today, years of memories wash over me in mixed emotions, from revered to irreverent.  Joan left big footsteps in her wake, and she has brought lots of smiles and laughter.  She is legendary.

The world of running owes a debt of gratitude for Joan’s contribution to our history.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the moment we met, and while I feel sure it must have been prior to 1974, my most vivid memories emanate from the first Women’s International Marathon Championships in Waldniel, West Germany in the Fall of 1974 (yes, when there was a West Germany).  Joan had earned her berth on the USA team from her participation in the first USA National Championships earlier that year.  Beyond her role as a runner, Joan served as the team’s translator, being fluent in German, and our goodwill ambassador.  The race sponsor was the world renowned sports medicine doctor, Dr. Ernest van Aaken.  There was solid mutual admiration between them from the moment they met.  This relationship continued for years, including book tours across the US by the German doctor, with Joan as translator and author.

In the book, First Ladies of Running, author Amby Burfoot writes about how Joan was inspired and mentored by Dr. van Aaken.  He coached her to faster marathon times, and mentored her to take a leadership role in explaining the growth of the women’s running movement.

Joan wrote her own books, and scores of articles plus book chapters, for Runners’ World magazine.  Any road running athlete of the early decades will tell you the magazine and related books were our bible of the sport.  All these decades later, I still encounter women who attribute their start to running to the inspiration of Joan’s books.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of Dr. Joan Ullyot’s role in advocating for our rights in the sport.

I appreciate this opportunity to point out the importance of the International Runners’ Committee work, and how Joan’s role was a critical factor to our success.  There were 13 members of the IRC, who I call the “movers and shakers” in our sport.  In brief, the IRC mission was to seek the inclusion of women’s distance running events on the Olympic Games program.  It’s a long history since the creation of the men’s “modern Olympic Games” were formed without women’s events and it’s been an uphill battle ever since to add women’s events.

Even as late as the mid-70s, when Joan and I were at our prime, the longest event on the program was the 1500-meter race (the metric mile).  That event was only added in 1972.  The IRC sought the inclusion of the 5,000m, 10,000m and Marathon into the Games.  It took until 1984 to add the marathon, and until 2008 to see all distance events included (5,000m, 10,000m and steeplechase).  There’s a lot of history in those years, but suffice to say that without Joan’s professional testimony to women’s ability to endure distance events, we would not be where we are today.  I know it is difficult to comprehend how and why the officials of our governing federations ever denied women the right to run, but this was the state of the sport up to and including most of Joan’s and my running careers.

Rest in peace, Joan.  Your friends, colleagues, and indeed, the running community worldwide, honor you and your contributions.

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OGORs (Carl Hatfield)

I have been a fan of Carl Hatfield since I first saw him with a number one on his chest, looked like a hillbilly hippie, winning another race where the dogs can’t even keep up with him. The double-fisted peace signs for victory.

And these days, look at the smile. What’s not to love about a running life well lived.

And remembered.

Back in the day, Carl Hatfield was the real McCoy.

See what I did there. That’s some Critical Running Theory… An Original Gangster of Running.

When did you start running and why?

I grew up in Matewan, West Virginia. This is a small coal mining town that is ground zero for the infamous Hatfield–McCoy Feud. These folks were my ancestors. My father was a disabled coal miner and this led to me trying to find my way in the male-dominated world I grew up in. I had dreams of being a great basketball player like Jerry West (the NBA logo) of West Virginia University and the Los Angeles Lakers, but I only grew to be five- feet eight-inches tall and ended up sitting on the bench at Matewan High School. So, after my sophomore year of trying to be a basketball star, I concentrated on the academic side of school. I was one of only two boys inducted into the National Honor Society and I earned my Eagle Badge in the Boy Scouts of America. I had also been riding my bicycle seven miles a day delivering the “Williamson Daily News” for about four years in order to get extra money to spend on clothes or girls on dates after I obtained my driver’s license.        

My entry in running started my senior year (1964-65) at Matewan High School. I had talked my parents (especially Mom) in letting me try out for the football team, even though I was the second smallest guy out there at 135 pounds. I made second team guard on offense and second team outside linebacker on defense. I didn’t realize I made second team because of lack of numbers because there were no third team. I practiced hard and enjoyed hitting people on defense, as I thought of myself as the reincarnation of Sam Huff from West Virginia University and Hall of Fame career as a Washington Redskin linebacker.

The one and only pre-season scrimmage game came up against Belfry, Kentucky and all players were promised playing time. I was inserted in as a linebacker. The next play by Belfry involved a flare out pass to their 6’5″, 240-pound end who was coming my way. I hit him low and another Matewan player hit him high to make the stop. The only problem was that this monster had stepped on my left foot as he went down. This broke my big toe and I was one and done. My last period each day – I became a library assistant instead of a tackle football player. My Mom was relieved!        

Matewan High School only had football and basketball for boys ( no sports at all for girls unless the girls were cheerleaders or majorettes) until 1965 when wrestling and outdoor track were added. I decided to go out for the mile, the longest event in West Virginia at that time.

My cousin, Don Hatfield, asked me to go out for the track team as he had run the mile and the half-mile in the one Mingo County Field Day for P.E.[Physical Education] classes. Our season would start in April but I went out from home in a flannel shirt, blue jeans and high-top tennis shoes on February 1,1965 to run one estimated mile up Mate Creek and back. This is recorded in my first training log. I now in 2021 am working on my 57th training log and have close to 99.000 actual miles of training and racing.         

I ran my first mile race on a cinder track that took 5.5 laps to make a mile in a winning time of 5:21. I also won the half mile and anchored the winning 2-mile relay. I got to see my name in the sports page as the high scorer and got my first little trophy. I was snake-bitten and had finally found my sport. I ran in five track meets that season and broke the regional mile record in 4:41 at Fairfield Stadium at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. I was promised a partial track scholarship at Marshall if I would win the State Meet in the mile at Laidley Field in Charleston.

I led the entire way but was outsprinted by 8-tenths of a second in 4:35.2 to end up third. No scholarship to Marshall but I ended up obtaining a book on training from the County Bookmobile, purchased a pair of Adidas training flats, and a German Heuer stopwatch and I started running seven miles each day on the mining and logging roads of Mingo County.          

I was a walk-on the freshman team at West Virginia University. I went looking for the “running coach” and found Coach Stan Romanoski in his office. He said he was the track &  field coach and the cross country coach plus indoor track coach.

I asked, “What is cross country?”

He said, “Runners run anywhere from two miles to five miles in city parks, on golf courses or on dirt roads.”

That sounded good to you, didn’t it?

I told him I ran a mile in high school in track and that that I had run as much as seven miles at one time. He invited me to run for the freshman team as he had only four freshmen on scholarship or partial scholarship, I showed up the next day for practice before our first freshman race of 2.5 miles in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh against the University of Pittsburgh.

The night before the races, there was a rainstorm that washed away the chalk marking the course through the Park and over the Golf Course. Coach Romanoski complained to the Pitt coach that. “My boys won’t know where to go.” The Pitt Coach replied, “Don’t worry, Stan, I have the Maryland State High School Cross-Country Champion on our freshman team. Tell your boys to follow him.” Coach was pissed when he told us, his own frosh, this story.

The starter fired the gun and I was gone. I led the fast first mile, then went off course with my teammates yelling at me. I finally caught back up with the Maryland State Cross-Country Champion, as we came off the Golf Course. I won the race in a new freshman course record of 12:41 for the hilly 2.5 mile race.

The following Monday before practice, Coach called me to his office and showed me the newspaper article about the race. He had turned me into a folk hero and he said he was putting me on full scholarship, He also told me he had called my Mother back in Mingo County and told her about the race and that he was putting me on scholarship. He told me she cried. Up until the scholarship offer I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to pay for the second semester’s tuition, books, fees and room and board.

I went on from there to make All American twice, becoming the first West Virginia runner to do so and I left WVU with nine school records in outdoor and indoor track.

FAVORITE COMEDIAN?
      Eddie Murphy of his SNL years

TOUGHEST OPPONENT AND WHY?

As I look back over my running career in the late 60s and 70s, when I was young and competitive, I would say that Sam Bair of Kent State and Jerry Richey of the University of Pittsburgh were my really serious competitors. as I ran against them in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. I could list Gerry Lindgren of Washington State University but he won every national championship race I was in and I wasn’t competitive with him. I was one year younger than Bair and one year older than Ritchey.

They were both sub-four minute milers and therein lay their success against me, as they both would sit on me in a race and let me lead until the last few yards. Then they would blow by me in the sprint in to the finish line.

The best examples of this for each is the Penn Relays Two-Mile on Saturday morning of that relay weekend. 1978, I was leading with 440-yards to go on the gun lap over five other competitors. Sam Bair won in 8:46 and I finished fifth in 8:52.

In 1969, the same scenario played out except Sam Bair had graduated and Jerry Richey was on my case, as I led at the gun lap. Jerry Richey won in 8:46.4 with Dick Buerkle of Villanova in second in 8:46.6; Jim Dolan of Michigan in third in 8:47.4; Mike Hazilla of Western Michigan in 8:49.4 and I finished fifth again in 8:49.8.

I was not a kicker but a pacer. This is why I ended up in the marathon later in my career.

MOST MEMORABLE RUN AND WHY?

The most enjoyable victory I had in college was during my senior year at West Virginia University in cross country in 1968, I ran the NCAA South Regional Cross Country race at the Georgia Tech Atlanta Water Works 5.5 mile course. The course record had been set by one Jack Bacheler of the Florida Track Club who ran 26:42. Bacheler was a 5000-meter Olympian who had gotten back from the Mexico Olympics where he had contracted “Montezuma”s Revenge” from drinking their water. He made the 1972 Olympic Team in the marathon and finished much better.

I was the defending South Regional cross country champion from 1967 when I won the 6-mile race in record time at the James Blair course at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia.

I was not favored on this relatively flat 1.1 mile loop course that runners ran five times. The favorite was Howell Michaels, a sub-four-minute miler from William and Mary or Owen Self of Tennessee, members of the top two teams. Top three teams automatically qualify for the NCAA National Cross Country Meet in New York City’s Van Cortlandt Park.

I knew my strength was my endurance, so my plan was to use their speed against them.

The gun fired and I blazed to the front with the first mile in 4:34 and after the first loop I had a five-yard lead but I kept the pedal down and after the second loop my lead was ten yards over a small pack of seven runners, I continued on my pace of 4:36 to 4:42 miles so that entering the last loop I had a lead of about fifty yards with the trailing pack splintering behind me. I sprinted across the finish line in a new course record of 25:58.2 with Howell Michael in 2nd in 26:14 with Owen Self in 3rd in 26:26. My first place helped  the West Virginia University men’s team to third place overall and our first trip ever to the National meet as a team.

My best post-collegiate run and most memorable of my running career was the National AAU Marathon Championship Race on the Skylon course that started in Buffalo, New York and finished at Niagara Falls in Canada. I had finished third in the Skylon race in 1975 in October after coming off a bad chest cold. But I was in much better physical shape for this National championship race. I knew, after crossing the Peace Bridge into Canada, the course changed directions and we most likely would be running into a headwind.

My shortcoming was my mental preparation was off. My wife, Susan, had left me in August with our son, Bryan, after nine years of marriage. I had not been a loving and carrying husband and father; my life had  revolved around running 100 miles a week, my busy job at Alderson-Broaddus College and the next race on my schedule.        

There were three thousand runners on race day with many under the 2:20:00 magic barrier. I stayed in the top front 10 runners thru a 50:05 ten-mile point. I felt the headwind of almost twenty miles per hour at times. I ran in a blur as my many miles that summer in hilly West Virginia kept me in the top five. I found myself in fifth place at 20 miles but feeling full of running. I caught two runners before mile 22 and looked to see Canadian Don Howieson about 30 yards in front of me and Ron Wayne, the 1974 National AAU Marathon Champion from California about 60 yards up on me.

I cranked it up a notch and caught Howieson and at 23 miles I went by Ron Wayne but he wouldn’t give in so easily. At 24 miles the course turned East following the curvature of the Niagara River. From 25 to the 26th mile sign I cranked out a 4:47 mile that broke Ron Wayne. I won in a new course record in 2:17:20 while Wayne finished in 2:18:12 with Howieson in 2:19:20. I received the National Championship trophy and invitations to a half-marathon race in London, England and the Sea of Galilee Marathon in Israel.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT AND WHY?      

I qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1972 in three events ( the 5000 meters , the 10,000 meters and the Marathon), but due to my own coaching and poor planning I  ended running only the Marathon in Eugene, Oregon. I dropped out of the Marathon at 14 miles. I found out later I had mononucleosis.

My wife and I had resigned our teaching jobs in Parkersburg, West Virginia at the end of the 1971 school year and headed off to WVU for graduate school where we both had received our undergraduate degrees in 1969.

I formed the West Virginia Track Club in August,1971 and our distance runners immediately ran a world record for the 10 man–24 hour relay with each runner running one mile and handing off the baton to your next runner. Our record lasted for six (6!) hours as a team from England beat our record as recorded by “Runner’s World.” I led off and personally ran 30 miles in an average time of 4:54 each, and I tried to sleep, rest and eat during these 24 hours.

I ran well that fall and entered the Olympic year in good shape. First thing I ran two indoor two-mile races in 8:59.4 and 8:59.2 in Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, respectively. I had no indoor facility at WVU but most of my speed work was run on an outdoor track on top of a hill near the WVU Coliseum in cold and windy January. I had an excellent interval sessions training partner in Mike Mosser, who would that March win the NCAA National 1000-Yard title at Cobo Hall in Detroit , Michigan.

I was doing two workouts daily with distance runs in the mornings and 3

three days of interval speed sessions with Mosser each week. I was averaging around 100 miles each week but I did run 149 in a seven-day period in March, 1972. That happened to be spring break. In April I ran the 10,000 meters in the University of Kentucky Relays in 29:37 to qualify for the Olympic Trials, but had wrongfully ran a 30-Kilometer road race  in Cleveland, Ohio in 1;38;16 for first place the week before. I then ran my first Boston Marathon in 2:22:07 for 12th place. I ran a 15-mile road race two weeks later in Cadiz, Ohio, a mistake, as my legs were dead. The Boston Marathon time got me to the Olympic Trials, also.

On May 5th and 6th I ran the 5000 meters and 10,000m on the old cinder track at the Quantico Relays. I had finished a close second to Tom Fleming in both races. I then got a late invitation to run the Martin Luther King Games 3 mile in historic but fast Franklin Field in Philadelphia. I ran 13:49.2 for 6th place but I got under the three-mile(5000 meter) time qualifier by 8/10 of a second.

My failure that spring is I ran twenty-five (25!) races in the first six months of 1972. And my Master’s thesis at WVU had to be defended in the middle of the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. I scratched out of the two track events and ran the marathon race at the end of the track events.

Based on the top five times, a fresh Carl Hatfield would have had a shot at making the team in the Marathon, if a sensible coach would have put a leash on me early in the year.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IF YOU COULD DO IT AGAIN? WHY?

See answer above. I would definitely run fewer races in the first six months of 1972.

And a second answer is that I would have been a better husband and father to my first wife and my son.

My first wife, Susan remarried and died of cancer in 1997. My son, Bryan Carl is now a Colonel in the US Marine Corp at the Pentagon. He should get a command in July. Lookout out, world – there should be a General Hatfield in a few years.

My second wife of forty years, Georgia Sturm, passed last August 7, 2020, from a benign tumor in her lungs.

FAVORITE PHILOSOPHER? FAVORITE QUOTE?

Isaiah, son of Amoz, in the Old Testament of the BIBLE.

—-Isaiah 40:29-31
      He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power to the weak      Even youth grow tired and weary. and young men stumble and fall.  but those who hope in the Lord  will renew their strength,     

They will soar on wings like eagles.

they will run and not grow weary,       they will will walk and not be faint.

Amen, brother.

SPECIAL SONG OF THE ERA?

      “ALL OF MY LIFE IS A CIRCLE”  by HARRY CHAPIN.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST STRETCH OF RUNNING?  AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HIT THAT LEVEL AT THAT TIME?

Two stretches: 

• (a) 1974-76 and my youth and mileage.
• (b) 1978 and thirteen years of accumulated mileage and experience.

WHAT WAS YOUR EDGE?

Muscular endurance or strength as measured at the WVU Exercise Physiology Laboratory at 78 ML of Oxygen per Kilogram of body weight.

WHAT SUPPLEMENTARY EXERCISE DID YOU DO?

None, as I didn’t have time. But I also scored ZERO on Flexibility.

WHAT WAS YOUR TOUGHEST INJURY AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT?

Coming into the Boston Marathon of April, 1979, I was the defending National AAU Marathon Champion, and had run by invitation in England and Israel in late 1978. I was a mean and lean 135-pounds (down from 140 ) and had run 48:30 for ten miles at the Cherry Blossom race two weeks before Boston. ADIDAS shoe company had picked me up as a sponsored athlete after the Brooks shoe Company had declared bankruptcy. I was ready to break 2:17:00. I flew thru ten miles in 48:30 in a large group about thirty seconds behind leaders Tom Fleming and Kevin Ryan of New Zealand. I was sixth at fifteen miles in 1:13:30 and could still see the two leaders, Bill Rodgers and Toshiko Seko of Japan.

The outside temperature was a cool 47 degrees with a slight rain falling. This was perfect for me as I was flying and still had some energy in the tank. At sixteen miles I came up a small rise in the road where there were a few bars and maybe a 100 spectators cheering and offering beer to the runners, A dog ran directly in front of me and I tried initially to put brakes on the wet road but this was not  going to work. I tried to hurdle the animal but my feet were knocked out from under me. I landed on my right hip and head. I was nearly knocked out but some drunks picked me up and set me staggering down the race course.

I ran in a shock to the eighteen-mile mark with other fast runners passing by me. I stopped at about eighteen miles and sucked on an orange half to regain my thoughts. I wanted to drop out but there was no warm “meat wagon bus” to pick me up, so I walked and slowed, eventually jogged to finish in 400th place in 2:34:something, as the largest and fastest mass finish occurred in front of me.

I was there, too. https://www.jackdogwelch.com/?p=940

I had gone from a competitive 6th place to 400th. My hip and pelvic area were messed up. This took me nearly three months of light running, physical therapy and the help of a chiropractor to get me back to somewhat of a normal runner. I did run 2:19:52 in the New York City Marathon that early November, but I was never the same runner again.

https://www.lifetimerunning.net/2020/06/carl-hatfield.html?m=0

https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20786433/carl-hatfield/

Regarded as the premier harrier in the history of West Virginia cross country, Carl Hatfield was WVU’s first-ever cross country All-American. As a junior, Hatfield won his first All-America honors by finishing 20th at the NCAA meet in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1967. He followed that with a 10th-place finish during his senior season in New York City, to earn his second-straight All-America award.

The Matewan, West Virginia, native also won two NCAA district titles, the first in 1967 at Williamsburg, Virginia, and the second in 1968 at Atlanta, Georgia. Including NCAA championships, Hatfield won 27 of 35 cross country races he entered during his time in Morgantown.

At the time he graduated, Hatfield held or shared Mountaineer records in five indoor events and nine outdoor events. He is one of only two WVU athletes who have won three distance track events in one meet and was named WVU’s outstanding senior in academics and athletics in 1968.

Hatfield lettered from 1966-68 for Coach Stan Romanoski and was team captain as a senior. He also ran track for the Mountaineers and won several Eastern and Southern conference titles. After graduating in 1969 with a degree in biology and education, Hatfield founded the West Virginia Track Club, which developed into one of the top running clubs on the East Coast.

In 1972, he earned his master’s degree from WVU in guidance and counseling, and then went on to lead the WVTC to the Boston Marathon team championship in 1974, and the AAU national team championship in 1978. Hatfield also won the AAU national marathon championship in 1978 and represented the United States at several meets around the world. A direct descendant of history’s famed Hatfield (and McCoy) family, he ironically won the Ray McCoy Award as West Virginia’s best amateur track athlete in 1976. Hatfield is also one of only a handful of distance runners who have qualified for four U.S. Olympics Trials.

Hatfield was born May 5, 1947, at Matewan, and is a graduate of Matewan High School.

Given name Carl

Surname Hatfield

Birth date 05 May 1947

Career prize money – $0. Career wins – 52.

I don’t know about you, but that is so like my own running career. Except for the fifty-two wins.

Personal Bests

Type	Distance	Time	Flags	Site	Date	Actions
RD	10 km	29:34		Dunbar WV/USA	07 Oct 1978
RD	15 km	47:03		Davis WV/USA	25 Jun 1978
RD	10 mi	49:09		Washington DC/USA	04 Apr 1976
RD	20 km	1:02:20		Akron OH/USA	04 Jun 1978
RD	Half Mara	1:09:53		Coamo PUR	09 Feb 1975
RD	25 km	1:18:34		Youngstown OH/USA	13 Nov 1976
RD	30 km	1:38:16.8		Cleveland OH/USA	01 Apr 1972
RD	Marathon	2:17:21	a	Niagara Falls ON/CAN	21 Oct 1978

Source: The Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Good people. One guy we really miss.

Performances

Race	Prize money	Actions
10 Aug 1985	2	33:19		RD	10 km	Bridgeport WV/USA	Hardees Challenge
05 Jan 1985	11	2:28:24		RD	Marathon	Jacksonville FL/USA	Jacksonville
11 Nov 1984	4	24:39		RD	5 mi	Rowiesburg WV/USA	Gobbler Run
14 Oct 1984	1	33:58		RD	10 km	Canaan Valley WV/USA	Milk and Honey Distance Run
16 Sep 1984	2	25:25		RD	5 mi	Clarksburg WV/USA	Run for the Summit
25 Aug 1984	1	33:29		RD	10 km	Clarksburg WV/USA	Monza Run
04 Aug 1984	2	33:59		RD	10 km	Bridgeport WV/USA	Hardee’s Challenge
11 Mar 1984	4	25:29		RD	5 mi	Grafton WV/USA	Grafton
18 Sep 1983	108	1:10:56		RD	Half Mara	Philadelphia PA/USA	Philadelphia Distance Classic
16 Jul 1983	5	34:02		RD	10 km	Fairmont WV/USA	Greater Fairmont
13 Mar 1983	2	24:20		RD	5 mi	Grafton WV/USA	Grafton
07 Nov 1982	21	2:27:55		RD	Marathon	Washington DC/USA	Marine Corps
20 Jun 1982	1	25:35		RD	5 mi	Clarksburg WV/USA	West Virginia Birthday Lite
06 Jun 1982	9	52:29		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Hecht’s
01 May 1982	3	53:05		RD	10 mi	Huntington WV/USA	Distance Classic
03 Oct 1981	3	52:47		RD	10 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	University City
22 Aug 1981	1	39:47		RD	10 km	Snowshoe WV/USA	Natural Light Mountain Challenge
01 Aug 1981	3	1:07:29		RD	20 km	Fayetteville WV/USA	West Virginia Championships
27 Jun 1981	9	31:25		RD	10 km	Butler PA/USA	Butler
21 Jun 1981	1	25:56		RD	5 mi	Clarksburg WV/USA	West Virginia Birthday
14 Jun 1981	2	32:01		RD	10 km	Beckley WV/USA	West Virginia
26 Apr 1981	2	49:06		RD	15 km	Uniontown PA/USA	Athletic Attic Grand Prix
07 Dec 1980	16	2:25:19		RD	Marathon	Honolulu HI/USA	Honolulu
29 Jun 1980	9	31:58		RD	10 km	Butler PA/USA	Butler
22 Jun 1980	5	48:19		RD	15 km	Davis WV/USA	Alpine Cup
13 Apr 1980	4	31:03		RD	10 km	Indiana PA/USA	Fools Run
13 Apr 1980	1	25:35		RD	5 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	Pathfinder
22 Mar 1980	4	31:19		RD	10 km	Myrtle Beach SC/USA	Myrtle Beach Can-Am
05 Jan 1980	6	31:56		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer
21 Oct 1979	32	2:21:47	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
13 Oct 1979	1	23:51		RD	5 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	Morgantown Distance Race
30 Sep 1979	4	29:21	a x	RD	10 km	Pittsburgh PA/USA	Pittsburgh Great Race
22 Sep 1979	15	50:18		RD	10 mi	Lynchburg VA/USA	Virginia
21 Jul 1979	2	32:49		RD	10 km	Fairmont WV/USA	Greater Fairmont
30 Jun 1979	5	31:30		RD	10 km	Butler PA/USA	Butler
16 Jun 1979	2	32:21		RD	10 km	Wheeling WV/USA	Kidney Foundation
01 Apr 1979	8	49:12		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Perrier Cherry Blossom
24 Mar 1979	1	30:40		RD	10 km	Myrtle Beach SC/USA	Can-Am
18 Mar 1979	1	23:21		RD	5 mi	Grafton WV/USA	Grafton
16 Dec 1978	3	30:23		RD	10 km	Charlotte NC/USA	Charlotte Observer
23 Nov 1978	2	45:05		RD	14.48 km	Berwick PA/USA	Berwick
11 Nov 1978	9	1:21:26		RD	25 km	Youngstown OH/USA	International Peace Race
29 Oct 1978	1	1:21:57		RD	25 km	Morgantown WV/USA	Mountaineer Days
21 Oct 1978	1	2:17:21	a	RD	Marathon	Niagara Falls ON/CAN	Skylon International
07 Oct 1978	1	29:34		RD	10 km	Dunbar WV/USA	Dunbar Wine Cellar
24 Sep 1978	4	29:12	a x	RD	10 km	Pittsburgh PA/USA	The Great Race
17 Sep 1978	1	50:35		RD	10 mi	Pittsburgh PA/USA	Greater Pittsburgh RRC Championships
02 Sep 1978	7	1:16:43		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Classic
20 Aug 1978	22	34:25	a	RD	11.265 km	Falmouth MA/USA	Falmouth Road Race
13 Aug 1978	5	31:09		RD	10 km	Uniontown PA/USA	Fayette County Distance Classic
25 Jun 1978	2	47:03		RD	15 km	Davis WV/USA	AAU Championships
17 Jun 1978	1	31:58		RD	10 km	St Albans WV/USA	St Albans Town Fair
04 Jun 1978	3	1:02:20		RD	20 km	Akron OH/USA	Akron
27 May 1978	10	1:04:17	x	RD	20 km	Wheeling WV/USA	Elby’s First National Bank of Wheeling
23 Oct 1977	20	2:20:31.8	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
11 Sep 1977	12	2:20:03		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	AAU Championships
18 Apr 1977	11	2:21:16	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
13 Nov 1976	4	1:18:34		RD	25 km	Youngstown OH/USA	International Peace Race
24 Oct 1976	7	2:17:26	x	RD	Marathon	New York NY/USA	New York City
22 May 1976	12	2:19:18		RD	Marathon	Eugene OR/USA	US Olympic Trials
04 Apr 1976	1	49:09		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Cherry Blossom
20 Mar 1976	1	2:19:04		RD	Marathon	Huntington WV/USA	n/a
21 Apr 1975	27	2:20:27	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
06 Apr 1975	1	51:47		RD	10 mi	Washington DC/USA	Cherry Blossom
09 Feb 1975	17	1:09:53		RD	Half Mara	Coamo PUR	San Blas
31 Aug 1974	21	1:22:35		RD	15 mi	Charleston WV/USA	Charleston Distance Classic
02 Jun 1974	4	2:20:05		RD	Marathon	Yonkers NY/USA	Yonkers
15 Apr 1974	10	2:17:37	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
10 Mar 1974	1	2:28:05.8		RD	Marathon	Athens OH/USA	Athens
21 Oct 1973	3	2:29:01		RD	Marathon	Washington DC/USA	National Capital
24 Jun 1973	6	1:44:47		RD	31.638 km	San Juan PUR	n/a
16 Apr 1973	37	2:34:58	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
04 Mar 1973	1	2:20:41.8		RD	Marathon	Athens OH/USA	Athens
02 Dec 1972	1	31:27		RD	10 km	Lexington VA/USA	n/a
25 Nov 1972	14	31:13		XC	10 km	Chicago IL/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
19 Nov 1972	2	15:04.2		XC	3 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	n/a
11 Nov 1972	1	31:39		XC	10 km	Pittsburgh PA/USA	n/a
05 Nov 1972	1	16:52		XC	5.3 km	Pittsburgh PA/USA	n/a
27 Oct 1972	2	31:01		XC	6 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	n/a
08 Oct 1972	1	33:42		RD	10.548 km	Canton OH/USA	Amoco
01 Oct 1972	6	20:47.6	x	RD	7 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank
27 Aug 1972	1	40:15		RD	12 km	Bedford OH/USA	n/a
20 Aug 1972	1	26:11		RD	5 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	n/a
02 Jul 1972	1	53:27		RD	10 mi	Fairmont WV/USA	n/a
04 Jun 1972	1	1:04:49.2		OT	20 km	Morgantown WV/USA	n/a
27 May 1972	1	50:46		RD	10 mi	Fairborn OH/USA	n/a
17 Apr 1972	12	2:22:07	a	RD	Marathon	Boston MA/USA	Boston
01 Apr 1972	1	1:38:16.8		RD	30 km	Cleveland OH/USA	n/a
19 Mar 1972	1	24:05		RD	5 mi	Morgantown WV/USA	n/a
12 Mar 1972	1	50:44		RD	10 mi	Fairmont WV/USA	n/a
06 Feb 1972	1	44:55		RD	13.8 km	Bedford OH/USA	n/a
04 Dec 1971	1	30:46		XC	10 km	Lexington VA/USA	n/a
27 Nov 1971	2	2:38:45		RD	20 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
07 Nov 1971	1	15:21		XC	3 mi	Pittsburgh PA/USA	n/a
30 Oct 1971	4	29:54		XC	6 mi	University Park PA/USA	USTFF Eastern Crosscountry Championship
24 Oct 1971	1	1:08:23		RD	21.4 km	Pittsburgh PA/USA	n/a
17 Oct 1971	1	32:57		RD	10 km	Galion OH/USA	n/a
10 Oct 1971	1	2:22:44	a	RD	Marathon	Canton OH/USA	Amoco
03 Oct 1971	1	18.617 km		OT	One Hour	Pittsburgh PA/USA	n/a
25 Sep 1971	9	58:20		RD	18.6 km	London ON/CAN	Springbank International
19 Sep 1971	1	1:21:38		RD	25 km	Cleveland OH/USA	n/a
22 Aug 1971	1	1:23:25		RD	24.14 km	Bedford OH/USA	n/a
06 Jun 1971	1	31:30		RD	6 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
30 May 1971	1	20:08		RD	4 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
01 May 1971	1	51:26		RD	10 mi	Dayton OH/USA	n/a
11 Apr 1971	3	2:39:25		RD	Marathon	Athens OH/USA	Athens
20 Mar 1971	1	18.617 km		OT	One Hour	Mount Lebanon PA/USA	n/a
14 Mar 1971	3	48:11		RD	15 km	Cuyahoga Falls OH/USA	AAU Junior Championships
07 Mar 1971	1	30:46		RD	6 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
21 Feb 1971	1	20:01		RD	4 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
28 Nov 1970	31	31:45		XC	10 km	Chicago IL/USA	AAU Crosscountry Championships
25 Nov 1970	10	29:46		XC	6 mi	University Park PA/USA	USTFF Crosscountry Championships
25 Oct 1970	1	13:55.8		RD	3 mi	Parkersburg WV/USA	n/a
11 Oct 1970	2	2:33:24	a	RD	Marathon	Canton OH/USA	Amoco
12 Jul 1970	2	20:04		RD	4 mi	Akron OH/USA	n/a
28 Oct 1967	1	25:25.9		XC	8.369 km	Williamsburg VA/USA	NCAA District 3 Championship
20 Oct 1967	1	21:34.5		XC	6.759 km	n/a USA	West Virginia vs Pittsburgh
07 Oct 1967	1	25:30		XC	7.886 km	n/a USA	Penn State vs West Virginia
30 Sep 1967	3	25:56		XC	7.886 km	n/a USA	Miami University vs Kent State vs West Virginia
23 Sep 1967	1	25:13.6		XC	5 mi	n/a USA	Navy vs West Virginia
13 May 1967	1	14:16.1		OT	3 mi	Fort Eustis VA/USA	Southern Conference Championships
21 Nov 1966	26	31:09		XC	6 mi	Lawrence KS/USA	NCAA Crosscountry Championship

Database updated with data from 27 Jun 2021 19:47:37.

It’s not like he didn’t show up.

https://littlethings.com/lifestyle/great-race-runner-carlJuly 15, 2021JDW

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The Supplemental OGOR

If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done. – Thomas Jefferson

Occam’s Runner would have us believe the simplest best way to be a better runner is to run more. Back when the OGORs roamed the roads, alternatives, additions, supplemental activities never seemed a thought. If you had more time, you ran more. Simple.

Oft injured as a young runner, he managed a 2:25 marathon, an old buddy is now coaching high schoolers. Like to keep them injury-free if any way possible. Can’t help wondering, how fast could you go if you dodged bad wheels for a few years in a row?

Ask the OGORs a question for me, he wrote.

So many runners get injured before they reach their full potential. Your top tier racing career lasted for at least (—) years. What supplemental exercises, if any, did you do to avoid injuries?”

JIM PEARSON: Other than sporadic weight lifting and casual stretching, I basically just did my runs.

KEN MARTIN: Supplementary training: always leg weights and stretching.

Quad extensions, hamstrings, emphasizing the eccentric action (let down phase) of each machine lift. Many injuries have an eccentric action. This is important. Resist while the muscle is lengthening.

If I didn’t lift my hamstrings and quads would get weak. Maintenance weight training for me.

Lament getting away from steeple/agility drills and trails.

PATTI CATALANO DILLON: I did 500 push ups a day 1000 abs work a day, everyday including day of races. I remember a time in a limo with Greg Meyer and Herb Lindsey, telling them about Nautilus.   Greg mentioned he tried it but got too tired for his run, so he wasn’t going to do it.

I started off with Nautilus in 1978, at Dr. Rob Roy McGregor’s sports center in Brookline, MA.  The physio Peter Stone helped me by designing a routine.  Though I  soon graduated to free weights. Not too many women in the gym then, I was usually the only one.  I had to make doubly sure I had great form as to not be snickered. I found a gym that had a nice feel, called Workout Plus in Dedham , MA., where many of the Patriots worked out. I was welcomed with open arms and my strength accelerated,as I was introduced  to a heavy weight strength day once a week or ten days. I mainly worked out with John Smith, a place kicker, and tight end Don Hasselback 
Towards the end of my career, I could bench 152 and squat 285.  And I did ab work hanging from gravity boots from a high bar.
I even traveled to Japan carrying 45 lbs of weights with me.  ( ask Billy ).
The runners I coach now are asked to do pushups up to 25 in a set 3-4 sets in the morning and evening.
I also ask them do abs.
They greet the challenge with glee😛.
I believe in overall strength in running.

MARK COVERT: I hate to say this but I did no weightlifting of any kind. Worse still I did very little real stretching.  I would touch my toes a few times but other then that nothing.  When I was training with Tabori – after our couple mile warmup – he would have us stretch for about 15 minutes or so before we would do strides but I didn’t put much effort into it.  Not the answer you’re going to get from most of the OGORs. 

BOB HODGE: My running striving for top shelf lasted 1969-1988.

In my early running life sophomore in High School I had my first running injury lower back could have been sacroiliac joint.
My coach knew a chiropractor a former football hero at my high school and Boston University.
He lived and practiced in Nashua NH not far from my Lowell home. At the time MA did not license Chiropracty. 
http://www.lhsathletichalloffame.com/listings/titus-plomaritis-class-of-1949/
My Dad took me to see him and he threw me around that table a while and then sent me home with a sheet of plywood to sleep on.
I also wrote to Dr George Sheehan at Runners World and he told me I needed to strengthen my stomach muscles.
Core exercises.
Turned out the issue may have been a switch in shoes, as I had just got two new pairs of Tiger Cortez and wore them everywhere.
My body has taken me far and I am not complaining but I am flat footed (had bad plantar fasciitis right foot from the get-go) bow-legged and compensates for structural issues poor posture whatever plain ugliness.
I did calisthenics free weight bench press a bit. Swimming in the summer and barefoot running on grass and beach sand.
Later I did nautilus in spurts for overall body balance.
In 1981 I had a very serious injury torn adductor muscle. Sports medicine not even a thing then I went to some recommend docs bunch of quacks who told me I was nuts and to quit running 100 mile weeks.
I visited Bob Backus who had a gym near where I lived and that was the only time I had a really intense weight training program and it felt good.
He thought I should get a cortisone shot and may have suggested something stronger illegal but Hodgie don’t play that.

https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/07/sports/bob-backus-is-dead-at-72-world-s-best-weight-thrower.html
One thing runners today do seem to have more avenues and knowledge for treating injuries and the importance of balance.

HAL HIGDON: I started running in 1947, my sophomore year in high school. I didn’t take running seriously until my junior or senior year in college, then made a quantum leap while training with a US Army team in Germany in 1956.

I strength trained most of my life, beginning in 1958 after (believe it or not) winning a set of barbells for placing 3^rd in the National AAU 30K championships. But I wouldn’t claim that working out in a gym (which I still do) helps me prevent injuries. Consistent and intelligent training probably was the most important factor.

And good biomechanics, which I was fortunately handed at birth.

JACK LEYDIG: Shhhhhh, “if we had time to do anything supplemental” is the key phrase!  Basically, I was “maxed out” in the 1970’s…president of one of the best clubs in the nation (West Valley Track Club), creator and editor of the NorCal Running Review all decade, a top-rated marathoner (ran in the 1968 and 1972 US Olympic Marathon Trials), and got married (1976) to Judy Gumbs, who was also a nationally ranked marathoner (2:45 and ran in the 1984 US Olympic Marathon Trials).  

On top of that I organized and directed many regional and national championships, including the first US Women’s Marathon.  Running anywhere from 70-90 miles per week was my “normal” training mileage on top of all that.  Plus, I started (Jan. 1977) Jack’s Athletic Supply, which I still own and operate today…supplying event T-Shirts and finish-line equipment to hundreds of local and out-of-state distance events.  I was and still am a one-person company.  From 1968 through most of 1971 I had a full 5-Day 40-Hour week trying to make a living as well.  

So, the answer to your question, “how did I avoid injuries during my ‘prime years’ of running”…I probably got lucky.  I did not do much in the way of supplemental training (weights, stretching, etc.).  The few minor injuries I got were short-lived.  

I did sprain my ankle once jumping off of sand dunes on the Pacific Coast, putting me out of action for 4-6 weeks.  I just stopped running completely during that period.  I also had some arch problems from time to time, but they went away.  My top years of running were 1960 through 1987, with my best running coming in the early to mid-70’s (1:39 for 30K, 2:25 for the marathon in 1972, and being ranked top NorCal distance runner in that year as well).  

I basically stopped competitive running in 1987…too much else going on in my life, including two children!  Most of my training (distance and intervals) was HARD effort, so it’s a wonder I didn’t get injured on a regular basis.  If I had to do it all over again, I probably would not change much, except perhaps do more easy running, especially before marathons.  In 1968 I did back-to-back marathons (a week apart), finishing in a PR 2:28 (second in AAU Nationals in Culver City), and then second in the Pacific AAU Marathon in 2:34.  Not very smart!

Also, the running shoes back then were not really great for injury prevention, but that didn’t seem to give me any problem either.  I ran mostly in Tiger/ASICS shoes (Boston’s).  
Life is a journey!

ANNE AUDAIN:  I ran at an international level for 22 years, beginning at age 14!

After reconstructive surgery on both feet, doctors and therapists recommended that going forward I choose shoes that were nearest thing to “ bare feet”! And that I must keep my feet strong as they determine rest of the body’s ( legs and butt) strength and gait !

I was fortunate to have two coaches who both believed passionately in hill repeats and hill running over miles! I did hill repeats twice a week and all my long runs over hilly terrain. Of course, coming from New Zealand where there is minimal flat land, we run hills daily.

When I had to find a USA training base, I first went to Denver, then Boise. Both cities, having mountains close by, allowed me to try something new! Both had roads going up to ski fields! I would start at the bottom and run 5 miles uphill ( altitude, too) and get someone to drive me down! Kept me very strong!

In my 22 years, I never suffered a running-related injury! I did no other exercises! At age 64 , I still do hill repeats twice a week! Hope that is what you were looking for!

RON WAYNE: I raced for 20 years, of which marathoning was for 9 years.   My racing career started when I was a junior in high school.  For cross country, we did a few calisthenics and a couple of leg stretches. Running cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in college, Neither the team nor I stretched.  Post-collegiate, I did some minor calf and hamstring stretches that lasted no more than a minute or two. 

In 1975, I had my only severe muscular injury.  I was late for a group track workout on the Cal Berkeley Track.  It was a cold damp day and I didn’t run my usual 2-mile warmup to get loose. I jumped in to the repeat 880’s speed workout and pulled my groin.  Technically, it was called Osteitis Pubis, a tear of the muscle from the pubic bone.  This took about 3 plus months to heal.  I did strain my Achilles tendon doing uphill speed work once, but that only lasted a few weeks.  In 1976, I had bronchial pneumonia for about a half year, causing me to miss the 1976 marathon trials, which had nothing to do with stretching.  

Bottom line, I rarely stretched during my racing career.  My wife owns a yoga studio and I run almost every day and still don’t stretch.

BILL RODGERS: Hi Jack,when I was a new (HS) runner I used to jump rope in my basement;lift some (light) weights;our Newington HS Track Team was captained by a shot putter,Tom Michaud,so we did Calisthenics,which i really enjoyed;that was during our 1st indoor season.

One benefit I had was our track was a grass field, our coach, Frank O’Rourke utilized, so it was 5 laps to a mile. I think I liked the grass track because, as kids, my brother, Charlie and I and best friend Jason, we walked and hiked everywhere,and that meant hiking on grass. Using your feet more than on asphalt walking. I think one strength the Kenyans and Ethiopians have is just that – often running on dirt and grass and strengthening their feet.

In my college track and cross-country Days, I went to the Gym some to use light weights. I increased my mileage from my high school days. After all, at Wesleyan I was chasing one of our country’s top XCountry racers, Ambrose Burfoot, 6th Twice at NCAAs and Jeff Galloway, a few years from making the ’72 USA Olympic Team. When I became a full-fledged Road Racer/Marathoner, I began 2 x a day training and after each run did 50 sit ups. I utilized hand-held weights for arm /shoulder strength, maybe 15 /20 lbs. each weight. After long runs I’d swim easy in the pool for recovery.

Exercise science was developing quickly in the 70s/80s, and today we all can benefit. I think the amount we rest is the Big question; today’s pros have much more information/data available to them. In my generation’s era, the 60s/70/s 80s, rest was a bit of dirty word.

DON KARDONG: If I understand this question, it’s what supplemental exercises did I do during my salad days. Basically, it was none. Stretching didn’t work for me, in fact I always seemed to injure myself stretching.

Sometime in my mid-thirties, I had recurring muscle pulls, but very minor ones that kept me from running for about 10 days. I finally figured out that massage would prevent the pulls, but massage costs money, so I developed a routine using “The Stick.” I start each day by using The Stick on calves and hamstrings, and I rarely get mini-pulls any more.

Of course, I also don’t run as often, as fast, or as far.

BENJI DURDEN: I was seldom injured during my prime years. I suppose this was due to good biomechanics, maintaining basic endurance strength in the weight room and occasionally hitting the pool.

I had Achilles issues from time to time, but running barefooted on grass fields helped keep that at bay for the most part. My only really serious injury was a bad case of plantar fasciitis that effectively ended my elite career.

JACQUELINE HANSEN:

Stretching and situps were part of our track workouts.  We otherwise did not go to the weightroom.  If injured, a physical therapist might have me lifting weights ‘though, with more elaborate stretching.

Mainly, to keep in shape when too injured to run on land, I would do pool-running.  I also could stretch much better in the pool. 

Eventually, in my later days,  I was trained as an aqua-aerobics instructor.  It was a full-body workout and as efficient as lifting weights.  As a masters runner, I was in relatively better shape from weightroom and pool workouts both. I returned to track and had success as a masters world champion 1500 and 5000m.  

In more recent years, I benefited from riding an ElliptiGO bike.  

Perhaps cross-training would’ve served me well when I was younger.