Distance running thrills.

[john1022]

Re: Distance running thrills.

1964 US-Russian Meet, 10k, Gerry Lindgren .. I couldn't talk for 2 days after...

Seeing good friends Bob Shul and Billy Mills win at Tokyo in 1964 was great, but it was on TV... not live..

So many other things... Tom Rodda's victory over Mike Fleming in the 1960 Inter-Service Championships 1500 in (as I recall) 3:45.2 was a great thrill for a HS junior.. Mike was a good friend, and Tom bacame one later ..

Pete McArdle's great win in the 1964 Olympic Marathon trial in Culver City .. and Norm Higgins' domination in 1965

Jim Beatty beating Murray Halberg in the Coliseum in 1963... and losing to Snell at Comptom ..

Ryun beating Snell in the Coliseum ..

Clarke setting World records for 3m and 5k there..

All long ago, i know... but, lord, the memories ...

[Brian]

Re: Distance running thrills.

>For all of us distance runners, and U.S.distance running fans,what do you
>think are the biggest thrills in U.S.distance running performance?

Two events, both held at Hayward Field:

1. Pre vs. George Young in the 72 Trials 5,000,.
Youth vs. veteran, front-runner vs. great kick, home-town boy vs. All-American hero, ec.

2. Salazar vs. Rono in the Invitational 10,000m. in 1982.
Fit and improving Salazar vs. overweight but still the best Rono, best American vs. best Kenyan, U of O alum vs. WSU alum, plus an added cast of Nyambui (1980 5,000m. silver medalist), Musyoki (current dominanant roadie), and Adrian Royle (ungracious conquorer of salazar at TAC CC race the previous November).

Distance thrills tend to stay in my mind longer than other events because of the prolonged excitement the sheer length of time provided by the competition.

[Born to be a Bum]

Re: Distance running thrills.

"ungracious", damn and blast, I was aiming for "totally evil bastard", "Antichrist", "son of Satan" ...... etc etc but after 22 years I'll have to settle for just a minor insult. I must try harder in a future life

I was told of a classic 5000m at Mt Sac Relays 1982 with Nyambui (Olympic silver, multiple NCAA etc) Peter Koech (WR steeplechase) and the above named ungracious person which went right down to the wire. I missed it, too busy

[Brian]

Re: Distance running thrills.

I wrote "ungracious" as in, so seen by the public/press/Salazar at the time. I wasn't at the CC race to form my own opinion.

Actually, Sir BTBAB, it is even WORSE than you imagine: someone on the West coast has been spreading stories of you buying toys for orphans at Christmas time and helping little old ladies across the street!

Things like that will get you kicked off the Moosehead team...! [Unless the old lady was buying, of course!]

[Brian]

Re: Distance running thrills.

P.S.= That 27:47 or so you ran might have been an all-time 10,000m. debut best at the time. If not, pretty damn close! Some nice footin'...!

[Tyrone]

Re: Distance running thrills.

I live in South Africa and the performances by Mills, Ryun and Benoit are legendary here. The best? I would have to say Benoit. Winning the US trials after the knee surgery and then defeating the likes of Rosa Mota and Grete Waitz with a virtual gun to tape victory... spectacular!

[doug burke]

Re: Distance running thrills.

in 1993 the then unknown chinese women, shattered the distance records and then bettered the records in the finals, a few weekks after they ran a marathon, running negative splits likke wang junxia running the second 5k in 14.26 during her 2931 10k record, i know of the drug allegations, but countries like the gdr,ussr and usa have had athletes found to have used drugs and they never shattered the world records in depth like china did, beiging in 2008 may be very interesting.