All-time Dirt Track List

[banked track]

Garry,

All this talk about Ryun and the 50th Anniversary of the 4 minute mile got me thinking about races on cinder tracks. I know T&FN once published the list of best times on cinder. Could you publish it again. Reminds of how great these runners were. Thanks.

[KeepMoving]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

I believe that Peter Snell set his first mile record on a grass track.

[highjumpsteve]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

>I believe that Peter Snell set his first mile record on a grass track.


And Thomas' WR in 1960 of 7' 3.75" was from a grass takeoff.

[Mel]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

Grass wasn't on the banned-substance list then.

[The Kitchen Cynic]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

>> Thomas' WR in 1960 of 7' 3.75" was from a grass takeoff.<<

I doubt that very much. It certainly wasn't synthetic, but I don't think it was grass.

[highjumpsteve]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

>>> Thomas' WR in 1960 of 7' 3.75" was from a grass takeoff.<<

I doubt that
>very much. It certainly wasn't synthetic, but I don't think it was grass.

au contraire, it was indeed.

[gh]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

From T&FN coverage of '60 OT at Stanford:

<<"That's the first time I ever jumped on grass. I like it. It feels sort of cushiony."

All five grass runways underwent loving care. Ten months ago they were cut very short and 1.5" of clay packed on top. The clay was broke up, rolled and a special fertilizaiton program produced a strong grass, a firm but cushiony surface and a fast, level runway. No workouts were permitted before the meet."

I recall people still jumping off the grass at Stanford in the mid '70s. (I almost want to say Matzdorf jumped off grass too in his WR at Berkeley, but I suspect he had mostly a grass runuup then a synthetic takeoff, although I wouldn't be on it.)

They can do wonderful things w/ turf here in NorCal :-)

[The Kitchen Cynic]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

Well, you learn something every day. I just learned my something. Can I go home now?

[basehead617]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

i'd really like to know who 'realist' 'the kitchen cynic' and 'class clown' are - it's pretty ridiculous for board regulars to use alternate names for certain posts. are these known?

[gh]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

How do we know that basehead--just to use names from earlier on in this thread--isn't also mel and keepmoving? Like the people he doesn't seem to like, he also posts without a link back to his home address. Let he who is without sin....

edited to answer your basic question: if somebody turns into a troll or is posting really unacceptable material then we'll go after them with a vengeance and shut down all their names. But it's (way) past the point of diminishing returns for us to try to crossmatch every poster who comes on board.

[Mel]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

Garry are you suggesting I block my IP address? Cuz I don't. And here's my email for anyone interested in contacting me. Besides can't u compare people's IPs? Hopefully I misunderstood what you meant.

[jhc68]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

The grass take off at Stanford Stadium was manicured shorter and rolled harder than a world class putting green or Centre Court at Wimbledon. It was a work of art and it wasn't used much, but it sure was fun to jump from and lots of jumpers PR'd there, even me. Not only did Thomas set the WR but in the same meet Faust became the youngest ever and only the 3rd American to clear 7 feet. Jumping there was really cool, what a treat to recall!

[kuha]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

I also post under the handle "Awesome Stud Muffin."

As a pitiful high jumper in HS in the '60s, I can vouch for the fact that a decent grass take-off area was a perfectly fine surface with, as noted above, a nice amount of bounce.

[real kitchen clown]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

<i'd really like to know who 'realist' 'the kitchen cynic' and 'class clown'
>are - it's pretty ridiculous for board regulars to use alternate names for
>certain posts. are these known?>>

Are we not men? We are Devo!

[runninfool]

Re: All-time Dirt Track List

With all the vituperative attacks against individuals on this site, only the bravest would not insulate themselves from people knowing their home e-mail addresses --

To the point -- I, too, would like to see a dirt-track all-time list.

In the synthetic era, has there ever been a real race on cinders that might provide some comparison? It might be of interest to those who think only the athlete who has posted the fastest time ever is the greatest, regardless of the advantages of modern venues --