Running Club from the 80's

Pre841,

You know Cleveland? He was a very good runner that turned to bodybuilding. His ex-wife, Pat Story, was not a bad runner either.

Goldwyn Track Club (Western US-Calif. to Colorado)

Prairie Striders (Minnesota-Dakotas)

I knew Cleveland Whalen well....though I haven't seen him in 5 years or so. He was a great guy. Before he was married (briefly) to Pat Story, (a good 230 plus marathoner), his steady girlfriend was a cute little blonde runner named Cheryl....who later married Tom Platz, a pro bodybuilder who was really big in the early 80's.

ps...the Merle burnout squad, guys like John Hall, basically gave up their careers to provide workout foder for Johnny Gray.

And the infamous David Mack.

Merle Burnout Squad wrote:

Pre841,

You know Cleveland? He was a very good runner that turned to bodybuilding.

Good call, Pre841! I had almost forgotten about Cleveland Whelan.

He was the distance runner's equivalent of a "basketball playground legend" back then. It seemed as if every race within the South Bay area (Santa Monica, Brentwood, Marina del Rey, Manhattan Beach, etc.) finished with Cleveland picking up some kind of trophy afterwards!

Did you run for Merle?

I remember the name Pat Story, but I don't remember John Hall. There was a guy named David Griefinger (sp?) and some others from that era. The one armed coach for SMCC (name escapes me), the kid (I think he ran for Loyola H.S. and led the Oly trials marathon for bit before fading), Hector (forgot his last name) who ran SC. Chris Gilbreath was one of the H.S. studettes (city mile and 2 mile champion) that ran for Joe Douglas while he was at Westchester H.S. and then later for SMTC.

I remember BOTHAA- mostly sprinters. They called themselves the Over the Hill Gang, but the AAU (Pre-TAC) wouldn't let them use that name. So, as I recall, they called themselves BOTHAA and said it was an obscure, local Indian (Native American now) tribe. It actually stood for:

Boston

Over

The

Hill

Athletic

Association

The old morons running (should that read ruining?) the AAU didn't pick up on it.

Pre841,

Yeah, I ran for Merle for a few years. Most half milers did not burnout from training with Johnny, Merle usually had runners join him during various parts of his training since not too many can keep up for the whole workout. The problem was with the competitive nature and hard track.

John Hall was a collegete swimmer from the midwest and ran the 800/1500 when he moved out west, I believe he ran in low 1:50's. Merle had a stable of half milers through his tenure of coaching at SMTC. Along with Johnny Gray, there was Jeff West, Atlee Douglas from the Netherlands, Sonny and Johnny Shakleford, Lewis Johnson and probably a few others that I failed to mention. He also had some pretty quick women, I believe he was able to have at least 4 of his runners qualifying for women's oly trial marathon. He also coached Andrea Ward who won the exhibition 5,000m, before it became an oly event. 2 minute half miler Tanya Blake from Malta.

Not a bad bunch of runners for a coach that was basically getting the second tier runners from Joe Douglas.

David Greifinger is still with Joe. The one armed coach's name was John, not sure of his last name. The Loyola runners you might be thinking about might be the Nitti's, Gary, Joe and forgot the name of the youngest Nitti. Hector Perez, went on to Cal Poly SLO, then with the Mexican national team, where he ran low 3:40's.

I believe that SMTC still has the national record in the 4X800 with Johnny Gray, James Robinson, David Mack and Earl Jones.

Thanks for the update.

Joe Nitti was the runer I had recalled running at the front of the Oly Trials marathon for a brief stint. I can't recall which year, but it must have been around '88.

Hector Perez was the steeple chaser. He got me and a friend into an Nike party after the Prefontaine meet in the early 80s. I think he had a sister that also ran fairly well.

I remember Andrea Ward from Venice all-comers meets on Tuesday nights during the summer. Do they still have the all-comers series?

I remember Gary Nitti, a decent, middle distance runner in the late 70's, training with Joe; don't recall his little brother Joe Nitti....must have been after I left LA in early 80's. I remember John Hall; a nice guy, who trained like an animal with Johnny Gray, etc....a workout fiend!

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Athletics West.

Atheltics West

If you're talking about a steeplechaser with a good sister, that would be Reuben Haro, and his sister Teresa. Hector specialized in the 1500/5000, don't believe that he ever really ran the steeple. All-comer's series is alive and well. Tuesday is now at San Pedro HS, Wednesday is Birmingham, and Thursday is at Santee (new hs near downtown). 6 weeks of meets, generally ending first week of August.

Pre841

I think you are mistaken Hector Perez with Ruben Haro, a sub 9:00 steepler. There was another coach at SMTC who coached the third tier athletes, his name is Pat Cady, now a coach at Santa Monica High School, with Tania Fisher as his assistant.

Do you remember Irwin Merein? I believe everybody who has met him never forgets him.

Anyone recall the old Greater San Francisco Track Club?

Ron Wayne, Ron Nabers, Frank Richardson, Brian Maxwell, Atkins Chun, Robyn Berry...we had a decent little scrappy squad...I recall that on our sunday 18 milers on Mt Tam we'd often have as many as 15 guys who were 2;25 or better and at least a half dozen of whom were 2;10- 2;18...not all GSFTC members but part of our weekly long run (that often seemed to evolve into a footrace)

pre841, like you and merele burnout, I spent about a year doing the SMTC merele mcghee sessions...whenever I thought we were done he'd throuw in another dozen 'fresh' 150s...thinking that I was done again, he'd call for yet another set of some odd distance repeats...I've still never recovered

I used to run with Cleveland too for my brief stint in the LA area. Very nice guy but very lanky and muscular. I would run some days with Cleveland and other days with Hon Sutherland.

Never fit in with the SMTC distance guys but sure enjoyed beating them and seeing little Joe D. not liking it.

Some of these have be4en mentioned:

Puma TC

Coast Athletics-

Mazda TC

Clib northwest

D.C.Striders

San Jose Stars-

Atoms

World Class AC-JJK

Iron Ball TC-bet they were snotputters

Stars&Stripes TC

New York Pioneer Club

Southern California Cheetahs

Tyson International TC

Athletes in Action

Pacific Coast Club

Lay whitnesses for Christ TC

Bronx International

Reebok Racing Club

Shore AC

Los Angles TC

Karamu Flyers

Puma, Westcherter Puma and Puma Canada

L.I. Aliance

New Balance TC

Liberty AC

Warren Street Social and Drinking Club

Wisconsin United TC

New York Masters

Boston Bullettes

Accusplit Sports Club

Atlantic Coast Club

Team Adidis

Irish American TC

Concorde TC

NYPAL(Police Athletic League)

Team Kangeroo-Ray Flynn

Sub 4 TC

Athletic Attic

Los Angles Mercurettes

Ms International

Mohammad Ali TC

Wilts Wonderettes

Falmouth TC

Starlets -Staten Island Starlets

Philaqdelphia Pioneer Club

Sports International

Bud Light Track America

D.C. Capitol TC

Beverly Hills Striders

Maccabi Union TC

Mayor Daily Youth Foundation

Unattached

I give up!!

In Virginia, Charlottesville Track Club used to clean up