I just read Gordon Pirie's book online and agreed with a lot of what he had to say. When I did a Wiki search of his life it shows that despite his many years of running and apparently healthy diet and lifestyle he only lived to be 60 years old. (1931-1991).
There was no mention of the cause of death and after many internet searches I haven't found anything.
Anyone have any info?
I don't know and am curious about that too.
Here's the link. Good read!
I think I recall reading somewhere that he was a heavy smoker.
Don't see anything there about the cause of his death.
He died of cancer.
This was my resource.
Chronic misogyny
Stomach cancer as I recall.
Phil. wrote:
Stomach cancer as I recall.
Yes, that's what I recall as well. If you can track down a copy of "The Impossible Hero" you'll get a fairly detailed account.
It is strange that he would get stomach cancer from eating healthy.
Any more details?
Pirie had been working as a lumberjack or some such thing late in his life and thought he got cancer from some sort of chemical that had been sprayed on the trees he'd been working with.
He's a lumberjack and he's okay.....
Thanks. I'll have that stuck in my head all day now, which is not the worst thing.
Phil. wrote:
Stomach cancer as I recall.
I wonder if he was infected by Helicobacter Pylori? I could be off base, but I'm pretty sure it's strongly correlated with stomach cancers.
He couldn’t have been much of a lumberjack, as he had little upper body strength.
Gordon Pirie tried to take over our Sunday morning pack run when he returned from New Zealand.
We found him an overbearing, doctrinaire and arrogant pain in the arse, with a very high opinion of himself and we subsequently avoided him as much as possible.
Frankly, I wouldn’t believe much of what he claimed, especially that 216,000 miles in 40 years.
I notice he and Dassler are also supposed to have ‘developed spike racing shoes.’
Well, spike racing shoes were around many years before either were born.
I bought the first model spike that Dassler ever produced, they were good, but not that much different from my previous (English) pair.
Pirie was in fact, his own worst enemy.
He was the best in the world at 5000 (and 3000) in 56 and should have won the gold medal.
But his vanity got in the way.
Somehow or other, he got it into his head, he was a great 10,000mts runner, on what evidence, I’ve no idea.
So before the 5000 at the Melbourne Olympics, he took on Kuts in the 10 and got destroyed.
Come the 5 and he was blown.
Again, just before the Rome Olympics, I saw him run a 53 last lap of a 5000, in great form.
What did he then do?
He went to Germany and went through a period of really intense training.
Come the Games - and he was burnt out.
His Wikipedia biography must have been written by a fan or a relation.
Well he did win Silver at the Olympics, but agree that his best chance was in the 5,000m
My old coach Walter Hesketh was a big rival of Pirie winning the National XC with Pirie in 2nd
He told me a good Pirie story. They were on some international tour when everyone fell ill with a stomach bug. Anyway they turned to the distance runners and said you are going to have to do some field events. Walter fancied the javelin and told Gordon how to guarantee a point at least. He said 'just throw in into the ground right in front of you you are going to finish. That way you will be sure to make a mark and get a point' Gordon replied 'forget that I'm just going to hold the end.. and lean on it!'
I don't know if he was an actual lumberjack but the job did involve working with felled trees. I'll have to see if I can find his biography and get the specifics of the job.
I never met him but I know a ouple of people who did and nothing they told me would contradict what you wrote. He doesn't come off very well in Ann Audain's autobiography either.
I just took a look through "Impossible Hero." The tumor was found in his bile duct. He was given six months to live but lasted considerably longer. His last job in New Zealand was one where he cut trees and was paid according to how many he'd cut. And he was seriously into the health benefit of wheatgrass in his later years.
My favourite story and an indication as to the character of the chap, was when he first gained selection for the national team and received his Great British tracksuit, he put it one and paraded himself, walking around Harrods for 3 hours, presumably imagining he was being admired by all and sundry.