Elite marathoners who WORK full time?

Define: Elite.

There's plenty of 2:15-2:20 guys who have a full time job

The Japanese dude

Hard definition. I am thinking guys who have run inside 2.16 - I appreciate most of you guys probably wont see this as elite but that's the ball park

Well, former 2:13 marathoner Joe LeMay did. He would run before and after work. He kept an online training log as well (not sure if it is still up). It was associated with Bob Hodge's site.

Bill Rodgers (of course most here don't consider teaching a real job)

Everyone (nominally) pre 1980

Annie Bersagel works full time. Not quite world elite, but top 5-ish American on a good day.

Most famous Rodgers quote:"No one who works 40 hours a week will beat me in a marathon."Tons of top guiys "dropped out" from 9-5 to pursue running dreams (including Shorter 1971)

Uavewn wrote:

Bill Rodgers (of course most here don't consider teaching a real job)

Everyone (nominally) pre 1980

Brandan Foster was a teacher when he was at his best. Carlos Lopes worked in a bank.

Steve Jones was a full time mechanic when he was a t his best.

My Wife's co-worker ran a 2:18 while working four 10-hour days/week.

He had his name on his bib in Boston instead of a number, so I'd consider that elite.

nonspecificinformation wrote:

The Japanese dude

Yuki MFing Kawauchi

Many did wrote:

Brandan Foster was a teacher when he was at his best. Carlos Lopes worked in a bank.

Steve Jones was a full time mechanic when he was a t his best.

None of them had jobs other than running when they were at their best.

Canadian Marathon record holder, multiple Fukuoka Marathon winner, 2:10 guy Jerome Drayton worked full time for the Ontario government as a desk job. I think it was 35 hours a week but still....

runworkrunrunmore wrote:

Are there many examples of elite marathon runners who work pretty long hours in full time jobs? motivate me....

川内優輝

runworkrunrunmore wrote:

Are there many examples of elite marathon runners who work pretty long hours in full time jobs? motivate me....

Kalashnikov wrote:

Most famous Rodgers quote:

"No one who works 40 hours a week will beat me in a marathon."

Tons of top guiys "dropped out" from 9-5 to pursue running dreams (including Shorter 1971)

Uavewn wrote:

Bill Rodgers (of course most here don't consider teaching a real job)

Everyone (nominally) pre 1980

Yeah you do have a point. That Bill Rodgers quote does prove that there were some 40 hour/week guys that some considered contenders, though. He beat everyone who did and didn't work full time so it didn't matter.

Many did wrote:

Brandan Foster was a teacher when he was at his best.

We said WORK FULL TIME, not babysit for cushy pensions and summers off.

and and yet wrote:

Many did wrote:

Brandan Foster was a teacher when he was at his best. Carlos Lopes worked in a bank.

Steve Jones was a full time mechanic when he was a t his best.

None of them had jobs other than running when they were at their best.

Steve Jones still worked for the RAF at his peak

Add Ron Hill

No way is 2:16 elite

and and yet wrote:

Many did wrote:

Brandan Foster was a teacher when he was at his best. Carlos Lopes worked in a bank.

Steve Jones was a full time mechanic when he was a t his best.

None of them had jobs other than running when they were at their best.

Incorrect.

Jones went downhill when he bought out his RAF contract and only ran one good race after that.

Phil Coppess worked full time, was a single dad, and ran 2:10:05.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/sports/phil-coppess-still-holds-twin-cities-marathon-record.html?_r=0

ukathleticscoach wrote:

and and yet wrote:

None of them had jobs other than running when they were at their best.

Steve Jones still worked for the RAF at his peak

Add Ron Hill

No way is 2:16 elite

Phil Coppes was the ultimate blue collar worker. Blokes UK never heard of him but he ran 2:10 off off a factory job, and he was a single parent to boot. Doug Kurtis ran 2:13s and a dozen sub 2:20s a year. But those were from a different era.

Anyway, would argue that a 2:18 is still an elite time. As far as 2:16 goes, look there are some 500,000 marathon finishers in the US and maybe 20 or 30 a year will run 2:16 or faster--and that would be in a good year.

That said, we've gone backwards in the past 20-25 years. But from what I've seen they're even more rare across the pond, except for the East Africans.