George Young

I'm especially amazed that our top steeplechaser, who was world ranked in that event, decided to take a shot at the marathon in the OT, won that race, and ran both events in the Olympics, in a year when most low-altitude runners were scared of Mexico City's altitude. Pretty gutsy.

If you look at pictures of him, not exactly ideal body type for a marathoner.

Wonder also why he tried 5k in 1972, instead of going for 4th team in steeple.

Used to have his biography

Still wish I did

It was a good read.

1955 wrote:

One athlete from the old days that I don't think gets much love here on LR is George Young.

I agree. Another is Bob Schul. A relatively short career, but his Olympic medal was just as golden as that of Billy Mills.

As I recall, he had some injury stuff happen between '68 and '72 and got away from steeplechasing because of it. After all this time I may not be recalling correctly but obviously I think I am.

As to the marathon, in those years it was not uncommon for track guys to try to make the Olympic Team in the marathon as a "safety" event in case they didn't make the team in their prime event. The marathon was not a high profile event then. Most marathon runners were guys who moved to the event because they weren't good enough to make national teams on the track so for some of the track guys the marathon was sort of a "soft" event., That would soon change but was still largely the case in '68. Billy Mills had done the same thing in Tokyo. I know there were stories floating around in '68 that Young wasn't actually going to run the marathon but the stories came to nothing.

Young was very, very, good and very tough and he stayed that way for a long time. Many people thought that he was robbed of a gold medal in Mexico because of the altitude. But he should be on anyone's list of all time great US distance runners.

I remember an L.A. Times article back in the 70's before one of the Southern California indoor meets. The article told a story of Young running along a lonely Arizona highway early in the morning before sunrise. The weather conditions were a blowing snow storm. A trucker pulls along side him, rolls his window down, and says "I don't know who you are, or what you're doing, but it is crazy as hell."

I was fortunate enough to see Young battle Prefontaine in the 1972 Oly Trials 5k. I believe their last 1200 meters was in the low 3:00. Tough, old school.

Igy

"Young was very, very, good and very tough and he stayed that way for a long time. Many people thought that he was robbed of a gold medal in Mexico because of the altitude. But he should be on anyone's list of all time great US distance runners."

The above quote of HRE is so on the money. George Young was/is as respected a runner that has ever lived.

more successful than prefontaine, less charismatichard to argue this.

1955 wrote:

One athlete from the old days that I don't think gets much love here on LR is George Young. 4 Olympic teams -- 1960, 1964 and 1968 steeple, 1968 marathon, 1972 5000m -- with a bronze in the steeple in Mexico City, at altitude (2 Kenyans passed him in last 200m).

He also had several ARs (steeple, 2m; some sources also say 3k and 5k). I remember reading how Pre feared him as a tough competitor.

Anyone have any good George Young stories?

1955 wrote:

One athlete from the old days that I don't think gets much love here on LR is George Young. 4 Olympic teams -- 1960, 1964 and 1968 steeple, 1968 marathon, 1972 5000m -- with a bronze in the steeple in Mexico City, at altitude (2 Kenyans passed him in last 200m).

He also had several ARs (steeple, 2m; some sources also say 3k and 5k). I remember reading how Pre feared him as a tough competitor.

Anyone have any good George Young stories?

Also held the 2 mile WR.

Wasn't he an Army man too?

take away his finishing kick wrote:

more successful than prefontaine, less charismatic

hard to argue this.

Prefontaine manhandled Young at the 1972 Olympic Trials and ran faster times than Young in every event from the mile through the 10000.

I remember well seeing Young win a deuce in the old Boston Garden in the late 60s with a blistering kick, then following the then active indoor circuit, he won a big race the next night in Toronto. He stood out from the rest of the field as he had a brush cut, stocky, deeply tanned and wore a white singlet with "Casa Grande, AZ" on the back. Saw him in Madison Sq Garden win another time and was at the great duel with Pre at the 72 trials. Hayward was rockin that day. Heard he said of Pre "the kids tough."

He also holds a record for a trail race that goes down and up the Grand Canyon. Read he got some advanced degrees, and after years of teaching worked for GM or some big corp., got disgusted with the bureaucracy, and went back to teach/coach at a JC.

not hard at all wrote:

take away his finishing kick wrote:

more successful than prefontaine, less charismatic

hard to argue this.

Prefontaine manhandled Young at the 1972 Olympic Trials and ran faster times than Young in every event from the mile through the 10000.

To be fair, Young was 35 at the time (Pre was 21), was trying out (successfully) for his 4th team (Pre's only), and already had one Olympic medal (Pre had none).

I love Pre, but yeah, I think there's an argument Young was more successful.

Avocado's Number wrote:

1955 wrote:

One athlete from the old days that I don't think gets much love here on LR is George Young.

I agree. Another is Bob Schul. A relatively short career, but his Olympic medal was just as golden as that of Billy Mills.

Agree. Great win in Tokyo, and less of an upset than Mill's.

For me George was a class act. My fondest memory was a discussion I had with him after the 72 trials. I don't remember the exact amount, but the athletes were charged like $15.00 a day. It was cheaper with a roommate and if you stayed for a week and paid in advance. He was very worked up about this. He never pointed out any negative aspects, but instead dealt with the positive aspects of the training that he was doing. He spoke with great respect of the completion. He and his wife (Shirley- I think) were a perfect couple. Like an Ozzie & Harriet (for those of us old enough to remember). Great man.

Long time coach at Central Arizona junior college.

1955 wrote:

One athlete from the old days that I don't think gets much love here on LR is George Young. 4 Olympic teams -- 1960, 1964 and 1968 steeple, 1968 marathon, 1972 5000m -- with a bronze in the steeple in Mexico City, at altitude (2 Kenyans passed him in last 200m).

He also had several ARs (steeple, 2m; some sources also say 3k and 5k). I remember reading how Pre feared him as a tough competitor.

Anyone have any good George Young stories?

I remember reading his workouts. No one worked harder than he did. He probably worked a bit too hard sometimes. Like Ryun we are all better for what he taught us.