Orville Atkins, RIP, 1937 - 2018

It would have been an enjoyable experience to sit at the feet of Orville Atkins and learn of the history of running.

And as the lyrical words of another Canadian, "Long May You Run"

legend.

http://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2012/07/vol-2-no-60-latc-club-members-identified.html

The only bad thing someone could say about him is that he's dead. He was one of my favorite posters here and we got to know each other better by e-mail and Facebook. We met once in Boston and I'd hoped to see him again in Southern California. I am so sorry to read this.

I thought abut this some more:

Pete wrote:Either he didn’t understand that the Internet is supposed to bring out your bad side, or he just wasn’t having any of that. :-)

A third possibility is that the internet DID bring out his bad side, and he was showing us scratchy Orville all those years. I really liked getting to know our "maybe--a-bit-scratchy" Orville through this forum, I imagine the people who actually knew the real guy were particularly privileged. What a gentleman, he really added to this place.

That’s very sad. I’ve spoken with him many times in the late 60’s to late 70’s when I lived in California. Our training concepts were polar opposites and yet we shared a mutual respect for each other and the sport. It’s too bad that today’s athletes won’t have his guidance and knowledge to learn from. A total loss for our sport.

Greg, thank you for letting us know.

I am so sorry for your loss.

I enjoyed "meeting" Orville over on dyestat years ago.

What a joy he was to converse with over the years.

Humble and delightful in his storytelling of "back in the day".

I will miss him.

Seems like we are losing iconic runners from the past far to frequently these days. Time is passing too quickly for us old timers. RIP Mr. Atkins. Thank you for your advice and tales from your brilliant career.

Very sad to hear this news. Though I didn't know him personally, I always loved his posts on here, definitely struck me as a guy who was not only extremely talented, but genuinely enjoyed the sport and helping others in their personal goals.

I used to be pretty active in the marathon race training thread (now morphed into the road racing and training thread, spearheaded by Smoove). Orville used to participate in those threads as well, not only giving his advice and input into the discussion, but posting his weeks from ~40 years prior. Loved seeing that kind of stuff! Case in point:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3747660&page=1

My heart goes out to his family and friends, may he rest in peace.

From that thread:

"The sport is my hobby. It was all great fun. Thank you all for adding to the fun."

-Orville Atkins

Never met Mr Atkins, got to admit that before I started to use this site I'd never heard of him. But I do feel a sense of loss.

Being very interested in the history/evolution of distance training methods I found his insights on Igloi and his methods absolutely fascinating.

This was the sort of stuff that this site should be used for - all the time. It is only by pooling knowledge and experience, learning from the masters of the past that further progress can be made.

I know this will be pretty meaningless coming from a complete stranger on the other side of the Atlantic, but condolences to his family and friends.

socal cush wrote:

legend.

http://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2012/07/vol-2-no-60-latc-club-members-identified.html

Supposedly Inglewood's Cintinella Park - anyone know it?

Orville showed a true & life long love of the sport. That was obvious.

His hood was Long Beach, San Pedro, north toward Palos Verde Peninsula. Highlight of his week was Sunday morning run that morphed into Sunday morning walk. Did that for 30 + years (maybe longer even) religiously. Followed by dine-out breakfast.

Please correct me if I am wrong on any of this. Thanks.

I had the pleasure of corresponding with Orville about Igloi and training. He was a most gracious human being and will be missed. Oh . . . if only I could run 40x400 again! RIP Orville.

DSB15,

Your recollection about Orville is pretty close. He lived in Santa Monica for the last 45 years. Most of his Sunday runs, at least from 1972 to about 2014 (42 years) were in Palos Verdes, over the hills. Rarely did we go down into San Pedro or Long Beach. I was in the group that he ran with in this 42 year span.

Before that time, he ran with the Igloi group and later, the early Santa Monica Track Club, often at Dorsey High School on their big grass fields.

There was about a four year span in the early 90's when his job transferred him out to North Carolina, where I was stationed at the time. So I saw him almost every weekend during that time (except when I was deployed, i.e. during the Gulf War and then to Japan). Although I was at my peak and he was in his early 50's and slowing down, we would start our Sunday runs together in a big park near his house and finish about the same time two hours or so later, then head to breakfast.

He hated North Carolina for its food, its hot summers and its winters. One year I got him to run the Old Reliable 10k in Raleigh and he did pretty well - I think about 43 min for 10K in his late 50's. Now, as I approach that age, I appreciate that more.

It is a shame that he passed away. I learned a lot about Igloi's training, as well as Bruce Kidd and of course, Orville's many races. He was very intelligent and smart enough to recognize that what worked for him may not work for everyone, but that there still were fundamental principals that did apply generally to anyone training and racing.

Greg Hill wrote:

His health deteriorated in the last year rather quickly and then he fell down, breaking his hip. Parkinson's then caused a spasm issue with his throat (which is apparently common) and he had trouble eating and drinking toward the last week.

I am administering his will. He does not wish any formal funeral or any memorial, which was Orville - never one to seek attention or sympathy.

He will be missed on these boards, but I'm sure he'll find someone to talk running upstairs.

I remember Orville from the Seniors Track Club and weekend runs through Palos Verdes. He ran along speedily with hardly lifting his feet from the ground, and was an inspiration to many. I believe my female friend and the Hill family ran together a few times.

I'm curious how Orville spent the last year or two and how he was cared for. Was he in Palos Verdes through this time?

Greg Hill, thank you for looking after him, and best regards to you.

Oh no. So sorry to hear this. Wonderful guy. We had many conversations off-forum, and I learned so much from Orville. Damn.

STC Alumni - good to hear from you. Those were good ole' days. I still keep in contact with quite a few STC folks - and I have new respect for the times you all ran in the mid-70's / early 80's

To answer your question re the last two years, Orville lived in Santa Monica throughout that time, walking every day and going to the gym quite a bit. As recent as a week ago, he still had a very strong grip when you shook his hand.

Orville's posts were some of the first I read here......a long time ago.

Always a gentleman and made this board a better place.

RIP Sir, and thank you for your wisdom.

Greg,

This is very sad news. And shocking. I thought Orville was healthy and running more these past few years.

Greg, it sounds like you took care of him in his later stages. if not before. I'm glad you were there with him.

For the record, I too am a former member of the Seniors Track Club (mid 1970's, at age 16-17 ) as well as the PV breakfast club.

Back then, Orville was to me an intimidating presence, with (as I remember) his dark blue circular sun-glasses,

his legendary fast times, and high placings at Boston with that shuffling stride.

I never had the courage to speak much with him back then.

35 years later, on LR, we actually "spoke" about the old days, the other PV guys, and Boston (where I now live)

and I learned that Orville was a gentle spirit that I could/should have been closer to when I was a teenager.

FIrst Ed a year ago, and now Orville.

So depressing, but we can hold on to what we've learned from both of them:

Their humility and kindness and the wisdom of simplicity, as well as their achievements.

Mark Reeder

Very sad news. He was a legend on the boards, always kind and interesting with the history we lack.