Coolest Pro or Elite Runner You’ve Ever Met ..?!

Let's see.......Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Rod Dixon, Craig Virgin. Very normal types no egos. A step below that would be the late Paul Cummings (RIP), Doug Padilla, Henry Marsh, Ed Eyestone, Jay Woods, and Chris Bunyan.

Paul was probably the most low key guy you could ever meet.

David Oliver. On his victory lap at Pre Classic 2010, we made eye contact, I waved him over, he came up to me and we took a selfie. Vain millennial bullshit whatever blah blah avocado toast but it was awesome.

Eddy H.

Cam Levins. Saw him run the 5000 m on the track once in Calgary, got a selfie with him afterward, and he recognized me from his Facebook friends. He was extremely nice and down-to-earth.

Chris Bunyan, pocket sized Englishman, who ran at SIU Carbondale, 2.10.44 marathon in Boston.

Circa 1978 met him at Crystal Palace, London, and he was working as a baker at the time, and used to run 2 miles to work, and later home, doing this 4 times a day. Longer runs on weekends. This allowed him.to run 29.30 on that training.

Karel Lismont, Borgloon, Belgium, cafe owner, smokey in those days!. Multi marathon medallist in Euro champs and O.G. circa 1971-1980. Lismont ran 10km three times a day, and rarely over 20km, even on weekends. Third in World cross, circa late 70's.

Most Kenyan runners, very humble and approachable, Ethiopians much harder to approach, and less friendly.

I'm gonna go with Katie McGregor- I was at the USATF XC my daughter was about 15 and Katie gave her an autograph but it was the questions:

My daughter was a good runner (scholarship) but Katie never asked her what her times were (I thought that was non-judgmentally cool.

She asked how may mile she ran then told her to make sure her coach didn't make her run too much because she has years to keep improving.

My daughter pointed at me and said- He's my coach!

Katie smiled and said don't make her over train coach!

Then she asked her if she ate enough! She told her that when you run you gotta eat!

Really good conversation.

My daughter also met Craig Motram- she said he was very cool.

Steve Scott

Have met a few, but David Torrence was by far the coolest. My college teammates and I became big fans of his while he was going through the search for a pro deal. We saw him at the NY Diamond League meet where he got his first big win and then got a group picture with him after the race. A few years later a buddy and I were at the Olympic Trials and after a meetup in San Fran didn’t work out, he came out with us and pounded pitchers in Eugene after the Trials ended (also got a picture lifting up a very drunk will leer after he jumped into my arms). Got to hang out with DT one more time before he died. Shared some gyros outside the armory. Torrence was the best...his death was truly a huge loss for the sport.

Meb and Amy Cragg both were cool

Saw Jager at a hotel lobby but didn’t “meet” him per se

Dawn Harper-Nelson.

She brought her 2008 Olympic gold medal to our store so the local high school track athletes could see it. She even let them try it on.

Anton Krupicka

In Their Wake wrote:

Let's see.......Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Rod Dixon, Craig Virgin. Very normal types no egos. A step below that would be the late Paul Cummings (RIP), Doug Padilla, Henry Marsh, Ed Eyestone, Jay Woods, and Chris Bunyan.

Paul was probably the most low key guy you could ever meet.

Paul Cummings's shyness/low keyness is an important part of the backstory for Tim Tays's "Wannabe Distance God".

The coolest elite I ever met was Browning Ross - although he was well past his elite days.

Joe Falcon. I was a fledgling and awkward distance runner at Drury College in the early 90's. We had no track at that time, so we would go over to SMSU to use theirs. Anyway, Falcon had just won the Dream Mile the summer before, and my buddy and I were awestruck. As the 3 of us were the only people on the track on an October Saturday morning, we couldn't help but acknowledge each other during the workout- a little clap from us to him- a little "good job" from him to us. We finished at almost the same time and the 3 of us jogged on the turf for about 20 minutes together. We got his autographs, and he ended up giving me an Asics hat that he had. He actually gave my buddy a pair of extra spikes that he had in his bag. Obviously, we were awestruck. Definitely a very engaging and kind person. I was sad to see him struggle the next couple of years, culminating in the pile up at the Olympic Trials.

https://youtu.be/LcXRpz9ulj0

Ackley wrote:

In Their Wake wrote:

Let's see.......Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Rod Dixon, Craig Virgin. Very normal types no egos. A step below that would be the late Paul Cummings (RIP), Doug Padilla, Henry Marsh, Ed Eyestone, Jay Woods, and Chris Bunyan.

Paul was probably the most low key guy you could ever meet.

Paul Cummings's shyness/low keyness is an important part of the backstory for Tim Tays's "Wannabe Distance God".

That's exactly what I was thinking. (In fact, I was wondering if "In Their Wake" might be Tim Tays, especially since his pseudonyn is strikingly reflective of Tim's self-portrait as a "Wannabe Distance God.")

I think that many good runners are highly introverted and shy, and those traits can often come across as standoffish or arrogant -- which is, of course, part of Tim's point about Paul Cummings.

Avocado's Number wrote:

pseudonyn

pseudonym

Emil Zatopek

Ghost1 wrote:

Most Kenyan runners, very humble and approachable, Ethiopians much harder to approach, and less friendly.

Why are Ethiopians less friendly? ? I've never met any in person, but when I watch them race they seem pretty friendly - congratulating other runners after the race, smiling & waving to the fans, signing autographs, etc.

Met Scott Jurek at a shoe store / evening run / book promotion deal. Chatty and friendly to the extreme, but very genuine and not weird. He actually started talking to me first. Maybe it’s a Minnesota thing?

He is also quite tall and has a much bigger frame than I expected for a guy dragging himself around all of those insane miles.