“Falcon won six individual NCAA titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track: indoor 3,000 m champion 1987 & 1988, indoor mile champ 1988, outdoor 10,000 m champion 1987, outdoor 1,500 m champion 1988 and cross country champion 1987.”
I did not realize he had an NCAA title in both the 1500 and the 10,000 - that’s gotta be a rarity!
Never knew about this runner and his accomplishments. Recently watched his 1988 NCAA indoor double on YouTube. Feel like I’ve been an American distance fan since the early 2010’s but I’m still discovering past great US distance runners from the 90’s and 2000’s. Am I just a bad fan for not knowing him or even David Krummenacker? Or is this just a symptom of the sport and future fans won’t know who Boris Berian is either.
You are just too young! Nothing wrong with that. Imagine if all these great past runners had new shoes, tracks, and lactate training. :)
Never knew about this runner and his accomplishments. Recently watched his 1988 NCAA indoor double on YouTube. Feel like I’ve been an American distance fan since the early 2010’s but I’m still discovering past great US distance runners from the 90’s and 2000’s. Am I just a bad fan for not knowing him or even David Krummenacker? Or is this just a symptom of the sport and future fans won’t know who Boris Berian is either.
I've been doing some digging through some old folders of stuff I copied off the Internet during my college days and found a few things I printed off of rungroteschief.com/tnfmedia.com. Lo and behold, there was the 8 part Smok...
Or is this just a symptom of the sport and future fans won’t know who Boris Berian is... rather, waseither.
To answer your question, yes. Despite the ever-growing public interest in track and field, road racing, etc., U.S. sports media companies will always cater to the couch potatoes. We all know the sports that get the air time. I listen to sports talk shows on the radio and they never mention running. These sports commentators know absolutely nothing about the sport. It's always about NFL (year-round football), MLB, NBA, and a little NHL. Actually, they can't even stay on these limited sports topics very long because they run out of interesting things to talk about. They invariably drift off topic to off-the-field player shenanigans or some other LeBron-type drama/nonsense, all in the name of entertainment. If that's what viewers/listeners want, runners are rife with crazy storylines and theatrics. Just ask Alberto and Suzie Favor.
It's as if media companies think their listeners have shoe-size IQs, which only contributes to the dumbing down of sports enthusiasts. Anyhow, I wish talk-show hosts would educate themselves beyond the mainstream sports, it's not hard. All they would have to do is follow this website. The success of letsrun.com is a testament to the joy of running. Daily radio sports segments that cover track and field and road racing (from HS to pros) would sure help their ratings, not to mention our beloved sport.
Finished a 13:20 5k with a 53 second last lap. Definitely worth under a 13:10 from that performance alone. In the right race and conditions it would have been pretty close. 13:10 is no joke now let alone during this era. His range was as good as any.
From an even earlier period - Google Dave Wottle's 1972 Olympic 800m.
I ran against him in college cross country. I remember coming out the chute at the finish and seeing him with his sweats on already, laughing with friends. Otherwise, it was close.
Finished a 13:20 5k with a 53 second last lap. Definitely worth under a 13:10 from that performance alone. In the right race and conditions it would have been pretty close. 13:10 is no joke now let alone during this era. His range was as good as any.
I agree that Joe had sub 13:10 ability BUT a 13:20 with a 53 second last lap is not “worth under 13:10.” It shows that kind of potential but it is not worth that.
Finished a 13:20 5k with a 53 second last lap. Definitely worth under a 13:10 from that performance alone. In the right race and conditions it would have been pretty close. 13:10 is no joke now let alone during this era. His range was as good as any.
I agree that Joe had sub 13:10 ability BUT a 13:20 with a 53 second last lap is not “worth under 13:10.” It shows that kind of potential but it is not worth that.
Uhhh.... What are you saying? Joe had the strength of a 10,000m runner and was a sub 3:50 miler (3:33 split). He never dedicated himself to the 5000m. He really thought the 1500/mile was his event, which it was to degree. One issue with Joe was that he never really had a solid coach after Arkansas, and NEVER trained at altitude. If he had the guidance of Jerry S. as a coach he EASILY would've run sub 13:00, if not sub 12:50. Joe was a workhorse and Jerry's training would've been a perfect fit. A really great comparison is Centro, but only stronger.
I agree that Joe had sub 13:10 ability BUT a 13:20 with a 53 second last lap is not “worth under 13:10.” It shows that kind of potential but it is not worth that.
Uhhh.... What are you saying? Joe had the strength of a 10,000m runner and was a sub 3:50 miler (3:33 split). He never dedicated himself to the 5000m. He really thought the 1500/mile was his event, which it was to degree. One issue with Joe was that he never really had a solid coach after Arkansas, and NEVER trained at altitude. If he had the guidance of Jerry S. as a coach he EASILY would've run sub 13:00, if not sub 12:50. Joe was a workhorse and Jerry's training would've been a perfect fit. A really great comparison is Centro, but only stronger.
I am more intelligent than to assume a 13:20 runner can run sub 12:50 or even sub 13. Intelligence matters here. Joe was about 3 weeks shy of 24 when he ran that 13:20, where he was able to follow until late in the race, and admittedly his fast last lap shows he could have run faster. But assumptions of sub 13 are pure speculation.
Got knocked down in the finals of the 1992 Olympic Trials 1500m. If he had run the 5000m then he likely would've made the team and had a shot at a medal in Barcelona. The problem was after he won the 1990 Oslo Dream Mile everyone pegged him as a 1500m runner, but he could've been a sub 13 5k guy which in the early 90's was big-time. He was an NCAA XC and 10k Champ too I believe, great range, some awesome legs at the Penn Relays too.
He made the 1991 Worlds team, but was injured. Got injured again in 93 and that was about it.
There was a lot of talk that Joe could break 13. There was never any evidence of it. Joe might have run 13:05 or so if he had stayed healthy but he never showed sub 13 ability. Sub 13 was first achieved by a U.S. runner in 1996 I believe, when Joe would have been about 30.
I remember John McDonnell telling me Joe’s senior year that he thought Falcon would likely become the first American under 13 minutes, and probably the first ever under 27:00. As with most of us, injuries and life got in the way from reaching our full potential. Some of the workouts he did in Fayetteville while at university were next level, even compared to some of the pros that were still hanging around at the time- Frank Omara, Paul Donovan, etc.
Uhhh.... What are you saying? Joe had the strength of a 10,000m runner and was a sub 3:50 miler (3:33 split). He never dedicated himself to the 5000m. He really thought the 1500/mile was his event, which it was to degree. One issue with Joe was that he never really had a solid coach after Arkansas, and NEVER trained at altitude. If he had the guidance of Jerry S. as a coach he EASILY would've run sub 13:00, if not sub 12:50. Joe was a workhorse and Jerry's training would've been a perfect fit. A really great comparison is Centro, but only stronger.
I am more intelligent than to assume a 13:20 runner can run sub 12:50 or even sub 13. Intelligence matters here. Joe was about 3 weeks shy of 24 when he ran that 13:20, where he was able to follow until late in the race, and admittedly his fast last lap shows he could have run faster. But assumptions of sub 13 are pure speculation.
Speculation, sure; but anyone who spent any time around him knew he was different, even amongst the pros on campus. His records over our normal run routes were untouchable. I have a friend in Springfield, MO (where Falcon moved after college); and he was personally witness to these track workouts below, but obviously, not the 10 miler. Joe had strength (ncaa xc champ) and speed (22.xx for 200m). His ability to shift gears was unparalleled. Like I said, a bad marriage, achilles problems, bouncing between coaches, and contract issues added up to a short career.
3x mile in 4:04 with 3 minutes rest
10x 300 in 39 with 100m walk
2k/16/1k/8/6/4/2- half distance jog recovery- (never stopping)- 5:10/4:02/2:25/1:56/1:25/54/24
I am more intelligent than to assume a 13:20 runner can run sub 12:50 or even sub 13. Intelligence matters here. Joe was about 3 weeks shy of 24 when he ran that 13:20, where he was able to follow until late in the race, and admittedly his fast last lap shows he could have run faster. But assumptions of sub 13 are pure speculation.
Speculation, sure; but anyone who spent any time around him knew he was different, even amongst the pros on campus. His records over our normal run routes were untouchable. I have a friend in Springfield, MO (where Falcon moved after college); and he was personally witness to these track workouts below, but obviously, not the 10 miler. Joe had strength (ncaa xc champ) and speed (22.xx for 200m). His ability to shift gears was unparalleled. Like I said, a bad marriage, achilles problems, bouncing between coaches, and contract issues added up to a short career.
3x mile in 4:04 with 3 minutes rest
10x 300 in 39 with 100m walk
2k/16/1k/8/6/4/2- half distance jog recovery- (never stopping)- 5:10/4:02/2:25/1:56/1:25/54/24
10 miles in 45:30
Hahahahahahahahha. So funny……Joe likes to exaggerate I guess. For example, a 45:30 10 mile is roughly equivalent to a 1:00:40 half marathon or 27:22 10000m. Joe is doing this in practice? So funny…
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