I agree with you. However, you could replace the name Meb with Briney and it still be true. I recognize that Meb's performance was done at the Olympic games. I also recognize that Meb is a 27:15 10k guy and that Briney is only a 28:45 guy. That makes both of them guys that found the magic for their given abilities one time on one magic day. Neither will likely ever see that day again.
sounds about right wrote:
I meant that I agree with Boston. Not Chicago back then, 2:12 was not that impressive.
I remember the 2:12 in Detroit being a debut marathon, and at that time was the fastest first marathan ever. I think the record was broken later by Al Salazar at NYC.
I was living in Ann Arbor back during that time that Greg Meyer was at Michigan and shortly thereafter. Just Herb Lindsey and Craig Virgin alone was enough to drive anyone bonkers.
I agree with what Gorney said.
Greg Meyer ran more than one fast marathon. He had a shorter marathon career than some others, but he was not a one hit wonder (it seems harsh to call him that). He came between the Olympic boycott of 1980 and the 1984 games. There were trials in 1980, but they didn't mean anything (or didn't mean as much) because we knew we weren't going.
I guess I prefer to think of Greg Meyer as a very talented runner with great range across varied distances, with some marathon success.
I forgot to mention the great Billy Donakowski.
I believe that Meyer ran his debut marathon after the 1980 trials. So that would not have been a factor. Everyone likees to act like they were cheated by the boycott. Just not true.
History Class wrote:
I agree with you. However, you could replace the name Meb with Briney and it still be true. I recognize that Meb's performance was done at the Olympic games. I also recognize that Meb is a 27:15 10k guy and that Briney is only a 28:45 guy. That makes both of them guys that found the magic for their given abilities one time on one magic day. Neither will likely ever see that day again.
Yeah, but you talk about it like they're poker players or something, as though they didn't put in the work. Meb ran a masterful race that day. It wasn't "magic." It took brains and guts and years of proper training leading up to that ONE day. He wasn't the only guy who had that day circled on his calendar for years. And remember, he wasn't 100% healthy that day, either. Before the race he warned his brother that he might DNF.
As far as "never seeing that day again," I'd bet that by far, most of the world class marathoners we've heard of have already run their career PR's, too. Tergat, Ramalaa... the list is very long.
Go to Bob Hodges' web site and check out the thread for Meyer's training log for 1982-1983. Impressive stuff.
Once again, you can say those same thing about Trent Briney.
Although they both have one marathon that far out shines any other performance, I don't feel like either was a one hit wonder. Meyer was only 30 seconds off of the WR when he ran his 2:09. Meb has never won and has never run within 4 minutes of the WR. So Meyer certainly was a better runner during his time.
History Class wrote:
I believe that Meyer ran his debut marathon after the 1980 trials. So that would not have been a factor. Everyone likees to act like they were cheated by the boycott. Just not true.
My point was the trials were not important in 1980--could have been a factor in why Meyer did not run to try to make the (theoretical) Olympic team.
I wasn't saying he was cheated by the boycott, just that the boycott could have negated him trying to qualify for the team at that time.
Greg did not even have the marathon in his mind yet in 1980. He was 24 years old and had not yet moved to Boston.
Is someone actually comparing Trent Briney to Meb? What the ....
I thought that we were comparing Meb and Meyer. However if we are comparing Meb and Briney in the marathon, then Briney has reached his potential far more than Meb has. I don't know if it is talent or coaching or opportunities or what but....27:13 (a time that Meb has run) is equal to a 2:06:47 . MEB HAS NOT BEEN WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF THAT. Trent Briney has run 28:44 which is equal to a 2:13:53. TRENT HAS EXCEEDED HIS TIME BY OVER A MINUTE.
I will go so far as to say that Meb will never run a 2:06:47.
Meb has also ran 40 seconds faster than Meyer in the 10k but 50 seconds slower in the marathon. Without the silver medal, Meb has been a huge underachiever in the marathon.
Soft Cell wrote:
Although they both have one marathon that far out shines any other performance, I don't feel like either was a one hit wonder. Meyer was only 30 seconds off of the WR when he ran his 2:09. Meb has never won and has never run within 4 minutes of the WR. So Meyer certainly was a better runner during his time.
I was there when Meyer ran his 10-mile record at Cherry Blossom, and again when he ran his 2:09 at Boston a couple of weeks later. (He had run sub-28 just a week or two before Cherry Blossom.) His 10-mile record was probably the better performance. The 2:09 was aided, and probably not better than 2:10 on a loop course. The 10-miler was a loop course on a slippery surface, and Meyer even slipped once en route. He destroyed -- just crushed -- a very good field.
In the spring of 1983, I'm not sure that there was a better distance runner than Greg Meyer anywhere in the world.
I remember '83. Brooks made a great racing flat:
The Chicago Marathoner, that was the name. Meyer may have worn that model.
Great, simple shoe...then, naturally, they destroyed it.
1982 Chicago Marathon:
Greg Meyer, 2:10:59 - Nancy Conz, 2:33:23 - September 26, Over 30 world-class runners from eight different nations were among the 6,014 racers, 4,642 of whom finished, in the sixth annual Chicago Marathon. But it was Americans Meyer and Conz, both from Massachusetts, who won, beating the 1980 course records by three and 12 minutes respectively. Not only did they take home the thrill of victory, but also the Marathon's first prize money checks ($12,000 for each out of a $77,000 purse
I believe that Greg's debut marathon was a 2:13.07 at Detroit (Jerome Drayton has the course record in 2:12 for the old course) and as noted above he ran a 2:10:59 at Chicago (not 2:12). These were followed by his 2:09:00 at Boston.
He took first in each of these. That's not a bad record.
Leading up to Boston, he ran his 46:13 at Cherry Blossom and also finished ahead of Bill Rodgers at the Ohme 30K in about 1:32:05.
Greg Meyer's race results in the first five months of 1983:
1/01/83 NY midnight 5 Mile 1st 23:14
1/09/83 Dartmouth 3000m 1st 7:54
1/15/83 Orange Bowl 10k 2nd 28:12
1/23/83 N.E.T.A.C. 5000m 1st 13:35.44
1/30/83 Spiral Mile 1st 4:02.6
2/05/83 Gasparilla Distance Classic 2nd 43:07
2/12/83 Fort Lauderdale Heart Run 1st 28:52
2/20/83 Ohme 30k Japan 1st 1:31:05
3/27/83 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile 1st 46:13
4/02/83 Colonial Relays 10k Track 1st 27:53
4/18/83 B.A.A. Marathon 1st 2:09:00
5/07/83 Old Kent River Bank Run 1st 1:16:48
Greg was a better softball player than Meb, I know that for sure.
Meb earned a medal during the time period when 2:05 was the world record. Meyer won Boston during the time when the world record was 2:08. Meb also made an Olympic Team in the 10k. Meyer never did. During Meb's prime there are 250 East Africans running sub 2:15 annually. During Meyer's time there was 20 East Africans running sub 2:15 annually.
hey ole timers wrote:During Meyer's time there was 20 East Africans running sub 2:15 annually.
And there were 44 Americans under 2:15 annually when Meyer was running.