Dick Buerkle...remember him?

He still runs but not very competitively. He trains at Marist School in Atlanta where I coach (Roy Benson's school before he retired). Still bald, still super nice and funny. He does intervals with a bunch of guys about 10-15 years younger than him but all masters types.

I wonder when was the last time he raced anything...I will have to ask him. I know my athletes don't believe me when I tell them that he was a world record holder and sub 3:55 guy.

Good thread... that guy was a real competitor.

It's pretty amazing how he developed after graduating from Villanova. I was also class of '70 at another Big Five school, and my recollection was that he was clearly not "first team"... e.g., I don't think he ran their 4xmile at Penn. I remember finishing second to him in the Big Five 2 mile at Villanova in 1969, and Villanova definitely did not run its top talent in that meet. I believe he ran all of 9:05 or so that day... hardly predicted a 3:54i.

I'm not sure when Dick last competed; however, during the Indy Life Masters series in 1999, he competed in several races in the series. At the Clarksville, TN, Run by the River 5K, Dick ran 15:38 at the age of 52 (in age grading tables this equates to a 13:44). The masters circuit that year included Buerkle, John Tuttle, Jane Welzel, Gary Romesser, Ruth Wysocki, etc.

I remember running against him at Tom Black or Dogwood in 83. I somehow managed to get into the fast heat of the 1500 and he lines up a few guys down from me. After 300 yards, he starts grunting real loud and making strange sounds. He ended up dropping out and I pr'd. I was 9th out of 12...beating only 2 others but still like to tell people...Yeh, I beat Dick Buerkle! One of my many "brushes" with fame!

Super guy who was part of a great group at Villanova, including Tom Donnelly, Chris Mason, Craig Nation, etc. Guys were very friendly and easy to get along with on and off the track. Dick spent a week at Ed Mather's running camp and was a hit with all the runners as he freely gave of his time and wisdom....

I was at the CYO Meet when he set the record. If I remember correctly a Canadien HJer (Greg Joy) set a record that night also. This was maybe 1979 or 80?

My college coach ran with him and had a few good stories about DB.

I read an article in RW in the early 90s, talking w/ DB about 10yrs after he hung 'em up. He said that he was finally coming to terms about being angry about his hair loss, and had done a lot of thinking about how running was a way to express this anger. He was looking forward to more "un-angry running" in the future.

I found this quick interview very insightful and thoughtful. Obviously an unusual and perceptive person.

It was/is pronounced Berkley.

He showed up at an all-comers meet at Barton Hall on the Cornell Campus back when he was a WR holder. It was very cool for us mortals to "race" him in the mile.

Plus, he was a nice guy.

OldGal wrote:

I'm not sure when Dick last competed; however, during the Indy Life Masters series in 1999, he competed in several races in the series. At the Clarksville, TN, Run by the River 5K, Dick ran 15:38 at the age of 52 (in age grading tables this equates to a 13:44). The masters circuit that year included Buerkle, John Tuttle, Jane Welzel, Gary Romesser, Ruth Wysocki, etc.

I raced (well, I was in the same race) against him in the mid? 2000's at the Cooper River Bridge Run. In my age group, I believe Gary Romesser was first and Dick was second.

Here he is winning Millrose in 1978, a few weeks after breaking the WR in the mile.

stillrunning1 wrote:

It's pretty amazing how he developed after graduating from Villanova. I was also class of '70 at another Big Five school, and my recollection was that he was clearly not "first team"... e.g., I don't think he ran their 4xmile at Penn. I remember finishing second to him in the Big Five 2 mile at Villanova in 1969, and Villanova definitely did not run its top talent in that meet. I believe he ran all of 9:05 or so that day... hardly predicted a 3:54i.

He developed after Nova? Wasn't first team?

He set the Villanova school record in the 2 mile when he was there.

He was 3rd in the NCAA indoor 2 mile his junior year, 3rd in the same his senior year as well. Not to mention 3rd in the NCAA outdoor 3 mile his senior year.

The guy was a walk-on, but even that's deceptive in a way. He only started running as a senior in high school and ran 4:28 with basically zero training. By the end of XC his frosh year, he was the 4th best frosh on the team - at that time Nova was in it's string of titles, winning 4 in 5 years.

Douchebag Dave, the guy had a point. Buerkle could not make Nova's 4x mile. Surely a future WR holder could make his college relay team. While you cited his 3rd place finishes at Nationals in the 2 mile, Buerkle was not anything like the runner he would become after graduating, and nothing for 7 years would give any indication he would be beating the best milers in the world during the winter of 1978. It was a complete shock to everyone.

Dick Buerkle ran with distinction well into his masters years; I think he used to target Peachtree 10K as his target race of the year.

He ran for NYAC, but also ran some prominent (1980 Oly trials) in a Coca-Cola vest. Since he lives in Atlanta, did/does he work for Coke?

Malmo, how did Dick do at Montreal?

Thanks.

malmo wrote:

Douchebag Dave, the guy had a point. Buerkle could not make Nova's 4x mile. Surely a future WR holder could make his college relay team.

Surely you remember the 4 x mile at the 1969 Penn Relays?

Tom Donnelly

Dick Buerkle

Chris Mason

Marty Liquori

That's Buerkle's JUNIOR year. He ran the 2nd leg his senior year (1970) at Penn as well

You are welcome to argue:

1) that wasn't Nova's "first team" running that day

2) that Buerkle ran the 2nd leg - and thus was the weak link, and really shouldn't have been on the team anyway.

Usually you do your homework, malmo. In this case you did not.

Point conceded. I didn't even bother to look because Nova had so many studs back then, it seemed impossible for him to run the 4x1. Then again, with the 4x8 the same afternoon, even your studs need a break.

malmo wrote:

Point conceded. I didn't even bother to look because Nova had so many studs back then, it seemed impossible for him to run the 4x1. Then again, with the 4x8 the same afternoon, even your studs need a break.

Graceful as always in defeat, Malmo.

What's the story with his uniform and mustache in those pics? It looks like a German type of uniform and a hilter mustache.