Who are some names of least known great distance runners?

Nobby, I'd love to get your article on Sensei Nakamura. By unorthodox, I was refering more to the mental/psychological approach he took, rather than the more technical or physical aspects. My understanding from reading articles that he was indeed a Lydiard disciple, but what I read of him reminded me in many ways also of Cerutty. You can email me at jidstrom@harbornet.com. Thanks.

Mike Ryan, New Zealand, was mentioned earlier. How about Mike Ryan, USAF? Sub 9 - 2mi in hs, 2nd ncaa xc, behind Lindgren, ahead of Pre.

I'd like to add a couple of names to the sub four African American list. Maurice Smith and Steve Ave' both were sub four in Early 1990's. Maurice gets mentioned more I believe as a Native American Runner but he is half African American and Half Navajo...

Another name that don't get much mention is Aaron Ramirez, 2 time Olympian at 10,000 meters, NCAA Cross Champ, and several time World Cross Competitor...

Dick Buerkle's a great name that I don't think was mentioned earlier. He was a great 5k runner and indoor miler.

There was a thread on Mike Ryan of the USAF a couple of months ago.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=1345962&thread=1345558

No one has mentioned Bruce Bickford. He made the Olympic final in in the 10k in 1988.

Living in the Past wrote:

Dick Buerkle's a great name that I don't think was mentioned earlier. He was a great 5k runner and indoor miler.

No one has mentioned Bruce Bickford. He made the Olympic final in in the 10k in 1988.

The topic is: "Who are some names of least known great distance runners?"

I think the greatest runner who has become obscure is Belaine Densimo.

While we are at the Mike

Ryans of the running world let's remember Mike Ryan who won the Boston Marathon in 1912 four days after the Titanic sank in 2:21:18 in the rain and on muddy roads in a course and world record. Yes, the distance was approximately 24 something, sort of.

Tom

Living in the Past wrote:

I think the greatest runner who has become obscure is Belaine Densimo.

Not totally obscure. He's living in Boston and runs in local races and is a pleasant guy who few realize was a world record holder.

Tom

Mamo Walde

Ken Jennings wrote:

[Living in the Past wrote: Dick Buerkle's a great name. No one has mentioned Bruce Bickford.

The topic is: "Who are some names of least known great distance runners?"

And LITP's answer fits the bill. How many people today remember those names offhand? They're not people who come to mind and they're not that well known, despite their accomplishments.

Agree I thought you ask any runners under the age of 30 and ask them if they know who Bruce Bickford was they wouldn't know. So then you would have to tell them to research who the very last American world ranked Number one in the 10,000 was ans they could find out.

Nobby wrote:

Mamo Walde

Funny! Nobody will ever know who he is.

Tom Danielson.

Only 1 of 4 US high schoolers to break 4 minutes in the mile.

I even had to do a little research to find his name.

Derderian wrote:

Living in the Past wrote:

I think the greatest runner who has become obscure is Belaine Densimo.

Not totally obscure. He's living in Boston and runs in local races and is a pleasant guy who few realize was a world record holder.

Tom

Thread about his problems,similiar to Rono's story.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=825653&page=2

Tom, I agree that Densimo is not totally obscure. But the fact that he wasn't mentioned until the bottom half of page 12 of this thread sugggests that he's more obscure than the hundreds of athletes mentioned in the first 11-1/2 pages. And few of them ever ran the equivalent of a 2:06:50 marathon.

Letsrunner wrote:

Tom Danielson.

Only 1 of 4 US high schoolers to break 4 minutes in the mile.

I even had to do a little research to find his name.

OR, his faster brother Tim.

(Sorry if any of these are duplicates):

Hannes Kolehmainen (Finland) -Arguably the first "Modern" distance runner, as he set some serious records and kick-started the Finnish dominace

Volmari Iso-Hollo (just love to see that name!) Finnish steeple great

Ville Ritola- another "Flying Finn" who succeeded Nurmi

Did anyone yet mention the indefatigable George Young?

Roscoe Devine- Top Oregon miler from the '60's with great name

Paul Geis- another great Duck

Kim Gallagher- still holds HS records for 800/1500 and went on to Olympic medal (now unfortunately deceased)

Ruth Wysocki- nailed Slaney in the Trials

Claudette Groenendahl- another Oregon; still has 800 NCAA record (until Becca Noble gets it!)

Josiah Thugwane- Atlanta marathon gold in an exciting race

Fatuma Roba- Elegantly eased away from the pack in Atlanta

Did the late Phillip Ndoo turn up here yet? He won the Charleston Distance Run in 1974. As far as I can recall, that made him the first Kenyan to win a major US road race, but maybe I'm missing someone. Can any of you guys think of an earlier major road race in the US won by a Kenyan?