Nobody outside college running has ever cared who the best college runner was. Only exception was that Prefontaine guy, who utterly failed to amount to anything after college.
I’m simply noting that from similar starting points, a point you raised, that Rono improved drastically and you couldn’t keep up. Surely there are lessons to be learned for younger aspiring runners.
At one point you and Kipchoge were both toddlers wobbling around. Why did you fail to keep up? Any lessons to learn?
Silly. Malmo noted that why they went to college their PB’s were similar.
That’s drastically different than but but Kipchoge toddlers.
I agree that he benefitted from many advantages by being older in college but that was they way things were then when there was no true professional system for someone at Rono's level. The best option for runners like him to benefit from their skill was to go to college in US. That's the way it was then like it or not.
I was lucky enough as a college freshman to interview him for my local newspaper in early '79 after he had set all those records. He was very kind to give me the time to ask questions.
The only thing that keeps his name from being mentioned more frequently with other legends is the system then didn't allow for someone like him to have a proper agent/manager who could direct his racing and coaching. Instead he had a maniac like John Chaplin at WSU who was only interested in getting the max out of him and sticking it to Oregon.
With a proper professional support system like most runners have these days he would have made bank and could have been more selective in the races he ran. He also lost his best two opportunities at the Olympics due to '76 African boycott and the larger '80 boycott due to USSR invasion of Afghanistan.
Regardless of age he was a GREAT runner who will also be one of those we'll never know what his true potential was despite 4 world records in 81 days and a follow up WR in the 5000 in '81. Its not hard to imagine he could have been the 1st to break 13 in 5000, 8 in steeple and 27 in 10000.
I agree that he benefitted from many advantages by being older in college but that was they way things were then when there was no true professional system for someone at Rono's level. The best option for runners like him to benefit from their skill was to go to college in US. That's the way it was then like it or not.
I was lucky enough as a college freshman to interview him for my local newspaper in early '79 after he had set all those records. He was very kind to give me the time to ask questions.
The only thing that keeps his name from being mentioned more frequently with other legends is the system then didn't allow for someone like him to have a proper agent/manager who could direct his racing and coaching. Instead he had a maniac like John Chaplin at WSU who was only interested in getting the max out of him and sticking it to Oregon.
With a proper professional support system like most runners have these days he would have made bank and could have been more selective in the races he ran. He also lost his best two opportunities at the Olympics due to '76 African boycott and the larger '80 boycott due to USSR invasion of Afghanistan.
Regardless of age he was a GREAT runner who will also be one of those we'll never know what his true potential was despite 4 world records in 81 days and a follow up WR in the 5000 in '81. Its not hard to imagine he could have been the 1st to break 13 in 5000, 8 in steeple and 27 in 10000.
This...... Yes he was older, but that was playing by the rules then. Just as you have to play by the rules now. I lined up against him at the NCAA XC my freshman year in Spokane as a just-turned 18 year old. He was on another planet ability wise than me, but let's not attribute all that to age. I got better as I got older, but nowhere near were he was. Who here ever approached his times? Especially considering he ran practically solo in most of his races.
to the couple of maniacs who keep blabbering about Henry rono...
Sorry if you enter college as a 23-year-old who has already run professionally, and finish as a 27-year-old you are not the greatest college runner ever... You can't compare that to US runners who enter as 18-year-old freshman. He was a great runner but any top 10 professional can enter college as a 23-year-old and dominate... it means nothing other than he was a very good professional!
to the couple of maniacs who keep blabbering about Henry rono...
Sorry if you enter college as a 23-year-old who has already run professionally, and finish as a 27-year-old you are not the greatest college runner ever... You can't compare that to US runners who enter as 18-year-old freshman. He was a great runner but any top 10 professional can enter college as a 23-year-old and dominate... it means nothing other than he was a very good professional!
Did you jump up and down and shout no fair before or after you posted this?
Nobody outside college running has ever cared who the best college runner was. Only exception was that Prefontaine guy, who utterly failed to amount to anything after college.
You are a mental midget concerning anything involving pro runners and Steve Prefontaine in particular. You said "utterly failed to amount to anything after college". Fail.
He was 4th in the 5000 and died before the 76 Games. He set every American Record from 2000 to 10,000 meters over a 2 year span. You failed bigly.
Have you even broken 3 hours for a marathon? Stay on the sidelines sir, this is not your arena to speak at.
Henry Rono was next level. Conner Mantz was older in college, should we disqualify his NCAA Cross Country Championship. Ridiculously. He was great, 4 world records in one summer. He might have been the greatest distance runner ever if it weren't for his alcoholism. Alberto Salazar once said in 1982, that he ran against Rono and noticed that he had a beer belly, but was amazed that he still ran 27:29 and beat Alberto by one second. Rono was a machine, but lost it all and a few years later was a homeless alcoholic. So sad!
The criticism of top athletes not facing each other couldn't be leveled at the two top middle distance runners of 1978 in this end of season meet in London.I...
Ovett smoked Rono in '78 and set the 2 mile WR while waving to the crowd on the home stretch
EDIT: Ovett was 22 at the time
...and a bit of a puss. Foster deserves respect as he'd take the lead once in a while. Not Stevie. I'll just let everyone else do the work. No respect for a guy like that.
Nobody outside college running has ever cared who the best college runner was. Only exception was that Prefontaine guy, who utterly failed to amount to anything after college.
You are a mental midget concerning anything involving pro runners and Steve Prefontaine in particular. You said "utterly failed to amount to anything after college". Fail.
He was 4th in the 5000 and died before the 76 Games. He set every American Record from 2000 to 10,000 meters over a 2 year span. You failed bigly.
Have you even broken 3 hours for a marathon? Stay on the sidelines sir, this is not your arena to speak at.
Feeling bad doesn't mean you're right, and lashing out doesn't mean you're good.
Face it, there's dozens of Americans who did far better as pro's than 4th at olympics and a few ARs. After winning everything in college, he was a dismal failure as a pro.
Trying to belittle me only shows me your inferiority complex. Better to cope in private than public.
You are a mental midget concerning anything involving pro runners and Steve Prefontaine in particular. You said "utterly failed to amount to anything after college". Fail.
He was 4th in the 5000 and died before the 76 Games. He set every American Record from 2000 to 10,000 meters over a 2 year span. You failed bigly.
Have you even broken 3 hours for a marathon? Stay on the sidelines sir, this is not your arena to speak at.
Feeling bad doesn't mean you're right, and lashing out doesn't mean you're good.
Face it, there's dozens of Americans who did far better as pro's than 4th at olympics and a few ARs. After winning everything in college, he was a dismal failure as a pro.
Trying to belittle me only shows me your inferiority complex. Better to cope in private than public.
You have no legs to stand on. You clearly belittled yourself, you didn't need my help.
You failed and are "utterly" embarrassed. Face it, he was not a dismal failure as a pro. But...you certainly are as a human being.
You are a mental midget concerning anything involving pro runners and Steve Prefontaine in particular. You said "utterly failed to amount to anything after college". Fail.
He was 4th in the 5000 and died before the 76 Games. He set every American Record from 2000 to 10,000 meters over a 2 year span. You failed bigly.
Have you even broken 3 hours for a marathon? Stay on the sidelines sir, this is not your arena to speak at.
Feeling bad doesn't mean you're right, and lashing out doesn't mean you're good.
Face it, there's dozens of Americans who did far better as pro's than 4th at olympics and a few ARs. After winning everything in college, he was a dismal failure as a pro.
Trying to belittle me only shows me your inferiority complex. Better to cope in private than public.
You were soundly beat with facts. Go to bed Wigins and sleep off your loss.
You are a mental midget concerning anything involving pro runners and Steve Prefontaine in particular. You said "utterly failed to amount to anything after college". Fail.
He was 4th in the 5000 and died before the 76 Games. He set every American Record from 2000 to 10,000 meters over a 2 year span. You failed bigly.
Have you even broken 3 hours for a marathon? Stay on the sidelines sir, this is not your arena to speak at.
Feeling bad doesn't mean you're right, and lashing out doesn't mean you're good.
Face it, there's dozens of Americans who did far better as pro's than 4th at olympics and a few ARs. After winning everything in college, he was a dismal failure as a pro.
Trying to belittle me only shows me your inferiority complex. Better to cope in private than public.
Prefontaine was ranked in the top ten in the world in the 5000m five straight years, 71-75.
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