Who's the best Runner that never ran in College?

jitb wrote:

Jen Toomey

Ditto.

Screw Freddy Adu. First of all he's 27. Second of all he never ran those times. Third, he's a media hyped fugazi concocted to draw attention to long suffering professional soccer in the US. There is no substance to him.

Jill Gaitenby and Molly Taber did not run in college. I think Molly ran in high school, but Jill did not.

Alan Webb only ran one year...

There are hundreds upon thousands of runners across the pond in the big continent of Africa that NEVER ran for a school PERIOD. These people are MUCH better than anyone that has been listed thus far.

Really, Jman? Until now, I thought that only the African runners who went to school in the US went on to international success. The thread was born out of curiosity, not out of a desire to hear yet again how shitty American distance running has become.

Rono ran at D2---- University of Southern Indiana, Evansvile Indiana.

You guys are idiots!

Does the name Joan Benoit ring a bell? Cathy O'Brien never ran in college either. Lynn Jennings might have run a year or two at Princeton, but never did much.

Can't think of any "elite" American men off the top of my head.

Knightman wrote:

You guys are idiots!

Does the name Joan Benoit ring a bell? Cathy O'Brien never ran in college either. Lynn Jennings might have run a year or two at Princeton, but never did much.

Can't think of any "elite" American men off the top of my head.

Yup, I agree, some are idiots.

Joan Benoit ran for both Bowdoin College and NC State. Cathy O Brien ran a year at Oregon. Lynn Jennings never did much at Princeton.... except three times All America in cross country (imagine that?) and the Ivy league record in the 3000 (9:01).

Don "Spiney" Norman the top marathoner ever from the state of Pennsylvania, 28:32 and 2:11:09, never ran in college. As a matter of fact, he never ran in high school either.

K. K

Benoit, O'Brien and Jennings. Olympians all, 6 Olympic teams in total. Two medalists. Multiple American records, American titles, World Championships. And didn't "do much" in college. Would that all American middle and distance runners were so successful.

Let's all say it together: adult successes in middle and long distance running are not dependent upon American collegiate success.

Jennings' 9:01 is STILL the Ivy record? Who knew?

nearly anyone from Ethiopia

nick puglisi

OK, Malmo. That's what I get for not checking facts and relying on my feeble memory. I didn't think Benoit officially ran for Bowdoin. I new O'Brien enrolled somewhere (Oregon), but didn't think she made it through the first semester.

Here's another. Anne Marie Lauck ran one year at Wake Forest (I think) but did far more on her own after that.

That is the real point I suppose. All four achieve far more success outside college competition than they did in college.

There is only one answer for this question:

Haile Gebraselessie

Remember Benoit winning Boston weariing the Red Sox cap and her Bowdoin kit? The classic photo. Benoit took a year at NC State, competeted there, hated it and finished up at Bowdoin.

O'Brien ran at Oregon and you are right, she didn't even complete a semester before tucking tail back for NH. But she did compete, though not well, for U of O.

Lauck ran at Wake then transferred to Rutgers and immediately went professional. Unlike O'Brien she did get a collegiate degree.

Jennings took a year off from Princeton somewhere in the middle there but successfully graduated. Her senior year she placed third at NCAA's where she ran that 9:01.

Jen Toomey.

Sean Wade (Kiwi then, US now) played tennis at Rice - went on to run a 2:10 marathon.

Does anyone have the Kim Mortensen story? Best ever at 3200 m among US High School girls...back in 1996. Appears to have briefly run at UCLA. Injuries? Eating disorder? Lack of interest?

ttc wrote:

Does Kim Mortenson (sp?) count?