what is the greatest track club in history

Converse-Reebok-Ascis Aggies

The BLB's.

Tom,

I understand where you are coming from and can appreciate what some perceive as disadvantages (the grass is always greener). I am one that never believed in disadvantages. My stronger point is that the addition of Elites to our running community has made the average runner better and more involved in our sport on all levels. The problem with our sport is the disconnect between the "elites" and the "Team in Training" athletes. I feel that a club needs to make sure that they don't ignore either group or feel that either group is more responsible than the other for this disconnect. I don't think that most clubs are willing to accept this responsibility, but yet they are quick to pass judgment on others motivations. I think that the purpose of a club should be to advance our sport (knowledge, participation, performance, and interest) and it appears that most clubs through the 1990's dropped the ball in this area. I hear all kinds of excuses like soccer, or economics, or the sport is not a spectator sport. I feel that it is because of a poor club system. A strong club will have people showing up to middle school track meets because they love the sport. That love of the sport is because it was taught to them through a strong club. I have a feeling that we may be closer than you think on the sport. I would rather watch a track meet or a road race or a cross-country meet than any other sport. Now it is a Clubs job to not only believe that, but believe it so strongly that it becomes contagious. When this happens then our sport is not going to be treated like "a minor sport". Our community is catching on and that is because of the strength of our Club on ALL levels. Sorry but I have to go we have a community Tempo run.

By the way, we are a long way from considering ourselves one of the best clubs. There have been hundreds of clubs in Europe that have really understood.

HFC has the coolest name. That's all that matters.

The Philadelphia Pioneers weren't bad:

John Carlos: 1968 OG 200m Bronze Medalist

Larry James: 43.97, 1968 OG Silver Medalist 400m

Herman Frazier: 44.95, 1976 OG Gold Medalist 4x400

Steve Riddick: 10.05, 1976 OG Gold Medalist 4x100

Charles Foster: 13.20, 4th at 1976 OG in 110H

Haisley Crawford: 10.06(?), 1976 OG Gold Medalist 100m

Tony Darden: 45.01, WC Gold Medalist 4x4, many time NCAA AA

Victory AC can still put together a good age-group team team:

http://vac.home.insightbb.com/history.htm

2004 60-69 National XC Champs

2001 50-59 and 60-69 National XC Champs

Sydney University Athletics Club, home of *superstar* Ben Liddy.

They have an awesome web site:

www.suaths.org.au

Grand Street Boys & Atoms Track Club both rate some mention

Lest we forget:

Wilts Wonder Women(?)

Yeah, I agree that Syd Uni team is awesome. There is no better club to run for in OZ. Ben Liddy is a very good asset as well.

Florida AC

Oregon TC

It is very difficult to compare eras.

the Santa Monica Track Club has been a great track team in our time.

Mihaly Igloi's Hungarian Cub was also a great team before he had to leave the country. They held all of the metric distance and middle distance world record in the mid 1950s.

In the fall of 1955 Mal Whitfield, George Brown, Lang Stanley, George Rhoden and Meredith Gordine formed the original Southern California Striders. Among those 5 alone there were 5 gold and 3 silver Olympic Medals. Other great runners joined them including Bill Toomey, Mike Larrabee and many more. That club won the USA AAU Club Championship from 1957 to 61 and from 1963 to 1970.

It will soon be Reebofu.

Kevin I think you are totally misinterpeting Derderian's comment and the spirit of this thread. It seems that most people want to evaluate a ciub's greatness on the quality of elite athletes it produces. Fair enough. Tom goes on to say that while that is an interesting metric there are other factors that you have to take into account - what really constitutes a club? how much do they get, coaching and voting situation, effect it has on the community (he did say community outreach) as all factors that contribute to the greatness of a club. But that is his metric for determining what is "great." Given that, and your two long paragraphs lauding your efforts, it seems to me that the Hansons would fit his qualifications anyway right? I don't see why you would take offense or think that those statements are directed to you at all. But one distinction must be made, yes it's true that there is community outreach between the elites and locals, and there are organized pratices BUT all those people aren't part of a team, don't wear a uniform, and all members don't enjoy the same support as Hansons ODP, it's a weird quasi-club that's going on. Which is fine since it seems to be working for that area but it really stretches the definition of the club. It's like you want to claim the benfits of a club from this situation without also claiming how it isn't as equitable as other clubs.

Ok I found another challange for those that don't believe DCLA is the bestclub in history.

Find me another club that has set 5 world records on one single evening!!

Unless you guys can find something better than that, Dcla will be the best.

good luck

Good GBTC story...

http://www.bunnhill.com/BobHodge/Articles/GBTCmemories.htm

GBTC Marathon List Alltime Top 100 Performances from 1982

Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Bob Hodge, Randy Thornas, Dick Mahoney, Tim Donovan, Paul Oparowski, Vin Fleming, Gary Wallace, Bob Neil, Fred Doyle, Tom Derderian, Bob Hensley, Rodney Pearson, Brad Hurst, George Reed, Mark Duggan, Paul Carrucio, Ham Amer, Walt Murphy, Tom Joyce, Scott Graham a.k.a. Harry Habinsky, Tom Doherty, Leo Dunn, Walt Chadwick, Earl McGilvery. Jim Durkin, Marty Cohen, Jay Kolb, Doug Sweazy, John Darsinos, Jin Zabel, Alan Milld, John Theriault, Dave MacGillivray, Bob Cosman, Frank Durkin, Tom Gilligan, Jon Berit, John McGrath, Charlie Diehl, Jack Vercollone, Mike Scanlon, Chuck Reilly, Mark Murray, Joe Skaja, Bill Bennett, Bob Plante, L. Kent Smith, Pat Doherty, Daye Macleod, Joe McCusker, Bob Zoellick, Brendan Reilly, Dave Ezersky, Don Welch, Jim Long (M), Dave Godin, Chico ZebeL, Joe Madeiros, Steye D i N a t a le, Larry Forrester, Larry Newman, Bob Barnaby, Tom Hartge, Rich Cote, Bob Mitchell, Mike Driscoll, John Higley, Gus Foley, Rich Houston, Ton Countryman, Miles Coverdale, Don Lanb, Don Dudley, Todd Miller, Philip Tuths, Lloyd Thayer, Don Ricciato, Janes Snith, Frank Noto, Dan Pfau, Thonas Ma, Marc Dierkes, Stu Rice, Larry Sullivan, Phil N i c h o l s, Bernie MacCallun (M), Vic Lanzilotti, Jim Diehl, Joe Martino, Bob Drapeau, Bruce Jones, Ed Norris, John Walsh, Jack MacDonald, Bill Squires ( M ), Tom Grilk

...not sayin' they were the best club but they certainly were special to a bunch of us. Read the list again...maybe you ran with some of these guys once or twice huh?

blooper wrote:

BUT all those people aren't part of a team, don't wear a uniform, and all members don't enjoy the same support as Hansons ODP, it's a weird quasi-club that's going on. Which is fine since it seems to be working for that area but it really stretches the definition of the club.

That is fair enough. I especially like the UNIFORM restriction. I have a poster that I am looking at right now with Greg Meyer crossing the finish line for the victory in Boston. He is not wearing a GBTC uniform. There are several other sponsored athletes that fall into the same category when it comes to the GBTC. I guess that you said it best, GBTC in the 1980's were also a quasi-club, but it worked for that area as well.

anadale striders

whether he wears the uniform or not is one thing, he was a member of the club, everyone knows this. in reality there are what, 20 members of the hansons club right? why conflate things? I'm sorry but Kevin's post just smacked of self-promotion since it was so tangentially related to this thread.

Derderian wrote:

van wrote:

Greater Boston

Rodgers,Hodgie,Meyer,Thomas,Salazar, even Dederian !

Coaches: Sev and Squires

At 2:19 I was only the tenth guy in the late 1970s.

But GBTC at that time was an anomaly as was Athletics West. What I'd consider for a club is an incorporated, non-profit organization with an open membership, democratic process, coaching staff, men and women at all ages and a community out reach and who largely train together.

Excellent all-star, sponsored clubs will form from time to time but longevity and service to large numbers of runners is an important part of "greatness."

Tom

Mr. Derderian-

What do you think happened to the once great GBTC? Why is it that the club has zero national exposure any more? Is it being mismanged or poorly coached? How long were they on the top? Was it just that Billy Rodgers brought in some friends? It seems like once Bill was no longer on top--that the club pretty much disappeared from the public eye.