Post your favorite Bob Kennedy memories here

Chicago Marathon 2003

7:00 in the morning, windy as hell. Me and some friends rushing to get to the start line to see are buddy run. later are buddy would run 2:27 a PR by 6 minutes.

We were all fast walking and talking when a guy on the same sidewalk is walking by us, smiles as one of my friends, in midts of his story says "she was a F*** virgin?

The man smiles and nods, in which My friend next to me says BOB? in which Bob turns and says HI! then keeps walking we all stood there wondering if we were still drunk from the night before or if that really happened?

My favorite Kennedy memory was also at the US National Championships in Eugene. In the 5k he made everyone look like a bunch of chumps. He just kept surging and surging for 6 or 7 laps until everyone dropped -- took the kick out of everybody.

He wasn\'t at his peak and he knew it, but he outsmarted the entire field.

When he won he was jacked! My buddies and I were right up close to the track and were screaming \"You da man Bob!\" He totally made eye contact with us, pointed a finger at us, and nodded his head at us as if to say, \"Thanks guys, I know.\"

that was the same nationals. probably an hour before the race.

The night before the '88 Kinney finals I had the distinguished honor of partying with Bob in his hotel room. Between the cats being thrown from the 5th floor balcony of the Days Inn and our excessive nasal consumption of cocaine I learned something about Bob… he was a competitor. I remember him pulling out his “lucky penny” and pronouncing to the room of drunkards and prostitutes- “I won this in an arm wrestling match from Jason Rexing”. Being young, ignorant, and inexperienced I had no idea who Rexing was. So I decided to take the lucky penny from Bob by ways of an arm wrestling match…

He beat me convincingly. I had to wear an arm cast for two years.

When he ran sub 13:00, and when some of his training logs appeared on this forum.

your humor isn't very convincing, especially on a such a great thread.

qwert wrote:

I agree. Geb and Tergat ran their second 5000 faster than Bob ran in the 5000 final. Hissou's second 5000 was in the 13;20s. Hell, Bob only ran 13;12.

No.

Hissou ran splits of 13:55 and 13:43.

Kennedy could easily have passed through in 13:55, nearly a minute slower than the PR he ran THAT VERY SUMMER, and kept on for a 13:43. Hissou's race in Atlanta was nothing near the caliber of his WR later that year (26:38). He took off with Geb and Tergat, faded atrociously, then started running 69-70's. Kennedy was a smart racer and always ran at even pace.

you seem to forget the conditions of the race - incredibly hot? Hissou was at his peak in 96 and 97 and had faster 5k and 10k times than Bob had run or ever run at that point, and a much more accomplished athlete. If he bonked and ran 27:34, no way Kennedy would have been ahead of him. Maybe if Kennedy that day ran in perfect conditions in a track at Palo Alto with rabbits every lap, maybe he would run a faster time than Hissou did in the Oympic stadium.

Hissou's PR is a full minute faster than Kennedy's. Kennedy was an awesome runner, but so was Hissou. Kennedy may have run even splits, but he certainly would have been with the leaders at 5000 - you think he's going to sit off of that pace? One of the reasons he was so great is because he always went with the leaders to try to win - not just to place. Give Hissou his due - he got the bronze against two of the greatest runners of all time running one of the greatest second 5000s of all time.

I agree. More info on Hissou: '99 World Champs 5000m winner, 10000 record holder in '96 a month after the olympics, 4th in '95 world champs 10000, 3rd in 96 olympics, and 3rd in 97 world champs 10000. No way BK could approach him. This is a seasoned performer at 10000. Also finished 2nd in World Cross CHamps '96 and '97, 3rd in '95, 11th in '94....

So, I'm in the back of a pickup with Bob Kennedy and a live deer! Well, Kennedy, he grabs the deer by the antlers, looks at it and says, "I'm Bob Kennedy! Say it!" Then he squeezes the deer in such a way that a sound comes out of its mouth - "Bobkennedy!" It wasn't exactly it, but it was pretty good for a deer!

After watching him in 1996 games, he made me want to run faster. The guy was just GOOD. I don't know if the U.S. we'll ever see another great 5k runner like him. Hopefully somebody will step up soon

The only time I saw Kennedy was the 1996 Olymipics. I believe Charles Austin won the High Jump for the U.S. that night, and the crowd was still not as loud as when Kennedy went for it!

I was also really rooting for Rob Gary in his steeple heat (went to same H.S.), but he did not fare as well as his OT performance.

It was the summer before my freshman year of college, and I officially became a track fan then, subscribing to T&F News, and following the top times of Americans as well as Kipketer, Marceli/ El G, Komen/Geb.

Thanks Bob.

The moment he retired

Hissou ran 27:24 in Atlanta, your splits add up to 27:38.If he was 13:55, then he obviously was under 13:30 for the second 5000. You are probably still trying to figure out where Coe won that second Olympic gold medal.

Wrongo wrote:

qwert wrote:

I agree. Geb and Tergat ran their second 5000 faster than Bob ran in the 5000 final. Hissou's second 5000 was in the 13;20s. Hell, Bob only ran 13;12.

No.

Hissou ran splits of 13:55 and 13:43.

Kennedy could easily have passed through in 13:55, nearly a minute slower than the PR he ran THAT VERY SUMMER, and kept on for a 13:43. Hissou's race in Atlanta was nothing near the caliber of his WR later that year (26:38). He took off with Geb and Tergat, faded atrociously, then started running 69-70's. Kennedy was a smart racer and always ran at even pace.

well it looks like this really good thread went into the dumpster in a matter of a few hours.

I heard a really awesome story about a guy who saw BK in Boulder (?) in the snow when he was doing his first bout of altitude training. I would love to hear that story again if the guy is still out there.

I met him at the wxcc in brussels '04 and we chatted for about an hour ... really nice guy, knows heaps about running and made me thinking about my own running.

I still love it that each day I see Bob's racenumber from his only marathon (NY '04) framed at my wall! Pitty he DNF, but he's a great guy and I hope to meet him again.

This is I heard from someone. Kennedy went to do altitude training in Boulder.

Huge snowstorm covered everything, and apparently a bunch of pretty dedicated local runners went out on the roads for 10 or so (because the trails were covered). As they run by a local track--Potts Field?--they see a solitary figure in lane one clearing off the track for a workout. It is Bob Kennedy.

Huck Finn wrote:

I would love to hear thoughts and memories about one of the greatest runners the US has produced.

We'll miss you Bob.

I met him at the Nike headquarters many years ago and he was very approachable, that was something I liked. And then I ran across him running along a trail in New Mexico when the USATF convention was in Albuquerque and ran "BY" him and said "Hello Bob" and he had no idea who I was, yet said hello and smiled and I could see he was still approachable.

Not much like the time I dared to just say hello to other elite runners and just get a dirty look and no reply.