Just so incredibly sad. The man ran with style. As Pre said, a race is a work of art and Wanjiru had no equal in his ability to make a great piece of work. What a bummer.
Just so incredibly sad. The man ran with style. As Pre said, a race is a work of art and Wanjiru had no equal in his ability to make a great piece of work. What a bummer.
Oh my goodness.
Really thrown off seeing that when coming to the home page.
In such a short time this man really seemed to have a unique charisma and character that you don't see much in running.
The legend is set. The what-ifs will go forever.
I'm shocked and saddened, and grateful I had the chance to see him run in person, twice.
It's fitting that on both occasions (Chicago '09 and '10) I saw him only for a moment before he flew past - a microcosm of his career and life.
i won't soon forget his oly marathon run. he was a badass.
RIP.
Never mind. Google is slow.
Terrible Terrible news...I'm in shock...my deepest regards to his family and the iten community...we have lost a great one here...
RiP to Sammy. sad to see him leave so young
I'm shocked. The memory of him exploding to the front and chainging everyone's tactics in the first mile in Beijing will live forever. RIP Sammy!
Pre and Sammy. Both gone at the age of 24. Sammy, the best marathoner of all time. R.I.P Sammy.
This is the Saddest news for me this year. The world had lost the one of the best and young long distance runner.
I respect Sammy's decision to move and train in Kenya, but after many weird stuff started happening in Kenya like rolling his 4WD, a threat to his wife, I just wished that he had kept his base in Japan.
RIP Sammy!
Regardless of whatever personal problems he may have had, his performances in the marathon and half-marathon were amazing, and he has cemented his place in history as one of the greatest runners of all time. RIP Sammy Wanjiru
Brett's photo is great. I like this one as a contrast to it. One makes Sammy look very big, another quite small. Both excellent:
Three seconds from making history.
jjjjjjjjjj wrote:
For what is it to die, but to stand in the sun and melt into the wind? And when the Earth has claimed our limbs, then we shall truly dance.
KAHLIL GIBRAN
Great Philosopher.
I've been away for few days and the first thread I saw was this....really, really sad and so young too.
Sammy Wanjiru was one hell of distance runner
Very sad news. Here is my suggestion for a tribute (and it's only a suggestion) ...
Maybe we could do a "Run One for Sammy" Day. Maybe this coming Sunday, May 22nd. Do your run, but do at least 50 meters all-out in his memory. Hundreds of runners going all-out, even briefly, would seem to be an appropriate tribute to the man.
Kenyan marathoner Sammy Wanjiru, who won the 2008 Olympic gold medal and the last two Bank of America Chicago Marathon titles, has apparently died in a fall from a balcony at his home.
Wanjiru's agent, Federico Rosa of Italy, said Sunday night via telephone he had "heard Sammy died but I do not yet have written confirmation.''
I'm doing this tomorrow morning even though I'm injured and it will set me back a few more weeks.
SomeActualData wrote:
Very sad news. Here is my suggestion for a tribute (and it's only a suggestion) ...
Maybe we could do a "Run One for Sammy" Day. Maybe this coming Sunday, May 22nd. Do your run, but do at least 50 meters all-out in his memory. Hundreds of runners going all-out, even briefly, would seem to be an appropriate tribute to the man.
We should do something to honor him for sure.
Sammy inspired me to start running again. I had been running very intermittently this fall and after Chicago I was inspired. I just thought how much I loved running. This was immediately after his win. It was 10/10/10. I looked at my watch and it was like 10:08 am. Somehow I got the idea to go run at 10:10 am.
The one guy I go running with just called me tonight. He said, "Let's go run to honor Sammy." My friend hadn't run today but I'll be doing my first double in who knows how many years because of Sammy. Thank you Sammy.
I've been injured for three weeks (knee, overuse) and it's not getting better but I'm going to go out and run 3 miles in the rain right now in tribute to this man. Will have an all-out portion of course.
