Jamul Toads 1976

LOVE IT.

Thank you for the update!

Read the book a few weeks back. It's a great read. One of the best (I think it's much better than either Once a Runner or Running with the Buffaloes, IMHO).

Does it really take much to be better than either one!

Good documentary about Larsen out too on Amazon "City Slickers Can't Stay With Me".

I was also in that 1976 race. I got a poor start and was swallowed up in the mob. I never was able to get going. I recall how tough the course was. Every time I tried to start passing people, some obstacle appeared, like a hill or slippery footing or just no room to go around.

The next day, Sunday, was the Philadelphia marathon, which I also ran. Hard to imagine now, but it was 3 times and out and back along the river. Probably less than 100 runners, if even that many. The thing to remember is that the first NY five borough marathon was just the month before. Big city marathons were not yet an event.

Thanks for the reminiscence, Bob.

Here's the Sports Illustrated article.

https://www.si.com/vault/1976/12/06/621714/he-took-the-high-road

malmo wrote:

Hunt finished in the top ten at NCAA thar year. He's allowed to finish 77th after four days rest.

George, a number of Div. II champs competed and did extremely well in Div. I champs 2 days later.

Marc Hunter (Cleveland State) and Jim Schankel (CP-SLO) specifically.

Just for perspective.

I just finished it -- very well done, and interesting. I agree that Once a Runner is pretty awful, but Running with the Buffaloes I thought was good. Anyway - that's OT. Running to the Edge is a keeper.

Good documentary about Larsen out too on Amazon "City Slickers Can't Stay With Me".[/quote]

The idea for the book came to the author after he saw the film.

Author does a nice job with the book.

Both the film and the book do a great job with Larsen's history and this epic 1976 race.

[quote]

dwilson1956@mac.com

wrote:

Kirk Pfeffer and I screened the first batch of nylon racing singlets at Kirk's house in Santee.

You need to screen some more and sell them to us old toads that never had a chance to be a Jamul Toad.

yakima wrote:

malmo wrote:

Hunt finished in the top ten at NCAA thar year. He's allowed to finish 77th after four days rest.

George, a number of Div. II champs competed and did extremely well in Div. I champs 2 days later.

Marc Hunter (Cleveland State) and Jim Schankel (CP-SLO) specifically.

Just for perspective.

For perspective.

Someone regurgitated a 14 year old thread --- and it's great!

Recognize so many names/guys.

Rojas was hot for a while, then heard he went to Los Alamos Labs to work, then became Nikes top guy in Porto Rico. Many years ago, dude.

Gramps wrote:

Someone regurgitated a 14 year old thread --- and it's great!

Recognize so many names/guys.

Rojas was hot for a while, then heard he went to Los Alamos Labs to work, then became Nikes top guy in Porto Rico. Many years ago, dude.

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My hat is off to those that squeezed every ounce of publicity from the Jamul Toads story. The lemon is completely dry now. Maybe another book will appear! Who knows!

Gramps wrote:

Someone regurgitated a 14 year old thread --- and it's great!

Recognize so many names/guys.

Rojas was hot for a while, then heard he went to Los Alamos Labs to work, then became Nikes top guy in Porto Rico. Many years ago, dude.

Yep, great thread - probably read it years ago too, just can't remember.

That Belmont Plateau course was sure brutal.

malmo wrote:

yakima wrote:

George, a number of Div. II champs competed and did extremely well in Div. I champs 2 days later.

Marc Hunter (Cleveland State) and Jim Schankel (CP-SLO) specifically.

Just for perspective.

For perspective.

https://trackandfieldnews.com/ncaa-cross-country-championships-mens-results/1976-ncaa-cross-country-championships/

Umm, George, for further perspective - Arizona's Terry Cotton went from 18th (NCAA) to 2nd (AAU).

I guess you could call that reverse perspective. Pretty damn impressive nonetheless.

So how did these Arizona guys (Cotton & Hunt) get from Denton, TX to Philly? Did they fly from DFW to Tucson to San Diego and then to Philly? Inquiring minds really would like to know!

The high quality depth in 1976 was staggering. 50 guys ran 29:40 or better at that 1976 NCAA xc champs, vs. only 19 at 2018 in Madison, although the top team there, Northern Arizona, did average 29:40. I can't remember if it ended up snowing for xc last year but it was about 30 degrees.

https://www.ncaa.com/di-mens-and-womens-cross-country-results

mahmood wrote:

Umm, George, for further perspective - Arizona's Terry Cotton went from 18th (NCAA) to 2nd (AAU).

I guess you could call that reverse perspective. Pretty damn impressive nonetheless.

Actually, not very impressive at all. AAUs is a huge step below NCAA, competitive-wise. Neither open runners nor college ever runners ever took it very seriously. It's only in threads like this do you even remember it.

mahmood wrote:

So how did these Arizona guys (Cotton & Hunt) get from Denton, TX to Philly? Did they fly from DFW to Tucson to San Diego and then to Philly? Inquiring minds really would like to know!

I don't know, and I'm not the least bit curious. This is something that would never occur to me to think of. But since YOU asked, forty-three years later, I'll speculate for you. I assume they went home for Thanksgiving and then took a flight to Philly. on Thursday night or Friday morning.

zxcvzxcv wrote:

The high quality depth in 1976 was staggering. 50 guys ran 29:40 or better at that 1976 NCAA xc champs, vs. only 19 at 2018 in Madison, although the top team there, Northern Arizona, did average 29:40. I can't remember if it ended up snowing for xc last year but it was about 30 degrees.

The Denton Texas XC course was on hard, sun-burnt grass. There was something that was supposed to resemble a hill, NOT, but it really was flat and extremely fast. I've run on tracks that were slower. Plus WSU took it out from the gun and didn't relent.

I’m watching that movie right now on Amazon prime