Which runner has inspired you more than any other? Serious responses please.

LoveRunning wrote:

And Ted Corbitt.

There's another good choice. In addition to running like 250 MPW just because he liked it he had a full time job and a family.

Weary wrote:

Avocado's Number, the Walker/Bayi SI article you cite is in fact the one that did it for me.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091205/1/index.htm

It's wonderful writing, isn't it? The structure, the detail, the juxtaposition of profiles of two very different men from very different cultures heading toward a showdown that, sadly, never came.

Agree. With the advent and expansion of the Internet, Jordan seemed to hit it at the right time. I'm a HS coach in Texas, and I don't know anyone who doesn't recognize the name of Jordan Hasay. She's a great role model for the kids.

Bill Rodgers. I met him in the tent after the 1981 Toronto marathon and he was a regular guy. Decades later, I wrote him at his store and he sent autographed pictures of himself with inspirational and personalized notes to my kids, who were running junior high cross. I saw him,from behind, while he dueled Drayton at Springbank. Athletes today could learn poise, class and generosity from the generation that gave us Bill, Frank and Joanie.

I was going to bring up Ted Corbitt - glad to see a couple of posters beat me to it.

This guy was a true pioneer and one-of-a-kind. Not only is it rare to see African-Americans interested in distance running, but this guy was good at it (Olympic marathoner), pretty much invented the US ultra-running scene, ran countless races, set tons of US records, gave back by organizing races (made a big contribution to the field of race course measurement), and kept running forever, running over 300 miles in a 6-day race at age 81 I believe.

All while working full-time of course.

lease wrote:

Definitely Jim Ryun,

A year older than me, I followed his whole career closely. Never met him but his life is always a total inspiration.

Plus his twins were born on my 25th birthday.

Benji Durden

Tony Sandoval

Phil Coppes

Mark Curp

Yobe Ondieki

I had an Olympic champion on my team in 1984. Very fun and inspriational to watch him work toward and achive his goals.

However, already mentioned but...When Joan Benoit-Samuelson took the early lead and never looked back, I was on the edge of my seat until she entered Olympic Stadium. To beat Grete Waitz, arguably the greatest female distance runner of her generation and Ingrid Chritianson who was her heir apparent was very memorable for me in the innaugural women's marathon. I was feeling very patriotic but also marveled at her achievement after qualifying for the American team shortly after orthoscopic knee surgery (17 days). I think Runners World had a picture of Joan running past a giant mural of herself on her way to the gold medal.

4 years later, I had to have the same surgery and knew I would recover quickly and get back to training. 10 days later I was jogging. Most knee surgerys I was aware of growing up required a sharp knive, a 6" incision and about 6 months of rehab.

This was part of Bud Greenspan's story of the women's marathon 16 Days of Glory 1984. Bud was magnificent at telling the behind the scenes stories so the public could know the backgrounds of their Olympic heros and their path to the pinnacle of track and field. I can't seem to find part 1 so part two will have to do. The music at the start of this clip is better seen after the setup. She has already taken the lead and has entered a new, closed off section of a freeway with no shade. I was so worried that she had made her move too soon and that she would become overheated or dehydrated because it was a very warm day. But alas, she hung on against the greatest field of women's distance runners of that time, assembled on a very special day. Several other stories played out that day as well that were poigniant relative to what women were allowed to do prior to 1984.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLUqCT-6Hxs

This feels so weird to say on a long distance running forum, but my inspiration is Edwin Moses. Back in my underclassman days where I tried to use sprinting and MD workouts to cover 400mh and 800m strength, his domination that was a direct result of his extremely thought out training is what made me take interest in my own training. Sadly, I lack any sort of talent in distances

Jeremy Wariner....how can you not love a white sprinter who can win on the world level?

I may get some flak for this but I still am a huge fan of Oscar Pistorius. I remember first hearing about him back in 2007 I think it was, when I was in primary school. Seeing video of him and just seeing the incredible speed of his legs moving and destroying his competition was crazy and also very inspiring. He instantly became my favorite runner, and I wanted to be just like him. He made me become a runner and I joined my school's track team in seventh grade largely because I wanted to be like him.

I was incredibly proud to see him compete in the London Olympics. Seeing him make history in 2012 and before then in 2011 was great. Towards the end though things got rough. I was kind of embarrassed after the London Paralympics when he was defeated in the 200 by Alan Oliveira of Brazil and complained that Oliveira was cheating using longer prosthetics. And then in February this year I was crushed when I heard the news about him and his girlfriend. I'm a young adult but I will not lie hearing the news that my idol was being charged with murder I cried. I hope one day he is released, and that he doesn't rot away his life in jail, but I know his track career is unfortunately over.

Nick Symmonds is who I look up to as a runner now. He's an awesome guy and he seems like after his track career is over he will have a very successful career with the USATF or in politics.

Also strangely enough I'm inspired by Alan Webb. And I DO NOT mean the "American mile record setting, high school god runner" Alan Webb. I think the "resurrecting his career" Alan Webb is awesome. He could have easily hung up his spikes when his career was in the gutter a couple years ago but he still goes out and runs the best he can, even when he knows he is not nearly the runner he used to be. I gained a lot of respect for him after he raced at the USATF XC Club Nationals while the rest of the Nike Oregon Project boys pulled out. I really hope he comes back and has some spectacular win somewhere in 2014 because he deserves it for sticking this out.

I ran for a pretty solid collegiate program and know plenty of pro's, but my biggest running inspiration was a high school teammates of mine.

He was a heavy set kid who always really put forth a great effort. We're talking about at least a 220 pound kid who was running around 21 flat (if I remember right).

The kid just threw down in races. Countless of times I remember him finishing and just doing weird shit because of how f****** up he was from the race. At one meet in which the temperature was quite hot, I remember being excited for him and congratulating him. Kid was out of it. Had no idea what was happening. Yeah we've all been there, but this was a JV kid who didn't know his name let alone where we were at. He wouldn't respond to anything, just wobbled around in-coherently. Had completely soaked himself in piss.

Just countless of similar stories.

Later he confessed that he pissed himself nearly every race by the end. It might sound ridiculous but it was pretty inspirational to witness that right before our varsity squad raced. We were fortunate to win a few titles and I have always credited him in playing a significant role. My goal was always to run as hard him. Rarely did - if ever.

He often tripled during track, you know, the usual, shot put, discus, 2 mile....I remember asking him why he would still do the 2 mile as a thrower in the spring. He responded by telling me that the 2 mile was his focus and throws his "secondary events".

Dude was the man.

Dick Beardsley! He was a 10 minute 2 miler in high school and went on to running 2:08 at Boston in 1982. Saw him speak a couple of years ago and he has a amazing and inspiring story! I saw him again last year at the Grandmas Marathon and he took all the time in the world to answer some questions I had even though there was a long line waiting to talk with him or get a autograph, but the neat thing was, he took time with everyone, not just me.

Rodgers is at the top of my list, but I would also add Dixon, Salazar and Beardsley. For what its worth, I started running in 1980.

Reading this thread, Bill Rodgers seems to be the most common name that appears. He came out of nowhere in 1975 to get 3rd in World Cross and run a 2:09:55 in Boston. I just read Ron Hill's account of the race -- when recounting the early part of the race, Hill describes how Jerome Drayton and "some guy in a tee shirt" broke away early.

I love watching Allison Stokke do her warm ups on the back stretch.

When I was a 15 year old soph. in HS in 1971 I came home one day after a cross country meet and took down all of my 8x10 glossy black and white photos of the Red Sox team and replaced them with photos of Abebe Bikila and Jim Ryun.

Since then their have been many other inspirational athletes.

Haile Gebrselassie and Tirunesh Dibaba definitely! In spite of all athletic and economic success, Haile is still very humble and talks to everybody who wants to. He seems to be always in a good mood and is a great motivator for the youngsters. Not to forget, even with more than 40 years he is still Training and competing on world class Level. Tirunesh, for her phenomenal comeback and the Olympic gold medal for 10k, after more than one year of injuries. She is extremely determined and runs more for the proud of her country, than for her personal success. Both of them spending a lot of money and support for charity projects, not only in Ethiopia. Fort me, this combination means real greatness and Inspiration.

Dick Beardsley. Read either: "Staying the Course a Runners Toughest Race" Dick's auto-biography or "Duel In the Sun", John Brant's book on the 1982 Boston marathon. Dick went from average to world class runner(with no PED's involved!) and then falling to injury and evenutally narcotic drug addiction and then rising back up to inspire/motivate/education all people about never giving up. This real life story deserves a movie!

LoveRunning wrote:

LoveRunning wrote:

Bill Rodgers. Emil Zatopek. Abebe Bikila. Herb Elliott.

Jesse Owens. Carl Lewis. Donovan Bailey.

And Ted Corbitt.

I know you asked for one runner...

Rob De Castella. Meseret Defar. Yiannis Kouros.

And Mary Cain.