NAME - ALL THE FAMOUS, ELITE, TOP TIER RUNNERS YOU HAVE RACED AGAINST, RUN WITH, OR MET...

I've raced against 2 Olympic gold medallists in Venuste Niyongabo and Nils Schumann. Also had the pleasure (misfortune?!) of racing a couple of 1.42 guys, Japheth Kimutai and Patrick Nduri.

Schumann was arrogant. The rest, not so

i have met and talked to the following:

allyson felix

jeremy wariner

peter gilmore

bad ass cabada

german fernandez

miguel nuci

michael johnson

maurice green

stacey dragila

numerous other "pre elite" athletes many would probably not no of...oh and also GALEN RUPP! hes actually pretty cool despite of what people here say

Haha! Got me. Nice one.

From the 70"s wrote:

If you google you might "learn some history" (lol)...one athlete's name and one coach's name should give you a clue...I'm "old" too!!!

Er... wrote:

Haha! Got me. Nice one.

[quote]From the 70"s wrote:

If you google you might "learn some history" (lol)...one athlete's name and one coach's name should give you a clue...I'm "old" too!!!

[/quote

i dont get it can u explain....

lagat - had dinner with him at nationals, great guy, very friendly.

webb - shook his hand, watched him check out every girl getting an award at ntns. he liked their asses.

Pre

Sebastian Coe

Arthur Lydiard

Jack Daniels

Michael Johnson

Usain Bolt

Asafa Powell

Doug Padilla

Hicham El Guerrouj

Galen Rupp

German Fernandez

Chris Derrick

Paul Tergat

Haile Gebreselassie

Sammy Wanjiru

Frank Shorter

Lasse Viren

Jeremy Wariner

Hmmmmmm???

Jim Ryan

Ron Clarke

Billy Mills

Pre

Jurgen May

Bob Day

Bob Schul

Jack Bachelor

Frak Shorter

Jeff Holister

Michal Jazy

Ergus Lepps

Jim Beaty

Bruce Kidd

Arnie Kvalheim

Bill Rowe

Ivan Dudov

Ptyor Bolitnikoff

.....and more.

Hicham El Garouj

Kara Goucher

Adam Goucher

Ryan Hall

Sara Hall

Abdi Abdirahman

Kip Lagat

Bill Rogers

Frank Shorter

Andrew Wheating

Galen Rupp

Nick Symmonds

Jen Barringer

Anna Willard

Gabe Jennings

Bill Dellinger

Bill McChesney

Lauren Fleshman

Asram Bolata

Lolo Jones

Buster Mottram

Xiou Ling

Others...

These may be a bit obscure, but...

Jim Rogers

Adolf Ryan

Mike McCallen

George Stepheronoldoini

Kip Keino

Arne Svenson

Marty McCollough

Shae Angelo

Ralph Ellison

Brittney Spears

I named some 70s and early 80s runners I met at some indoor meets and ended my post by saying, "And yes, I'm old. Google these names and learn some history. LOL." He posted a while later with some 70s and 80s runners he actually RAN against, and repeated my quote back to me. It was all in good fun between a couple of old guys...

yes sirr wrote:

Er... wrote:

Haha! Got me. Nice one.

[quote]From the 70"s wrote:

If you google you might "learn some history" (lol)...one athlete's name and one coach's name should give you a clue...I'm "old" too!!!

[/quote

i dont get it can u explain....

still don't get it.

Met only:

Arne Anderson, Roger Bannister, John Landy, Wes Santee, Herb Elliott, Derek Ibbotson, Peter Snell, Jim Ryun, Kip Keino, Ben Jipcho, Steve Jones, Frank Shorter, Derek Clayton, Eamonn Coghlan, Rod Dixon, Maurice Greene, Geb, Al Oerter, Billy Mills, Steve Scott, Bolt, Gay,...there are a fair number of others, but my memory has given out...

Chris Solinsky- carried a mattress into my room with him so a friend could crash on the floor at the camp of champions...nice guy but sorta quiet/intense

Evan Jager- raced way behind him a few times, also at camp of champs with us and waited in line for the showers w/ him...nice guy, kids at his hs worshipped him way too much tho, it was sorta awkward

Chris Derrick- beat him by like 2 seconds freshman year (twice)...not that i was good, he was just worse, played in a basketball tournament organized via dyestat that he hosted at neuqua valley

Jim Spivey- our asics rep in high school, spoke at our team banquet

Tim Broe- we ran into him occasionally at indoor and outdoor state in hs...sorta a weird dude. watched him run a 4:40 in the 1600 last year....

Pascal Dobert- again, at camp of champs. intense guy.

Matt Withrow- although he's no elite nowadays...get passed by him occasionally during my summer long runs at Waterfall Glen...also gave a shoe talk at camp of champs

Ken Popejoy- sat in on a court case he was judging on my school fieldtrip to the courthouse...he also was the judge for a land dispute case which my dad was involved in (we won)

im probably forgetting a few....but those are the ones i can remember...nothing superb or impressive

oh and if coaches count, just Jerry Schumacher and Joe Newton really...

atho as a young and stupid freshman I did stand like three feet from Arthur Lydiard about a month before he died, but i was too dumb to talk to him

J.R. wrote:

raced and/or trained with

Mike Coley (1:52 high school)

Charley Harper / Gene McClain / Jim Ryun

Neil Duggan (3:56.0 JC record)

Micki Gorman / Jackie Hanson / Marty Cooksey

Joan Benoit

Lasse Viren

Henry Rono

Gordon Pirie / Jack Foster / Dick Quax

Ewald Bonzet / Danie Milan

John Lawson / Steve Scott

Ed Chaidez

Eddy Cadena / Chuck Smead / Gary Tuttle

Tony Sandoval / Jeff Wells

adding a few more

Jim Kemp - very nice fellow, hard working and fast

Conrad Nightingale - nice fellow

Mary Decker / Ruth Wysocki

Lorraine Moller / Anne Audain / Patti Catalano

Ron Clarke - very helpful and generous with his time

Derek Clayton

Henry Marsh

Paul Cummings

Duncan McDonald

John Brennand / Orville Atkins

Peter Mundle / Hal Higdon

John Lodwick / Rick Wolhuter

Ed Mendoza / Kirk Pfeiffer / Bill Gookin

Arthur Lydiard

Brendan Foster / Shorter / Bob Day

Ron Hill - one of my best friends grew up in Accrington and remembers him

Franklyn Sanchez (went to the same middle school & church)

Shalane Flanagan (met through Franklyn at HS state meet)

Lynn Jennings (1998 Feaster Five road race)

Suzy Favor-Hamilton (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

Mo' Greene (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

David Krummenaker (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

Richie Boulet (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

Rich Kenah (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

Kevin Sullivan (1999 Boston Indoor Games)

Khalid Khannouchi (1999 Boston Marathon)

Sara Hall (at 2000 HS outdoor Nats)

Mark Carroll (at 2000 HS outdoor Nats)

Karl Paranya (at 2000 HS outdoor Nats)

Bobby Lockhart (at 2000 HS outdoor Nats)

Steve Meinelt (2002 0r 2003 at UNH)

Jorge Torres (2003 Ncaa XC)

Josh Spiker (2003 NCAA XC)

Jonathon Riley (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

Alistair Craig (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

Tim Broe (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

Bernard Lagat (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

Lauren Fleshman (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

Nate Brannen (2005 Boston Indoor Games)

2006 NACAC championships - I translated for the US team and met the following:

Leo Manzano

Shannon Rowbury

Shane Stroup

Anna Willard

Shalonda Solomon

Shana Cox

Natasha Hastings

Alysia Johnson

Dawn Harper

Jacquelin Johnson

Lionel Larry

David Neville

Duane Solomon

Ryan Brown

Aaron Aguayo

also Derrick Atkins and Donald Thomas

Nate Jenkins (2008 Mines Falls Park in NH)

Adam Goucher (2009 Boston Indoor Games)

Galen Rupp (2009 Boston Indoor Games)

Nick Stenuf (2009 USATF indoor Nats)

Daniel Komen- Very cool guy

Christine Ohurugu- Absolutely charming and real.

Know, knew or have written about, reported on & met over the past 40+ years, just to name mainly middle-distance and distance people: Pre, Frank Shorter, Jack Bachelor, Ed Leddy, Neil Cusack, Nick Rose, Mike Shine, Greg Fredericks, Ray Flynn, Ray Treacy, Ray Arrington, Mark Winzenreid, Don Vandry, Rick Wohlhuter, Rick Gross, Lee LaBadie, Craig Virgin, Garry Bjorklund, Steve Plasencia, Ken Popejoy, Herb Lindsay, Kevin Herd, Corey Ihmels, Micah VanDenend, Chirs Siemers, Don Sage, Marius Bakken, Jim White, Mark Deady, Terry Brahm, Jim Spivey, Bill Dellinger, Bob Schul, Billy Mills, Greg Meyer, Dathan Ritzenhein, Jorge Torres, Ed Torres, Steve Slattery, Billy Nelson, Brett Schoolmeester, Brent Vaughn, Brandon Bethke, Kevin Sullivan, Nate Brannen, Mike Woods, Scott MacDonald, Gerry Donakowski, Brian Diemer, Bill Donakowski, Nick Willis, Paul McMullen, John Scherer, Mike McGuire, Doug Brown, Ron Addison, Katie McGregor, Molly McClimon, Suzi Favor, Cindy Bremser, Robert Gary, Mark Croghan, Brian Olinger, Rob Myers, Tom Duits, Dan Heikkinen, Jeff Zylstra, Don Paige, Don Sage, Brad Hauser, Bret Hauser, Louis Luchini, Dan Lincoln, Jon Pierce, Brandon Bethke, Matt Tegenkamp, Chris Solinsky, Tim Keller, Jonathan Reilly, Tim Nelson, Meb Keflezighi, Chris Derrick, Galen Rupp, Ryan Vail, Scott Jenkins, John Easker, Jim Stintzi, Steve Lacy, Joe Stintzi, Simon Bairu, Bobby Lockhart, Randy Jackson, Dave Smith, Dave Hartman, Jerry Schumacher, George Malley, Steve Hoag, Don Timm, Bob Legge, Mark Gibbens, Gordon Minty, Gary Harris, Jeromee Leibenberg, Ed Eyestone, Mark Conover, Paul Pilkington, Seth Pelkington, Josh Spiker, Alan Webb, Matt Withrow, Craig Miller, Jack Bolas, Ryan Gasper, Evan Jager, Ryan Shay, Luke Watson, Bill Taylor, Ed Moran, Howell Michael, Pat Mandera, Stetson Steele, Nathan Nutter, Scott Williams, Ryan Hall, Sara Hall, Chris Rombough...and nearly every "all-Big Ten" distance runner since 1967....with apologies to those I forgot...these are just off the top of my head. I believe that distance runners are the greatest people in the best sport. Take pride in the great history of track and cross country and, if you're involved in the sport in any way, know that it's good to meet so many great young men and women (even though a lot of those I've mentioned, myself included, are not so young any more). I've been privileged to write about so many of the aforementioned. Enjoy these precious moments in running and in the good times and occasions of comraderie. Good luck to all in running and in life. ---Don Kopriva

Elite and Famous wrote:

On your honor.

Post of the Year credit to the person with the most impressive Malmo can participate also ;-).

Make this fun, I don't care about era. Bonus points if you scan era's.

Since "Met" qualifies, you can be a former elite or non elite, and sight both runners you ran against, and runners you've coached. Male or female. Sprinters count!

GO FOR IT!

Oldsters or Youngsters...

I'll follow Kopriva's long list with a short one:

Roger Bannister

I spent time with him back in the 70s over the course of a few days -- talking, eating, etc.