Who are some names of least known great distance runners?

Marcus Ryfell

Think how good Dave Moorcroft was back then he ran 13:00!

Great point, Desert Rodent. Vasala didn't blossom until 1972. He didn't do anything in the European Championships in Helsinki, so I have to question what good the experience in Mexico City did him in Munich. Also, a great coach would have seen Vasala's fitness in 1972 as being worth a try for the 800/1500 double gold. He would have likely beaten Wottle and Arzhanov.

http://62.232.35.140/athletics-heroes/stats_athletics/european/1971_m.asp#800

(Francesco Arese had a big year in 1971, winning the 1500 meters in Helsinki.)

As you might have guessed, I'd have to defend my comment. Olympic experience itself would most likely not add any fitness or performance. What it would do is to have been there and gain confidence. Just to be in the Olympic arena itself can be a head-spinning exprience that even some seasoned athletes can easily blow it. Surely one experience may or may not have hightened his performance level but I will not conclude, just because he didn't perform up to a great level two or three years after his Olympic experience, that that experience didn't do him any good. It was his Olympic experience (as a spectator) that made Herb Elliot committ himself to athletics; it was his Olympic experience (defeat) that made Murray Halberg to be determined to win that gold medal. I believe Olympic experience has something very special in the young aspiring athlete's soul. He/she may not be the champion the following year, but it surely would plant something in their heart.

You make a good point. Emiel Puttemans competed in the 5000 in Mexico City. I think he even made the final that year. He was only 20 years old in 1968. Being in an Olympic final at 20 must be head spinning. Puttemans ended up having a very long career, and part of the reason might have been his quest for that elusive gold medal. Vasala was also 20 in 1968, and he won the gold in 1972. Maybe that's why he retired soon after.

John Vitale

Keith Coburn

Ric Rojas

Jack Buckner

Tom Fleming

Bruce Tulloch

Randy Thomas

Trevor Wright

Jack Bachelor

Jim Hogan

Ellison "Tarzan" Brown winner of Boston in 1936 and 1939 and the dominant US long distance runner of the era. A new biography is out called Ellison "Tarzan" Brown by Mike Ward.

Tom

Good one flightless: I was going to post Peter Welsh when you beat me to it. You are correct he did run the second fastest time in that Commonwealth Games.

A story I heard recently was when Peter was preparing for that Comm Games he would train at all sorts of times of the day and night. A local Green keeper would turn the lights on one of the Fairways (18th) at Balmacwen Golf course so Peter could run. 10 O'clock at night !!.

Peter was also a member of the first kiwi team to go to the then "World" Cross Country (1965) and placed 6th.

Once he graduated he really did not run again to the same levels. Last I heard was he was an Orthopedic Surgeon in Toronto,Canada

In addition Bob I would also back Barry Magee.

Go the Kiwis !

Bill Scobey. He ran a lot of marathons in California in the early 1970s. He owned the Culver City Marathon. I think his PR was 2:15.

Ric Sayre is another top California marathoner. He won the Los Angeles Marathon in 2:12 in 1986. He had won the marathon at Long Beach six weeks earlier.

And remember those two master's runners who were competing to run the greatest number of sub 2:20 marathons? Doug Kurtis and Kjell-Rick Stahl.

The late Euan Robertson has been mentioned twice here.

Arguably New Zealand's most consistent performer at World Cross Country. First one in 1969 and last about 1981-3. Then the Manager on a few.

A 3:58 miler and of course that 6th place in the Oly 3k in '76.

Peter Renner, They don't come any tougher than him. A Lumber Jack in his "normal" day. 8:14 for Steeple.

What a pity there was not the cash around then that there is now. Peter could have done amazing things.

Too bad there aren't any Australians posting about their countrymen. Remember Kerry Pearce? He was on the cover of T&FN in early 1971 for his superb racing at two miles indoors. This was after the guy ran for UTEP. He won the NCAA steeplechase in 1968.

Speaking of NCAA steeplechase champions, how about Sid Sink?

1987 was the first time I really followed running (12 at the time), and Renner was just great that year. Roger Robinson, I think, called it a binge of brilliance that was followed by a hangover in an Olympic year.

Those were also the days (sounding old, and I'm only 31 ...) when they had TV coverage of cross country races, and I recall TV1 showing some Canterbury cross country race where Renner just dominated visiting Australians, and ran under 30 minutes for 10km cross country with steeples and mud. The name of event escapes me now, mid-season, something relays. Kim, you'll remember!?

Kim:

Euan Robertson passed away! When did it happen and how? That's a pitty...

...and I was going to say also "Dave Sirl" for Kiwi.

For Aussies, how about Pat Clohessy, Chris Wardlow, Dave Fitszsimons, Albie Thomas (okay, no chronological order whatsoever!). When I spent a year in Australia in 1978, there was a young boy (barely 18 at the time, I think) by the name of Michael Thompson. I remember watching him (well, actually racing him but from way back!), thinking he's going to one day great. I heard he got injured and ended up just doing training runs with Rob de Castella... I guess it's "a guy who could have been great" category.

Living in the Past wrote:

Great point, Desert Rodent. Vasala didn't blossom until 1972. He didn't do anything in the European Championships in Helsinki, so I have to question what good the experience in Mexico City did him in Munich. Also, a great coach would have seen Vasala's fitness in 1972 as being worth a try for the 800/1500 double gold. He would have likely beaten Wottle and Arzhanov.

http://62.232.35.140/athletics-heroes/stats_athletics/european/1971_m.asp#800

(Francesco Arese had a big year in 1971, winning the 1500 meters in Helsinki.)

Living in the Past, in my book Francesco Arese can do no wrong. Let me throw the name of another under-rated runner who never got his due - Mariano Haro of Spain "Mr. Consistency". Name a major championship in the early seventies where he wasn't prominently featured? See...you can't.

Regards,

The Rodent

Yes, I think it is very important to give Mariano Haro his due. A lot of people on here would be surprised to know that Haro finished second overall three times in the World Cross Country Championships. That was in '73, '74, and '75.

The Spaniards are underrated in general. You remember Jose-Luis Gonzalez, who ran the mile in 3:47.79 at the Bislett Games in 1985 behind Cram and Aouita. That is still the 12th-fastest mile time ever.

I meant that he is the 12-fastest miler ever.

Living in the Past wrote:

Yes, I think it is very important to give Mariano Haro his due. A lot of people on here would be surprised to know that Haro finished second overall three times in the World Cross Country Championships. That was in '73, '74, and '75.

The Spaniards are underrated in general. You remember Jose-Luis Gonzalez, who ran the mile in 3:47.79 at the Bislett Games in 1985 behind Cram and Aouita. That is still the 12th-fastest mile time ever.

Haro had another Spaniard around that time who was quite good - Javier Alvarez. Also, Jose Abascal bronzed in LA 1984 1500.

Yes, Alvarez was in the 1971 European Championship 5,000 meters that Vaatainen won. He finished fifth, ahead of Puttemans and Viren.

Euan Robertson had a heart attack. I think it was in the mid to late 90s.

How about Samson Kimobwa who had the 10,000 WR briefly, perhaps right before Henry Rono and has anyone mentioned Tony Benson who was a great racer but never ran the times some others did?

Do you remember Tony Benson's claim that he ran a 3:52 mile in a time trial? Apparently there were witnesses. Another great Canadian runner from that period is Grant McClaren. He specialized in the 5,000 and ran about 13:30.

Another Australian worth mentioning is marathoner John Farrington. As I recall, he had a 2:12 PR and was a perenial second-place finisher behind Shorter at Fukuoka.