This week is the 50th anniversary of Richard Kimball's World Jr XC individual title and Marc Bloom is writing a 2-piece feature on it for dyestat and part 1 is out now. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. It has great quotes from a slew of people including Matt Centrowitz and Cheryl Treworgy (Shalane Flanagan's mom).
Kimball's win got him on the Runner's World cover and helped inspire a generation of runners.
"Rich set a standard for us,” said Ralph Serna, the nation’s No. 1 miler of 1975, at 4:07.0, and No. 2 at two miles, in 8:46.0 (behind Hulst, 8:45.0).
“When I saw that cover, I said I want to run that race next year.” (He did.) “Rich in full stride, with that USA top. Everyone took that to school and showed it around. All the runners found it inspirational. Rich launched a new era.”
Kimball was an ABSOLUTE ANIMAL when it came to training., running 69 miles once in a single day. Check this out.
If Kimball had his own genius, it was probably his high threshold for pain. Injuries didn’t stop him; nothing did. Once he ran a two-man, 24-hour relay and, when his partner gave up, Kimball took his partner’s turns as well, amassing a total of 69 miles (most under 5:00) in one day. As a senior, Kimball ran 52 races — dual meets, invitationals; 880, mile, two-mile and mile relay — in three months, commenting now, “It never crossed my mind that I was running too much.”
Anyone know what Kimball did in college or beyond? I don't see him in the tilastapaja database.
