In response to a video clip of Gerry Lindgren talking about running under a two hour pace for the marathon back in the 1970s, I need to argue a few points. I’m sure Lindgren felt as if he were running under two hour pace at Trail’s End in Seaside, Oregon, but that wasn’t even close to what happened. I went through my dad’s diary and scrapbook and found some interesting stuff. Not only did they give splits at Seaside, but they also recorded them, printed them, and made them available to the runners. I couldn’t find the five mile splits, but I have the rest. Lindgren led through ten in 51:20, a pace that would bring him home pretty close to 2:15 if he didn’t slow at all. He was 1:17:50 at 15 and 1:46:29 at twenty. He held on for a commendable 2:27:47.
As to runners laughing at him as they passed, winner Russ Pate says he said nothing as he went by just before twenty miles (1:46:19). My dad went by next and said “Hang tough.” Lindgren just looked up and said, “Hi.” Garry Harrison, a step behind Dad, said nothing. That leaves only Larry Miller to say anything. I don’t know how to contact him to find out, but he was fading almost as badly as Lindgren, so I doubt if he could say much. I get upset about these allegations, but my dad says it’s okay. He says Gerry has just forgotten. What Dad remembers is that Lindgren spotted him at the chili feed awards ceremony later that day and came up and said, “How could you look so tough when you passed me?” He said Gerry had a smile on his face and was the most gracious loser he had ever met. My dad beat several other runners during his career who were also basically better than he was, and they had only excuses and bad feelings about it. Lindgren just tried to make my dad feel good about what had happened. All this negative stuff must have entered his head later.
I can’t speak to the second marathon, but we have a lifetime subscription to Runner’s World, and I can’t find mention of it anywhere.
Russ Pate 2:22:59
Garry Harrison 2:25:29
Jim Pearson 2:25:35
Larry Miller 2:25:59
Gerry Lindgren 2:27:47
Just the facts - Joel Pearson