Have you ever met an elite runner? What were they like?

https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=13441735#post-4

I saw Kipchoge at a grocery store in Boston before the 'thon (where he blew up). I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.
He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”
I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

They are just like everyone. Most good and nice but some not. Most are just regular down to earth people. The only exception I’ve met was Seb Coe. He was an arrogant and dismissive.

Dean Karnazes around 10 years ago. Chilled out dude.

Met quite a few with serious drinking problems, that's probably why US running sucked so hard in the 90s.

I've seen this before. That was Ritz before the NYC thon.

Well my college track team was an elite track team so practiced with many Olympians and met all time greats.

But outside of people who were on my team, I saw Lukezic out for a run in 2005-2006. Super nice guy. We ran together for probably 15-20 min talking regular runner. I’ve always been impressed with how he runs on his toes. He was bouncing up & down at 6:40 pace.

What is an elite runner? If you made the US Olympic team are you considered elite? If so, I have met many and ran with them on multiple occasions even though I'm not an elite.

Many!!

My main takeaway from meeting anyone famous is how "normal" they really are.

I'm old! 😂 (63.) In the 80s/90s I travelled a lot, because a Schmuk 31min 10k guy in the Airforce got to do World Military stuff, which saw many stars, past/present, running or watching.

I met/chatted with Filbert Bayi. Has there ever been a greater 1500m performance than a gun to tape WR? He was very quick to express his frustrations over 1976. He was human!!

Vincent Rousseau always seemed very friendly to me. He offered me a seat at his dinner table and beer. Dude was the best Marathoner in the world in 1995.

Juma Ikangaa!! What a guy! Shy. 4ft11in maybe, but a dinner plate piled higher than anyones. He just laughed and put his hands ovef his face when we pointed this out.

In Tunis, Mr Gammoudi was a star guest! I sat next to him on a bus. A friend who knew French helped us out. I got the great man to sign a photo in a Coe book on Olympic History. As he entered the bus I got everyone to chant "Gammoudi....Gammoudi..." He loved that! He smoked cigars!

I met "the notorious" Hammou Boutayeb. In person, at a table, he was so gracoius and kind. He knew of his reputation! He thought it was all "tactics". 😂 He was such a great runner at 40.

Tony Martins was the French 10000m record holder. What a charmer!

I worked with Cam Levins in High School!! We drove to some meets. He was so quiet / reserved, and then late one night, on a drive home, he wouldn't shut up!! 😂 I guess he finally figured he could open up to me.

I'm missing so many others. Maybe I'll post later.

I sat behind Alexi Pappas when she was encouraging her friend Jordan Hasay in a race. It quickly became evident that the encouragement was not about Jordan, but a means to draw attention to herself and annoy most of the crowd sitting near her.

https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Alexi+Pappas+cheering+for+Jirdan+Hasay

I have to say that the main difference is that they aren't usually as obsessive and nerdy about running as "fans" of the sport are. They might not even know what Kerr said yesterday or what shoe Femke Bol is running in this season.

I am thinking of one Olympian in particular and he doesn't follow pro running (or run) at all right now. He's still fit and does other sports, but he's not "addicted" to running they way lifelong, D3, hobby-joggers (like me) tend to be.

I've met dozens of them. A few are very friendly. Most are just average. A few are introverted and don't really want to talk much.

I can only remember one who was a little rude.

Friendly

Pretty much this, average feels like an insult but I think you mean more that they’re normal. It might surprise people I guess but there’s a lot of camaraderie too. Even amongst the biggest stars and fringe pros. Not many are track nerds but there are a few who definitely are and read/analyze everything.

The OP asked for elite runners.

The OP asked for elite runners.

Didn't meet her, but I was once an arms length away from Jenny Spangler.

Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, BC, maybe 1997-98, an International meet but with National/teenager races....

I'm sitting with teens in the shade. Along comes Johnny Gray and his coach. They sit right beside us. Johnny ices his knee. They have an intense conversation.

The teens know about Johnny. We pinch ourselves. The coach (a really great guy!) notices us looking. He acknowledges us. And then we all chat for a while.

"Johnny - 4 Olympic Finals is just such an epic achievement! Wow!" Etc. 😂 "How's your knee? Are you ok to race?" Johnny was so chill / kind. (He later ran well!!) Teens were thrilled.

Damn - Johnny is tall.