Toughest Runner?

Toughest runner hands down was Rain Murphy. He was raped and beaten and still ran a damn fast mile.

that colorado runner who got his nose broken and and still finished top 10 in big 12.

But then Rod Dixon wore that ridiculous Darth Vader videocam helmut one year as an announcer in the NYC Marathon, where he ran behind Joan Samuelson to show her from behind on camera. Dixon helped turn the race into a circus act.

Joanie.

She raced fast in the cold (Boston, Chicago, etc) and in the heat (Los Angeles). On hills (Boston) and on flats (Chicago). She took on the best and beat them all, at least three-times defeating a world record holder in a head-on marathon competition

Living in the Past wrote:

But then Rod Dixon wore that ridiculous Darth Vader videocam helmut one year as an announcer in the NYC Marathon, where he ran behind Joan Samuelson to show her from behind on camera. Dixon helped turn the race into a circus act.

Yes, and how does that make him weak?

guys... come on... jason rexing... duh

How about Deena inhaling a bee, getting stung in the throat, then kicking like a demon at Worlds XC? That, my friends is tough!

Bob Kennedy needs to be mentioned.

Also, Emil Zatopek if you want to go old school.

Demeaning the sport for a buck.

First, I don't know who was the toughest, given the very nature of elite training. Carving out 140 mpw for weeks at a time is not for the timid.

I'll never forget the video of Joannie prior to running the trials and post arthroscopic surgery, laying on her back and spinning a bicycle pedal to keep her heart rate up. Talk about tedium... and toughness.

I 'm not sure I agree Dixon's helmut cam turned the run into a circus. It clearly helped him financially, but do not believe it denigrates the sport. Marathons on TV do not capture the public's attention. Livening up the show, can't be a bad thing. Another recent thread recalled ABC's telecasting of Rotterdam. Now coverage is so limited, Hall's half run received no coverage this weekend. The helmut cam didn't work, but I didn't consider it demeaning.

I'm definately the toughtest runner of all time. Who else even comes close to my accomplishments?!

Dean K.

I'd have to go with Zatopek. I mean, who else has the lunacy to do 60x400 in the snow? I've seen many photos of him racing, and it looked like he was in the pains of child-birth from the starting gun.

That should be "helmet" not "helmut."

Joanie's gold medal so soon after knee surgery may make her the toughest runner of all time. And remember that she elbowed all those wannabes away from Lance. But when that water station volunteer took Joanie down in a major marathon while jumping and waving at the passing television crew (I think it was NYC), I was hoping to see Joanie beat the stuffing out of that kid before resuming the race.

As far as baddest runner of all time, how about David Mack? He was ranked number three in the world in the 800 meters in 1983 by T&FN and became an L.A.P.D. police officer. But he is now serving a 14-year sentence in prison.

Bob Kennedy. Here's why:

1600m in 3:56. 2:30 min. rest.

1200m in 2:55. 2:30 min. rest.

800m in 1:54. 2:30 min. rest.

400m in 54 sec.

OR

It could be Henry Rono, who would binge drink and then run a 10,000m WR 4 days later after almost being lapped half way through the race. Oh, and he kicked ass in cross country.

But who would Jonesy pick? wrote:

Jonesy, Plaatjes and all the old guard Boulder guys used to talk about Castaneda having some juevos.

I want to hear more about this. I thought that Ted was long gone from Boulder by the time that Jonesy and Plaatjes showed up. In fact, I thought that Ted was out of serious competition by the time that Jonesy and Plaatjes began competing internationally.

True.

The 2nd time Henry Rono broke the world record 5k in 1981 he was hung over from a drinking binge the night before.

Apparently he ran hard for an hour the morning of the race to sweat the alcohol out of his body. What a beast!

got to throw in a vote for Alberto Salazar.

In 1982 he won his first and only Boston Marathon after the famous "Duel in the Sun" with Dick Beardsley. Salazar won the race in an exciting sprint finish and collapsed at the end before being taken to an emergency room and given 6 liters of water intraveneously because he had not drunk during the race. This and other noteworthy performances such as the 1978 Falmouth, Mass., road race, where after finishing 10th in 33:04, he collapsed at the finish with a temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 °C) and was read his last rites prematurely, earned him the nickname Alberto "All that is Man" Salazar.

Derek Clayton: 140-170 miles per week in training, sometimes exceeding the dangerous 200 mpw range. Crushed the World Record by 2 1/2 minutes in the Marathon at Fukuoka in 1967, running a brilliant 2:09:36.

Probably Dr. Richard Kimball. Running with a severe gash after enduring a bus crash, and then hot-footing some more after jumping off a dam makes for one tough dude.