Just to bring back the past one more time, Phil Coppess 2:10:05 Twin Cities 1985 is the 19th best USA time
Just to bring back the past one more time, Phil Coppess 2:10:05 Twin Cities 1985 is the 19th best USA time
I don't know if this was true at the time but I was told he worked full-time in a factory.
I also recall that he worked in a factory, although he looked more like a computer geek. He seemed to come out of obscurity, had a few good years of running, and then . . . I don't know. I believe that, at least in some circles, he was credited with an American record for his performance at Twin Cities, although my recollection is that Track and Field News generally treated Twin Cities as an aided course because of the distance between the start and finish. Anyone know what happened to Phil?
All true.
I should have said 13th best USA runner all time & 19th fastest time turn by US runners.
Phil Coppess also was the winner of the 1981 Chicago Marathon in 2:16 (I think) and he won Huntsville Rocket City in the early 1980s in 2:13. Plus he won a marathon in Auckland in late 1985 in 2:11.
Coppess was a part of strong group of midwestern athletes in the early 1980s that included: John Wellerding, Joe Sheeran, Tom Fitzpatrick, Reo Rorem, Tim Warneke, Mike Keane, Carey Pinkowski (yes he could run fast), and a few others.
Phil's win in Auckland in 1985, 2:12, four weeks after his Twin Cities race.
Just won some old TF News on e-bay..they were featured...Cusack 2:13.39 Boston..collegiate record...
The front cover "Geis goes under 13" really cool finish line picture.
I thought Gary Henry had the collegiate marathon record 2:12 and change. He ran at Pembroke State (NC) and set this record in Japan.
I think Gary Henry was from Britain, wasn't he? He won D2 NCAA cross in 1980, the year Conover and Grimes went 2-3 to lead my Humboldt State team to the title.
Maybe that's the distinction: American college record vs. all-comers? Then again, I could be totally confusing him with someone else.
Gary Henry is from Austrilia and wenat to Pembroke State which was a NAIA school...he won the NAIA Cross championship in 78 (I think) over Bob McCloud and Mark Rabuse of Pittsburg State...then was beaten in the 10K on the track that year by Sammy Maritim of Azusa Pacific...
Right, as soon as a posted that I went and did what I always tell people to do: research. One article I found called Henry "A 27-year old Australian" in 1980.
And I should also give props to Frank Ebiner, who took 13th that year to really seal the title. (I was an injured sophomore who didn't make the trip.)
Oh, and he did win NCAA D2 cross in 1980. I looked it up.
I'm a early 80's collegiate runner who recognized a few old EIU runners names in your post. Eastern Illinois used to have a tremendous D-2 program. What happened to the program?
Henry ran 2:10:07 (I think) at Fukuoka a week after the NCAA D1 race that year (5th place finish? In the UTEP Kenyan horde of Nyambui, Motshewatu, etc.), a few days after destroying the course record at the NCAA D2 title at Parkside.
Nice two weeks of running.
Oops my mistake I should have said Coppess is the 13th best USA runner with the 21st best time. I forgot about KK running 2:07 & two 2:05s for the US. Dan Browne is now tied with Fred Torneden at 2:11:35 for the 41st best USA alltime marathon runner with the 71st best time, I believe.