That dude had some gas in the tank back in the day, 1:43.5 in 1974. Funny when you look back on this history how certain times stand out from all of the rest.
That dude had some gas in the tank back in the day, 1:43.5 in 1974. Funny when you look back on this history how certain times stand out from all of the rest.
Being a Bowling Green grad, god rest the sole of their program,I hate to admit it, but we may have never heard of Dave Wottle if Wolhuter had not been tripped (and fell) in the 1972 800 meter semi final. He got up and missed the final by a tenth. He had been running super going into the games and Wottle had been hurt doing little to nothing. I hate to think that we may not have had a chance to see such an exciting race. Wottle may still have run, but Wolhuter would've changed the nature of the race for sure!
Wohlhuter and Arzhanov both employed similar tactics of running to the finish from 300m out. I think Wohlhuter might have won the race had he made the final but that's mere speculation of course.
Obvious props to Wottle, but Wohlhuter would've made it quite interesting. Wottle won, no 'what ifs,...', but fun to speculate. Rick has to be one of the most overlooked top Americans ever. Then the poor guy is ready in '76 & runs into a freak in 400 man Jauntareno. Wohlhuter's 2:13+ 1000 is still the AR and top 3 or so ever and his 1:43.5 in '75 still impresses 27 years later.
Wohlhuter and the other mid-distance guys of that era are very overlooked. Wohlhuter was a beast and a very interesting guy to boot. I have this interview with him from an old Track and Field News magazine, he was so tough. I wonder what Wohlhuter is up to now. I know that he lives in Chicago and his son is on the team at Wheaton Warrenville South H.S. One of his teammates is Mike Popejoy, the son of former great distance runner Ken Popejoy. Talk about some nice guys to look up to on that team.
I got a chance to meet and talk to him this year at a party. Actually I was talking to him for about 20 minutes before I found out who he was. Down to earth nice guy. To look at him or talk to him, you'd never know what a track beast he was. He's not fat or anything, still in good shape, it's just that looks like an average guy.
I'm a Wheaton Warrenville South grad and I used to work with Wohlhuter's son over the summer and saw him at a road race last month. He just graduated, and I think about the fastest he ever ran in HS was 4;30-4;40 and 9;50-10;00. Popejoy's son just finished his sophomore year and ran a 9;27 and low 4;20s. It will be interesting to see how good he gets.
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
Running for Bowerman Track Club used to be cool now its embarrassing
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
Rest in Peace Adrian Lehmann - 2:11 Swiss marathoner. Dies of heart attack.