NAME - ALL THE FAMOUS, ELITE, TOP TIER RUNNERS YOU HAVE RACED AGAINST, RUN WITH, OR MET...

Met-Ray Flynn@ETSU in 1980,

Raced against- Charlie Vigil, Nick Rose,Adrian Leek,Dave Murphy ,Tom Wysocki,Ric Sayre, Jon Glidewell,Tony Staynings

I warmed down with Webb. He seemed like a good guy to me. He asked me a few questions about my running.

Have met Geb too. True gent and the biggest smile in sport. Very rough hands..

Most notably...

Have raced (so to speak) Bob Kennedy in H.S. XC and track. We were in the same conference in Ohio. Also raced him in college XC and have had a few brief meetings / conversations with him.

Have met Alan Webb at 2007 Prefontaine meet.

Lolo Jones met with at fittness sports

Shalane Flanagan met with and ran with at Brocaw Blazers Running Camp

Gebtheroughhand wrote:

I warmed down with Webb. He seemed like a good guy to me. He asked me a few questions about my running.

Have met Geb too. True gent and the biggest smile in sport. Very rough hands..

I once ran a 1600 workout with Patti Sue Plummer at Stanford in the early 90s. Man was she fast.

Then of course there's the Scott Fry episode (I think I've mentioned that Oak Harbor Invitation race from 1985 here at least once). I did lose to him the year before at that same invitational though when he ran 9:11.

I used to work for and train with Doug Latimer, Western States 100 winner from 1981. He was in his early 50s when I worked for him (he owned a publishing company), and man was that guy fast. In his prime he was one of the best ultra runners in the world (no big deal to some of you, but this guy was outrageously fit and a very talented runner).

Got to meet and very briefly talk to Dave Wottle when he spoke at my university when I was a student. Also met and briefly chatted with Dr. George Sheehan via the same way.

Gebtheroughhand wrote:

Have met Geb too. True gent and the biggest smile in sport. Very rough hands..

Forgot about this one... Had breakfast with Geb once. He is very friendly. A friend wanted to take a picture and I had to stand two steps down from him so we could be even close in height.

Bill Bowerman

Bill Dillenger

Arthur Lydiard

Joe Vigil

Pre-Berkley 1971

Frank Shorter West Coast Relays-1974

Gerry Lindgren, Jim Ryun, Randy Matson-Examiner Games-1970

Terry Williams

Mitch Kingery

Nick Rose

Craig Virgin

Kirk Piffer

Herb Lindsay

Henry Marsh

Alberto Salazar, Rudy Chapa-1979 Twilight 3000 AR 7:37.

Duncan McDonald

Doug Brown

Tom Byers-1974 Jr. national in Gainsville, FL. Stuck in an elevator for 1/2 with Guy Arbogast and 3 ladies

Don Clary

Richie Harris

Thom Hunt

Steve Lacy

Henry Rono-1978 Seattle, steeple WR 8:05.4 in horrible weather (I was 5th)

Samson Kimombwa

Doug Padilla

Steve McChesney

Tom McChesney

Matt Centrowitz

Eamon Coughlin

Barry Brown

George Young

Ed Mendoza

Marty Liquori

Ken Martin

Bill McChesney

Joel Cheriout

Josh Kimeto

Jeff Nelson

Don Kardong

Terry Cotton

Gerg Meyer

Eric Hulst

Rich Kimball

Matt Guisto

Nancy Ditz

Mary Decker

Deena Drossin

Paul Cummings

Benton Hart

Steve Scott

Wilson Waigwa

Paul Geis

Malmo

Art Boileu

Pat Porter

Tom Wysocki

Ruth Wysocki

Ric Rojas

Randy Thomas

Bob Hodge

Don Paige

Steve Ortiz

Dan Aldredge

Adrian Royle

Dick Quax

Don Janiki

Domingo Tibaduzia

John Tracey

Peter Koech

Ivan Huff

Rick Riley

Tony Sandoval

Rod DeHaven

Jeff Wells

Roy Kissin

Bill Rodgers

Joan Benoit

Hal Higdon

Anne Audain

Moses Tanui

etc, etc, etc.

Steve Scott, Frank Shorter, Pat Porter, Todd Williams, Bob Kennedy, Jerry Lawson, Joe Falcon, Jim Ryun, Billy Mills, Jim Spivey, Steve Cram, Fermin Cacho, Peter Rono, Tim Hacker, Jeff Atkinson, Rod Dixon, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Regina Jacobs (total bitchy attitude), Terrance Herrington, Mark Coogan, Keith Brantly, Melody Fairchild, Kip Keino, Ed Eyestone, Frank O'Mara, Eamon Coghlan, Jen Rhines, Terrance Mahon, Meb Keflezghi, Matt Giusto, Kenny Moore, Bob Schul, Wes Santee. Probably left a few folks out.

Must say, all great people, excpet for Ms. Jacobs. I had to pick her up for a race in California and all she did was complain because she had to wait 10 minutes after she got off her flight to be picked up. Mostly met these folks, raced a few of them and got my butt handed to me each time.

I played ping pong against Todd Williams at xc camp in high school, he destroyed me.

Abel Kirui( Social,very inteligent,down to earth)

Paul Kiptanui(Never shuts up,very funy ,very friendly)

Paul Tergat(down to earth,kind,very focused)

Elijah lagat(very inspiring )

felix Limo( very competitive,very knowledgeable)

Bernard Kipyego( a complete snob )

Simon tanui( Not talkative)

Berhane Dagphne( Lovely lady )

Thomas Abyu ( Arrogant )

Moses Masai(Another snob).

Mo Farah ( Very diplomatic,abit unreal,pleasant)

I met my idol Said Aouita close to the end of his Great career. He was running at the L.A. Times indoor meet in Los Angeles. I waited after the meet to see if I could run into him and get him to autograph a picture I blew up of him breaking his 3000m WR in Cologne. He came out and wasn't to happy after his race but lit up when he saw the huge picture of him. We took pictures after and chat chitted a bit. I also ran into him at Mt. Sac 1 year when he was coaching the Australian team. He was standing right next to me and I had no idea until someone started talking to him and I was like Holy Jesus. We talked a bit then too. Very nice guy.

Carl Lewis.

I was working at the Nike Indoor HS Nationals a few years back. I walk in the medical room. There he is standing against the far wall by himself. Everyone else is against the other wall staring at him. I walk over, offer to shake hands, introduce myself and ask about the famous 30 foot jump in Indy years ago, that should be the WR still. I started life as a long jumper, so I am a fan of that event. He got so animated and excited talking about it. We had a long, great conversation. Then, on his own, he walked over to the table where there were a pile of programs. He flipped them all to his picture and signed every one.

I think he was very gracious and personable.

Man I'm getting old. I forgot two of the best ones (probably because I didn't RUN with them...just interviewed them when I was a reporter):

Mark Plaatjes

Butch Reynolds

You guys will be suprised but I ran with:

Yury Borzakovsky - REALLY good man, very friendly, humble, music obsessive (resident Dj), lighthearted and VERY light-legged:);

Slava Shabunin (Russian record holder on 1500 - 3.32) - funny, intelligent, humorous;

a lot of Kenians and Europeans but it's not so exotic for you...

I beat Bryan Clay in a card game which started off with like 7 people and ended up with us two.

Also should've went to Bob Mathias funeral but my friend didn't tell me about it. I was getting out of PE my sophomore year in high school and I saw the jets do their flyover and then I remembered.

Hendrick Ramaala

Sean Dollman

Jimmy Hearald

Allistar Cragg

Jim Ryun came to Peoria IL for a charity race, Craig Virgin and Henry Rono at Steamboat Classic, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit-Samuelson and Bill Rodgers at Bix, The Brojos at Las Vegas Marathon when Rojo PR'd. Also, Khannouchi, Plaatjes, De Reuck, Joyce Chepchumba, Arturo Barrios, Justin Young, Tim Broe, Clint Verran, Brian Sell, all at Steamboat (and others). Have raced all of them, and been able to speak to them. Very cool to run Boredom the day after Steamboat and get their running stories. Jorge Torres and Nick Willis were in Peoria for the IHSA State CC Meet, too!

I'm by no means a fan, but this doesn't surprise me. I think he's actually quite a shy guy and quite a nice one as well. I feel badly for him for his lackluster post-Olympic career.

Old Ultra Guy wrote:

Carl Lewis.

I was working at the Nike Indoor HS Nationals a few years back. I walk in the medical room. There he is standing against the far wall by himself. Everyone else is against the other wall staring at him. I walk over, offer to shake hands, introduce myself and ask about the famous 30 foot jump in Indy years ago, that should be the WR still. I started life as a long jumper, so I am a fan of that event. He got so animated and excited talking about it. We had a long, great conversation. Then, on his own, he walked over to the table where there were a pile of programs. He flipped them all to his picture and signed every one.

I think he was very gracious and personable.

Chris Derrick- ran against him at a high school xc meet my senior year. he beat me by 2 whole minutes.

Frank Shorter- Had a conversation with him at the Chicago Marathon expo. Great guy and a very good storyteller!

Rodolfo Gomez and Adriana Fernandez (they're married)- Tokyo and NYC marathon winners. Gomez was also 2nd to Alberto Salazar at NYC. I lived and trained with Gomez's training group based in Mexico City. I did 6x1600 + 1x800 with Adriana.

Others:

Craig Virgin- met at Illinois state xc meet.

Bill Rodgers- met at running shoe store. signed a poster for me. also saw him at the bix 7.

Joan Samuelson- Bix 7.

Khalid Kannouchi- Chicago Marathon expo.

Brian Sell- Chicago Marathon expo.

Matt Gabrielson- met him at the Roy Griak xc meet haha.

there's probably more i can't remember now...