Would Henry Rono be a contender today?

epopians wrote:

Rono must surely be one of the most famous distance runners in history. I seem to remember a lot of speculation in the late '70's that he didn't train particularly hard a

What are your sources? Dyestat? The New York Times? McGuffey Reader? I can't remember hearing anything about "lacklustr training". Quite the opposite. Rono's training ethic was the stuff of legend.

epopians wrote:

Firstly, is it true about his lacklustre attitude to training, or was that just spin to make his opponents be in awe of him?

If often running from WSU all the way down to the Snake River Canyon and then back up ALL those LONG steep ass hills is lackluster, then yeah he was lackluster.

wazzu fun wrote:

epopians wrote:

Firstly, is it true about his lacklustre attitude to training, or was that just spin to make his opponents be in awe of him?

If often running from WSU all the way down to the Snake River Canyon and then back up ALL those LONG steep ass hills is lackluster, then yeah he was lackluster.

The lackluster training came when his alcoholism began to degrade his career.

Minus alcoholism, and modern training methods and coaching, I believe he'd be the match of Geb and Bekele today.

Natural talent beyond imagination.

epopians wrote:

Seem to remember he didn't have much of a kick (e.g 2 Mile race v Ovett), so perhaps he wouldn't have been a challenger in Champs, but would he be a possible record holder today? I doubt it, but interested to hear what others on here think.

Bwahahaha...

First -- By comparison to Ovett, almost no one had much of a kick.

Second -- read

to get an inkling of why Henry Rono was considered a bad, bad dude.

There is a another version of the story in "Duel in the Sun", but what is not in dispute is that Rono broke Alberto Salazar on his home track.

The lackluster training came when his alcoholism began to degrade his career.

Minus alcoholism, and modern training methods and coaching, I believe he'd be the match of Geb and Bekele today.

Natural talent beyond imagination.[/quote]

This is spot on. Rono had the talent to match anyone who has ever laced 'em up.

Indeed, as talented as anyone who laced them up.

I often use Rono as an example of how the sport has been changed through drugs.

Logic is, that if Rono was as talented as anyone who ever ran, and he was able to do 13:06, well maybe if he had a longer career and really was able to run a GREAT race, we'd see a 12:50. How we get 12:39 and then 12:37 is beyond me.

I could be wrong...the Ethopians now may be more talented, have better training, better shoes....etc, etc, but the VAST improvement in the 5,000 record tells me something else.

improved track surfaces come into play as well, and significantly longer careers.

Gomer wrote:

Indeed, as talented as anyone who laced them up.

I often use Rono as an example of how the sport has been changed through drugs.

Logic is, that if Rono was as talented as anyone who ever ran, and he was able to do 13:06, well maybe if he had a longer career and really was able to run a GREAT race, we'd see a 12:50. How we get 12:39 and then 12:37 is beyond me.

I could be wrong...the Ethopians now may be more talented, have better training, better shoes....etc, etc, but the VAST improvement in the 5,000 record tells me something else.

I'm sorry, but how could you be so ignorant? Henry Rono ran 13:06 as a stinking drunk. The night before he set his last 5000m world record, he consumed an inhuman amount of whiskey. He ran 27:22 when he was 15lbs overweight! And you think that he realized his talent? Henry Rono could have done to distance running what Geb did if he hadn't been such a terrible drunk.

Dirty Jerz wrote:

improved track surfaces come into play as well, and significantly longer careers.

Rono ran his fastest 5k at age 29 and his fastest 10k at age 26. His steeplechase record was also at 26.

Bekele ran his fastest 5k at age 21 and his fastest 10k at age 23. Haile Gebrselassie ran his fastest 5k and 10k at age 25.

So, in actuality, the longer careers of Bekele and Gebrselassie isn't a factor as to why they ran faster than Rono.

I'd be interested to know if Rono continued to train at altitude when he was racing in his 20's?

Because if he wan't then he had the capacity to run faster

on the runs wrote:

Gomer wrote:

Indeed, as talented as anyone who laced them up.

I'm sorry, but how could you be so ignorant? Henry Rono ran 13:06 as a stinking drunk. The night before he set his last 5000m world record, he consumed an inhuman amount of whiskey. He ran 27:22 when he was 15lbs overweight! And you think that he realized his talent? Henry Rono could have done to distance running what Geb did if he hadn't been such a terrible drunk.

OK, but I don't know you. I know Malmo and trust what he says. Is this true?

Gomer wrote:

OK, but I don't know you. I know Malmo and trust what he says. Is this true?

According to Rono, it is. Buy his book "Olympic Dream".

Henry was spectacular. He goes down as one of the best EVER. simply amazing.

hewasveryverygood wrote:

Henry was spectacular. He goes down as one of the best EVER. simply amazing.

I cannot imagine any modern athlete beating Rono on equal terms. Modern training, no alcoholism etc.

Rono had what they have. Talent, and effortlessly smooth running economy.

It's a pity his life took the turns it did. His talent was a head start glimpse into the future, 20 years ahead of time.

altoroad wrote:

According to Rono, it is. Buy his book "Olympic Dream".

I know Rono and I have his book. You are wrong.

One Who Was There wrote:

I cannot imagine any modern athlete beating Rono on equal terms. Modern training, no alcoholism etc..

Believe it. Bekele and Geb were/are better, period. Rono would never have run 3:31i and 2:03 marathon like Geb, and never won all the "million" x-c titles that Bekele won, or run the 12:37 or the 26:17.

Maybe his drinking and some weight issues, and, not having a Geb or Bekele to chase kept him from his ultimate potential, but I think people just need to start realizing Bekele and Geb are the best ever period. It's really beyond argument at this point.

Although there may be a tendency for old-timers to overestimate the talents and abilities of the legends of their sports, I feel confident that Henry could have gone head-to-head with anyone in the world today at 3k, 5k, 10k, or steeple. I do not have that confidence about any other male distance runner of the '70s or earlier.

As for his training ethic, I like Toby Tanser's description: "Rono was an impetuous and turbulent trainer, propelling his body farther than many thought was conceivable with training that could amount to three workouts per day, two of which would be high-quality. He virtually wrenched his physique into racing form." The word "turbulent" sounds right. He could get into and out of shape faster than anyone else.

malmo wrote:

altoroad wrote:

According to Rono, it is. Buy his book "Olympic Dream".

I know Rono and I have his book. You are wrong.

I've never met Rono, and I have read his book more than once. In his book, Rono claims that he "drank with great abandon with friends the night before" running his 13:08.4 in 1978. Rono describes his life in the next years as alternating his focus between drinking and running. So, yes, the earlier post to which this exchange refers is not accurate in detail, and perhaps over the top...

Sir Lance-alot wrote:

One Who Was There wrote:

I cannot imagine any modern athlete beating Rono on equal terms. Modern training, no alcoholism etc..

Believe it. Bekele and Geb were/are better, period. Rono would never have run 3:31i and 2:03 marathon like Geb, and never won all the "million" x-c titles that Bekele won, or run the 12:37 or the 26:17.

Maybe his drinking and some weight issues, and, not having a Geb or Bekele to chase kept him from his ultimate potential, but I think people just need to start realizing Bekele and Geb are the best ever period. It's really beyond argument at this point.

No, I don't believe it.

Rono, for one, we know was clean.

I've seen them all run, and I believe if there was a time machine and all of them trained at their peak, Rono would be competitive, if not right in the mix with those guys.