were the 1980's the glory days of road racing (1985 Bobby Crim 10 Mi RESULTS)

bump, c'mon guys!

Have any of you raced Bobby Crim in the '80s?

Have any of you ever seen a more stacked race with so many avg joes breaking 55?

I was one of those guys who broke 55 at the Crim and yes it's changed. The depth has gone away. Not being elite but running 5:20 pace for 10 miles moves you up place wise alot more than it did back then. No, the course wasn't short, actually it was certified and I myself rode it.

in the past decade or so, the half marathon has all but replaced the 10 mile distance. There are still some major 10 milers though like broadstreet and cherry blossom.

Yes, there was a far greater number of quality runners back then. And a lot fewer plodders as well.

Back then, it was seen as a noble thing to be a "running bum" (like a surf bum) who did little more than work at a running store all week and train his ass off, even though he could never run faster than 5:20 pace for a 10k. Lot's of dudes did that back then, but not so much anymore.

rffdd wrote:

in the past decade or so, the half marathon has all but replaced the 10 mile distance. There are still some major 10 milers though like broadstreet and cherry blossom.

well show me a half marathon where the top 100 are under 5:30 pace.

bangalangadanga wrote:

rffdd wrote:

in the past decade or so, the half marathon has all but replaced the 10 mile distance. There are still some major 10 milers though like broadstreet and cherry blossom.

well show me a half marathon where the top 100 are under 5:30 pace.

Obviously it doesn't exist. Yes, things were a LOT different back then. Tons of guys under 2:20 in the marathon (equivalent for other distances). Literally hundreds. Now, if you are between 2:12 and 2:20 you give up and get on with your life. Back then, that was your life.

bangalangadanga wrote:

rffdd wrote:

in the past decade or so, the half marathon has all but replaced the 10 mile distance. There are still some major 10 milers though like broadstreet and cherry blossom.

well show me a half marathon where the top 100 are under 5:30 pace.

Not quite, but the New Bedford half is still a pretty impressive field;

50th is just under 1:13:00

100th is 1:17:+

Granted NB is kind of the post winter coming out party for clubs and individuals and has a lot of history behind it but it is one good example of a deep race.

James Joyce 10K was the USATF New England Championship race this year and I finished I think 40th running just under 34:00.

203 wrote:

well show me a half marathon where the top 100 are under 5:30 pace.

It's not America, but the Ageo City Half Marathon had 400 guys sneak under 1:10 back in 2008:

Maybe Japan still has running bums?

Btw, did there really used to be ~32:30 guys that were running bums? No offense to anyone who fit that description, I'm just curious.

dear lord thats freaking epic!!!

PS--those guys also raced (typically) dozens of times each year. Really doesn't seem to have hurt them much. Maybe there's a lesson there...

Yes, more people ran with more intensity than today, at least that's my perception as one who went through it. Heck, with today's better training methods, guys like Herb Lindsay would be running 45 minute 10 milers for sure.

What better training methods?

I was one of those guys that kept running after college in the late 70's and took a "lesser" job to keep up my running. Would run low 50's for 10 milers and only got to 2;25 in the NYC marathon, good for 106th place. But I felt like I squeezed every bit out of my limited ability with a few years of "LSD" and lots of mile repeats. Got done with that, had kids and upgraded job and now am very successful, and have no regrets about taking those few years. BTW, never got paid, got some free shoes and most entry fees waived. That's it. I don't see many people doing that now.

I ran that race! I was way the heck back, but I was in the mid 50's. Wow. Cool.

Chairman Wow wrote:

203 wrote:

well show me a half marathon where the top 100 are under 5:30 pace.

It's not America, but the Ageo City Half Marathon had 400 guys sneak under 1:10 back in 2008:

http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/deeper-and-deeper-goes-greatest-half.html

Maybe Japan still has running bums?

Btw, did there really used to be ~32:30 guys that were running bums? No offense to anyone who fit that description, I'm just curious.

Well, 32:00-ish, but, yeah. I don't regret it a bit. I sometimes think if I had been better about stretching and recovery I could have squeezed another few minutes out of my marathon time, but I know, because I tried, that I was not destined to be a world class marathoner. And, oddly, that's what made those years such a good investment.

Oh... and I just freaking loved to run. And I still do.

lived thru this era also. I always thought there was more depth back then. I also think it has to do with grass roots clubs that were active when money started to come into the picture. I think back then there might have been more opportunities for those 32:30 guys. Winners times are faster today, but I still think the 80s had the depth.