I READ THAT HE RAN 8:14 FOR 2 MILES.WHERE DID HE DO THAT? IF HE DID RUN THAT, PRETTY AMAZING FOR A SHORT STOCKY NO SPEED GUY
I READ THAT HE RAN 8:14 FOR 2 MILES.WHERE DID HE DO THAT? IF HE DID RUN THAT, PRETTY AMAZING FOR A SHORT STOCKY NO SPEED GUY
If I had to guess, I'd say he did it at the Pre Invite in the spring of '95. I remember watching him and Bob Kennedy in the race -- they were trying to get an American record. Kennedy won of course, but Williams hung in there. It was a really good race.
I remember watching the interview afterward where both of them were stunned with how many people came out to watch. The reporter asked them if they'd ever seen anything like it -- they both said something to the effect of 'No, not in America.' I don't think they meant to decry the general lack of American crowd participation in T&F, but it did speak to the fact that European crowds frequently get quite large and quite loud... A fact that the reporter, and many of us watching, were perhaps not aware of...
pre classic in the mid-late 90's. he and kennedy were led through the mile by brad schlapak and then traded laps till the end where they both were kickin hard. kennedy got him by a few tenths i think. the mile race the same day had close to 15 sub fours in the same race as well
24 8:14.53 Bob Kennedy USA 18.08.70 1 Eugene 04.06.1995
25 8:14.58 Todd Williams USA 07.03.69 2 Eugene 04.06.1995
the 24 and 25 before those listings are where their performances stand on the all-time world list. Definitely Williams' best short race ever.
that was also close to the AR which the doc had at right around 8:11-812?
QUESTION wrote:
I READ THAT HE RAN 8:14 FOR 2 MILES.WHERE DID HE DO THAT? IF HE DID RUN THAT, PRETTY AMAZING FOR A SHORT STOCKY NO SPEED GUY
He ran that 8:14 in 1995 at the Pre Meet in Eugene.
I guess it depends on how you define "no speed", but TWill has run 3:45 for 1500m, which is equivalent to a 4:02/4:03 mile, right?
This is kinda' off the subject, but I have a Nike poster that shows Kennedy breaking the tape "leading 12 runners under 4 minutes" in the mile at the '95 Pre Classic; but I don't remember seeing him in the Bowerman Mile, but I saw him race Todd in the 2 mile. When has Kennedy run the mile at Pre?
8:14 is pretty great for someone who has run 4:02.
I think 24 25 was for the ages at the time of racing
It was a great race. The two were way out in front of the pack, about 100yrds or so. They were chasing Davis' new 2 mile mark set a year or two earlier, 8:12. The time (at the time) was second or third all time until Komen and Geb had their runs at the record and posted a series of sub 8:10's and sub 8:05's. I remember reading a sports illustrated article about Davis when he set that record. He won the race, outkicked the defending record holder and oly champ khalid skah, and was seeing decent success in european racing. I believe he put a tatoo on his arm recognizing his new record. Perhaps you can comment on all this Doc, it makes a good story.
Kennedy ultimately took the record with an 8:11 effort in the same race where Komen set the record and broke the 8 min. barrier. Great effort as he surely didn't draft off Komen to sneak through.
Dang, you're right ds-man. Two 4:07 miles back to back. According to a couple of calculators, that's equivalent to about a 3:55 mile.
Kennedy's PB of 3:56 is from his win at the Pre Classic in 1994, leading 12 to sub-4.
QUESTION wrote:
I think 24 25 was for the ages at the time of racing
No, they are positions on the all-time world performance list from Peter Larsson's web site.
Thanks. I thought something looked strange on the poster.
I believe that 1995 was the year that Nike decided to re-commit to the Prefontaine Classic, as interest had been waning for years. That year Nike provided transportation to and from Beaverton for the meet, which would explain why the crowd was particularly enthusiastic.
It was a memorable race!
Yeah I have that meet on tape. If I remember correctly, Maurice Green wins the 100. Not many people had heard of the graduate from KC junior college.
For what it's worth, the standard 1.08 conversion factor gives a 7:37.94 value for 3000m ... that would put Todd pretty high on the US a-t 3k list and I seriously doubt there are any other sub-7:40 Americans with 3:45 1500 PRs.
While I'm sure Todd could have knocked a few more seconds off that 1500 with some chances, the 8:14.58 is certainly a testament to the effort he put in that race and an unusual fitness level. He always got fired up to race Kennedy, that's for sure.
Wasn't there a US championship 5k one of those mid-90s years where he was running with Kennedy and collapsed?
Also, since this is something of a Williams tribute thread, I admired that the guy also hammered some great road times, like the 42:22 15k and 1:00:11 half. Interesting that his 27:31 track PR came at Sea Ray in Knoxville early-season. I recall earlier when he broke through with a 27:40 in Europe, but not sure how many big Euro invite 10ks he wound up running due to championship years and limited racing, etc.
I would think he could have, in the right race, certainly run a Nenow-like time. Also think his 5k could have been 13:14-15 or so.
Here's the story about the collapse in '97 (stolen from RWOL, but full interview at the link below):
RWD: You collapsed in the 5000 at the USATF Championships in Indianapolis in June. What exactly happened?
TW: Pretty much heat stroke. I just fell. I started feeling chills at about 2400 meters. I wasn't feeling good at all. I kept pushing it, even when Bob [Kennedy] started to gap. My only thinking was to run fast and the next thing I know I ended up in the tent. I lost consciousness. I guess you can say that's the hardest I ever ran before I dropped. It was 102 on the track. We'd been trying to run 13:10.
Additionally, his PR at 3000 is 7:44, which is not bad for not focusing on the event much.
HIS PR WAS 7:43.86 SET IN NICE,FRANCE IN 95.
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
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
2024 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion
Running for Bowerman Track Club used to be cool now its embarrassing