Which runner has inspired you more than any other? Serious responses please.

I follow professional running and love it as a spectator sport (seriously), but most of the people who inspire me are local elites because they are easier to relate to. For example, there is a woman in my club who used to never think she could break 3:00 in the marathon. Her PR is now 2:42. As someone who would probably run just under 3:00 now but wants to eventually run the B standard, the fact that someone else has made similar improvements makes me feel like I can do the same.

Probably Adam Goucher as portrayed in Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear. This book was very timely for me because I had neglected mileage for "quality" and my times were suffering. Also, Malmo with his Summer of Malmo program that has the attitude of push your boundaries. These resources encouraged me to gradually increase my mileage to new levels I had previously thought were unrewarding, resulting in PRs at 5k, 10k, half, and marathon.

we should have to put our ages - I'm sure for most of us, whoever was a top runner when we were 17 will be near the top.

I have to say Joan B-S - she is the heart of american distance running and has been so for decades.

I measure pros on a basic litmus test - would he or she run and train hard even if she or he were slow. And if I think they only run because they are fast, I can't root for the guy. Centro comes to mind.

I think Joan would be running even if she weren't an OG gold medalist and with a nike contract, etc. she runs because that is who she is.

and of course her races were so amazing.

yes, I was 17 in 1984.

per xenon - there is also a local guy who I really try to live up to - been running for 30 years, always gives it his all, nice guy, always shows up, wins age group almost always.

Geoffrey Mutai's 2011 Boston Marathon win made me start following marathon running and want to do a marathon. I'm currently training for what will be my first marathon in April.

I also really like and look up to Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers, they kept things simple but trained really hard and are the best American runners ever. I'm copying Frank's idea of just doing as much mileage as possible at an easy pace and doing speed work twice a week at or under 5k pace for 2-3 miles of volume starting in February probably.

Haile Gebrselassie

As someone else predicted, he was the best when I was 17. He is arguably the GOAT, and obviously enjoys running for its own sake, continuing on now that he is not the best and doesn't need the money. Plus he seems like a nice guy.

xenonscreams,

I can understand that for sure. Where I'm from there are few running clubs, and there are no local elites. That's awesome that you can train with her and draw inspiration from her.

thursday morning intervals,

I'm starting that book right now! I'm looking forward to it even more. Glad to see you improved significantly from that inspiration.

agip,

I'm 21. I completely agree with you on your litmus test. Gerry still runs today! They would both run even if they were slow. Runners need to love running for more than just the times and places. There's much more to it.

NotAustin18,

I hope training goes great for your marathon in April! I'm not familiar with Frank's training method you mentioned. Sounds solid, I'm sure some of those runs were harder than just easy pace though right?

Sartor Resartus,

Absolutely, Haile is the man.

Zatopek

Eddie Hart (1972 4x100 gold medallist). He talked to our track team about his races, like his 9.9 100 WR, and the time his coach drove him to the Olympic 100 Final where he didn't make it to the starting line in time (and he was the favorite to win).

Interestingly enough, he said that made him a better person, and he doesn't have any grudges against his coach either. Very inspirational speaker.

Bob Kennedy, Todd Williams, Paul Tergat, Eliud Kipchoge, Daniel Komen, Haile G

You asked for one, and I gave you mine, but I'd also like to mention Herb Elliott and John Ngugi for their uncompromising, balls-to-the-wall racing style, and Ed Whitlock because I want to run all my life..

Bill Rodgers

I liked that he was a road racer and raced a lot.

Jordan hassay

Ron Daws (RIP)

Made the most of his modest ability. Dreamed the dream and made the 1968 Olympic Marathon Team.

The first running article I read about a runner was Daws.

Dave Wottle. His Olympic win was probably the single inspiration for why I started to run competitively.

Good point: That you might pick your running hero when you were 17.

When I was 17, Pre ran an American record 12:51 two mile, edging out Frank shorter by a meter or two, and a 27:43 AR 10000.

He was the man of the day and inspired the lot of us.

I admired his gutsy racing style.

We all know his "tactics" could be foolhardy, but we loved the guy.

Indeed, I had a tendency to run way too hard in the middle of my races for awhile, taking after Pre. The solution, ultimately, was to train harder so you could make it to the end of the race without dying.

The first "star" runner I ever knew of was Bill Rodgers. He was the man in the late 1970's if you just were getting into the sport. Honestly I never heard of Pre until a little later. He died about 4 years before I started following the sport through magazines.

I'll never forget how excited I was to run a 10k road race when I was 15 and be standing close enough to see him before the start.

For my age group it was Rodgers, Salazar, and Coe. And then for me Aouita. They were all big names and media focuses at the time the only sources to read about current runners were Runners World, The Runner, and Track and Field News. And Sports Illustrated even put the first three on their cover at least once.

Balian wrote:

Ron Daws (RIP)

Made the most of his modest ability. Dreamed the dream and made the 1968 Olympic Marathon Team.

The first running article I read about a runner was Daws.

He also contributed two of the best running books I've ever read.

Paul Mcmullen, Chris Solinsky and other bigger runners. As a bigger runner myself ( 6'1" 175ish) lets me believe I can still get close to elite times with a lot of hard work and staying injury free and not just being rail thin.

Coe & Ovett were breaking records left & right while I was going through high school and starting college. Their highs & lows over those years were amazing to see how they could overcome and rise up again and again until they gave way to the next generation of miling greats, Cram, Aouita etc...