What runner do you most respect?

Molly Huddle

Jeff Eggleston

Meb

Alan Web

Flo'da boy wrote:

Yuki Kawauchi. He races constantly so he is easy and entertaining to keep track of. And the time he shaved his head after he felt he disappointed his fans was just some noble badass sh1t!

Hear hear.

I respect Yuki Kawauchi, largely because he works full time and still strives to race at his best. The same goes for any other top level runner who also works full time, Ron Hill and Thomas Wessinhage are other examples who spring to my mind and someone mentioned Max King in this thread. I also read that Sergio Reyes made a US marathon team while working full time repairing F-16 fighter jets so that guy has to be respected as well.

Rising Son wrote:

I respect Yuki Kawauchi, largely because he works full time

"full time". He works for the state government and starts is job after 10am and gets off around 6pm in order to put in another training session.

No disrespect but most people in Japan work 8am to 8pm and often have to join their bosses for after work activities.

Mojo Jerkin wrote:

I'll give you 3.

1. Molly Huddle. Just seems to go about what she does quietly, seems really nice, and is rarely talked about here even though she is one of the top few runners in the US.

2. Ritz. Many like to question him, but he has had a heck of a career and has persisted through injuries that many would have caused many to just thrown in the towel.

3. Meb. Hard to believe, but an Olympic medalist and winner of NY and Boston somehow has never been given his due.

^^^This.

I would add Edwin Moses.

I'm generally a distance running fan, but he revolutionized the hurdles. He didn't lose for 10 years!

And, he's a humble guy that just went about his business.

I have read a couple articles about the Japanese and work. There are a growing number of people who are opting out of the situation we associate with Japan's workers. At any rate, by the standards of almost all western countries Kawauchi does work full time. The others work a lot more than full time.

Lagat, Solinsky, and letsrun's own David Torrence.

Definitely Meb. He represents the sport just as well winning Boston or blowing up at New York. Wesley Korir is up there too. He may not have the performances other than a bit of a fluke Boston win, but his commitment to his community is amazing. Moving back a few years Jason Hartmann is up there, no sponsor and '"too tall", but threw down two great Boston runs.

xxxcccxxxccc wrote:

Will Leer

Pat Smyth

Ryan Vail

Max King

Leo

Rupp

I've been waiting for the high school kids to show up.

Mark Plaatjes. World Champion, physical therapist, owns Boulder Running Company, runs training group. Not a sponsorship slut.

Roger Bannister

Definitely Joan Benoit Samuelson, with Greta Weitz a close second.

Bernard Lagat

Leo Manzano

Will Leer

Alan Webb

Ian Stewart

I'm surprised more people can embrace the female athletes: Shalane and Desire!

Also Meb, Dathan, Bernard

I respect the runners who I think would be running even if they weren't fast - obvi hard to test this so it is just intuition -

Benoit, above all

J Simpson

Ritz

Ryan Hall

Alexi Pappas

Deena Kastor

not many others - a guy like Leo - I jsut don't think he'd be running if he were a normally talented guy. Certainly not centro either. Huddle? I dunno.

but I could be wrong.

Matt Elliot and Matt Llano

the unknown runner wrote:

Some random local runner that pulls off 32 minute 10ks for no reason, no glory, no coaching, and no money. And is humble about it. And they're over 40.

So by the detailed description ( 32 min 10ks = totally arbitrary mark) you gave, I'm guessing this runner perfectly describes you! So I guess this runner isn't so humble after all.

But congrats on the Big PR.

Jeff Nelson

German Fernandez

Lukas Verzbicas

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2 mile and 1 mile HS record holders who have run every step since with way too high expectations and pressure. Must be hard to run when everyone expects so much!

I like and respect a lot of professional runners, and many of my former college teammates, but the people for whom i have real admiration are these guys and gals:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/sports/striving-immigrants-find-long-distance-running-far-from-lonely-in-new-york-city.html?pagewanted=all

"Julio Sauce, a 41-year-old New Yorker from Ecuador, clutched a glass plaque he had earned for finishing first in his age group. Having averaged better than six minutes a mile on the hilly course, Sauce said he was tired — but not just from the race.

From 2:30 p.m. Saturday to 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Sauce had worked as a cook at 44 & X Hells Kitchen, a Midtown restaurant. After the train ride home to Coney Island, he had only three hours of sleep before returning to Manhattan for the early race. Undeterred, he pronounced himself ready for his next big event: the New York City Marathon on Sunday...

The team’s Ethiopian runners are world-class. But most West Side Runners are working class, part of New York’s often marginalized Latino community. Members of this close-knit crew rarely win anything more than the reward of crossing the finish line a little faster than the time before. And yet they remain some of the city’s most devoted and talented runners, finishing at the front of the pack and making casual runners look positively lethargic."

I'm surprised no one has said Jordan Hasay yet. She's been around for so long, there have been so many times people have written her off, yet she comes back from every setback going back to the high school days of winning Footlocker her freshman and senior year. Some other examples include when she had a poor race in one event and comes back stronger in the next event. She's tenacious and never gives up, and it helps that she is also confident yet humble and intelligent.