Just flippin' through the February 1985 Track & Field News, and I found a report on the 1985 Runner's Den 10K in Phoenix, AZ. Won by Bruce Bickford (28:17), with FIFTY-ONE guys under 30 minutes. Are there ANY road races anywhere in the world that come close to that kind of depth anymore?
10Ks were shorter back then...surprised you didn't know that.
skylon wrote:
Just flippin' through the February 1985 Track & Field News, and I found a report on the 1985 Runner's Den 10K in Phoenix, AZ. Won by Bruce Bickford (28:17), with FIFTY-ONE guys under 30 minutes. Are there ANY road races anywhere in the world that come close to that kind of depth anymore?
Penofin (sp?) in Ukiah about the same time was even deeper. Ran badly so don't remeber my exact time. Think I was about 30.10. Didn't make the top 100. I remember my buddy ran abot 28.40. He was way out of the money.
Rememeber the Continental Homes 10k in Arizona?
I would like to see some of those old results from around 1984-1985.
shots wrote:
Rememeber the Continental Homes 10k in Arizona?
I would like to see some of those old results from around 1984-1985.
I think Continental Homes was faster up front (didn't Barrios set the WR in that race?) but Runner's Den was deeper.
I have the promotional poster of that race which is big poster of Alberto. I think Decastella won it that year (1984).
not as many 10Ks on the calendar in those days hence clustering of elites at given event
I finished 30th at peachtree in 1981 with a time of 29:30, not sure how many were under 30.
In those days runners went to races to race and run fast against the best, that is why there was so much depth.
I hitch hiked back to NH the day after the race after catching a ride with a friend to Atlanta the day before the race.
One year I ran the Old Realiable 10km and finished twenty something with a 29:45.I also ran the Red Lobster 10km another year running a 29:31, again finishing twenty something.I thought those two races had good depth but perhaps I was just King of the dinks, who was out of his league.
Not as many 10k's in those days??? Thats all there was. Today's 5k runs were nowhere to be found back then.
There was an article on a 10k a few years back in Kenya...some kind of regional meet to discover talent. The article said onle a few wore shoes, 2 were invited and known to the running community. Well over 150 went under 30 and alot were farmers running in jeans/overalls..serious thats what it said. I read it on runnersworld.com though maybe 2-3 years ago.
question answered wrote:
not as many 10Ks on the calendar in those days hence clustering of elites at given event
I think you're off base on that - there were WAY more 10Ks then, relative to the total number of races, than there are today. Back then 10K was virtually the standard road distance - you didn't see half the number of Mom and Pop 5Ks that you do now.
Of course, maybe that's why there was such depth - people raced longer distances, had to train harder.
I was in high school then and I raced more 10k's than any distance. The only 10k's now are the ones that have been around for 25 years. The problem now is that every one thinks you should only run about 4 races per year or you will get burnt out.
I used to be a consultant on the Penofin 10k in Ukiah, California. Great event, great course, great weather. John Maginnes who started the event was a fascinating guy. I wrote an article about him a long time ago.
1986 event
7 sub 28:00
another 5 sub 28:30
another 14 sub 29:00
31st was 29:16.
I just have a real hard time paying 10 to 15 bucks to run a 15 to 16 minute race.
10k's were were it was at in the early 80's. But I understand that race directors need to attract runners.