What Elite Runner Has Gotten the Least out of The Talent They Have?

That would be me. I have so much talent, but way underutilized that I never made it to elite level

Bib #1 wrote:

That would be me. I have so much talent, but way underutilized that I never made it to elite level

Matt Davis, that you?

I'm sad to say it because he's a great guy but Yong-Sung Leal.

yeah OK wrote:

skylon69 wrote:

I'm gonna commit heresy and say.....Bill Rodgers. With all of his accomplishments, I truly believe he had it in him to run a world record in the marathon. He always ran to win, if there were set up races back then with pacers, if he wanted to he could have been close to 2:08 flat. He valued wins/racing a lot over records. And, all due to politics & timing, he was good enough to win an Olympic medal....whether gold, silver, or bronze.

Not really heresy and I get your point. He got a lot out of his talent but not in major championships nor did he really take a shot at WR. Part of the reason he had to race a lot was financial, because pro runners were technically amateurs and could only earn peanuts.

Not true. BR was making $300,000 a year just in appearance fees back then. He had running stores and a clothing line where Gore-Tex running suits cost $120 back then.

One time when I was running with Herb Lindsay in 1980 (I was 13 years old and had just run 36:XX for 10k for the first time), I asked him what he was shooting for at the next race (maybe Cherry Blossom 10 mile?) and one of the 28 year old guys on the Frank Shorter Racing Team goes "a brown paper bag with FIVE grand in it."

Working on a paper route for 80 cents per day at the time and not knowing how the world worked, I said, "Is that something that really happens?" Herb just smiled and we kept on running and nobody said anything about it again.

BTW, this is heresy. BR did not have the greatest talent America has ever seen, and he put together a body of work at 10k-half marathon road racing (mostly in '76-'81) that is without peers in terms of quality and quantity. His marathon CV is better than every American ever, even though Shorter and Salazar would have beaten him at his best.

He ran the European track circuit in 1978. He ran the Olympic Trials 10K.

He won NY. He won Boston. He won Fukuoka. He won Miami, Stockholm, Rio, Houston. He won Melbourne and Amsterdam.

I don't think he did it "the right way" but he certainly got the MOST out of himself, like many runners of that era, like Frank Shorter, Craig Virgin, and Al Salazar.

Duncan Kibet. Wins Rotterdam with a 2:04.27 looking like he is out for an easy 10 mile jog and then all but disappears from pro running. The guy was incredibly marketable with dreadlocks and very thoughtful and funny interviews.

Dingler wrote:

The kid who won footlocker and went to Arkansas only to drop out and join the Marines. Cormier? Not judging that choice, but running wise obviously got very little out of immense talent.

Along those lines, the kid you beat Rupp at footlocker went to Wisconsin I believe name has slipped my mind rn

Obviously it's Tabitha Francks. Crushed a 3:13 marathon when she was 8 and never even made the Olympics.

If he didn't need the money then, yeah, I'd have to say he underachieved somewhat by racing constantly. Never threatened a record nor an Olympic medal (although he might have had a shot in 1980). Never posted good track times.