Me - Every morning when I look in the mirror.
Me - Every morning when I look in the mirror.
I once met Ed Whitlock and we chatted for about 15 minutes. An incredible man.
I ran a few laps with Suzy Favor as she did a cool down on my 21st birthday back in '91. I remember her being very nice and easy to talk to. I was completely infatuated with her then.
Met Dick Beardsley at a marathon expo. We talked about 5 minutes. He seemed like the kind of guy you would want to have a few beers with as he told stories about himself. He was very gregarious.
Met Carrie Tollefson at the end of a race. She was waiting for her husband to finish. She was super nice and signed my bib.
I've met a few and they were all friendly but the one that sticks out in my mind is Billy Mills. I've met him twice and he was super friendly both times.
absolutely Dick Beardsley. most positive, gracious person I have met, runner or non-runner aside
Friendly: Jenny Simpson, 2011; Adam Goucher 2003; Webb, Don Sage, among others, 2007. Hate to say it, but Regina Jacobs was really cool in 2000.
Never met him, but I have many friends that did: MEB.
My dad volunteered to drive elites from the hotel to the start of Wharf to Wharf one year-- he said Solinsky was really cool.
Douchiest: Usain Bolt, 2012.
I think most runners are generally pretty friendly people, especially if you catch them when they're not running and they like getting recognized by the public.
Steve Spence in 1993. He had won the Olympic Marathon Trials and ran the Olympics in Barcelona the previous year. He was at a race near his home and signed a New Balance poster for me.
Also, chatted with Ed Eyestone and Steve Taylor after races and track meets in Virginia around 1997.
Julius Achon. I met him on a train in Europe and he spent at least an hour talking with my family, including my ninth grade son. Very personable. Very well spoken. Very inspiring.
Didn't actually meet her, but I was on my way to find a seat at the 1987 Los Angeles Pepsi Invitational and saw Claudette Groenendaal warming up behind the stands. She busted me watching her and gave me the sweetest smile. I probably ran into a post or something. She was gorgeous.
The and only MAX KING!!!
Before the invention of the professional runner it would have to be Jeff Wells, Billy McChesney, and Jim Hill.
Outlaw wrote:
Douchiest: Usain Bolt, 2012.
Oh c'mon man. Usain got run over by the Segway guy in Biejing and was pretty sporting about it....
Galen Rupp was by far the nicest person I talked to and had a lot to say. Centrowitz and Merber are tied for the most humble professionals I've talked to. Centro put has put his gold medal in the past and is working for his next and Merber is the fastest multiple time world record holder but doesn't brag to much about it. Rupp was popping pills when I saw him and he said it was for his allergies.
Guessing he might be different when the cameras aren't on him. Just like Tiger Woods.
phonynice wrote:
Guessing he might be different when the cameras aren't on him. Just like Tiger Woods.
Or it could just be that athletes can act differently at different times based on their mood and other circumstances. Y'know, just like they're people or something.
Bill Rodgers!
Meb and Jordan Hassay
JBFanBoy wrote:
Who is the nicest Pro runner you've met?
·Where?
·Why was she/he nice?
I'd like to meet Nick Symmonds and bs about life and his adventures. I know he turns people off, but there is something about his persona in all his interviews and videos that comes off genuine and a bit wild but in a cool way. Is this accurate?
Xcguy0988 wrote:
Meb and Jordan Hassay
I was at Boston Public Garden last year, running a shakeout the day before the race. Jordan Hasay was there running 8:00 pace probably and I saw her get stopped twice in a span of five minutes by someone wanting a picture. She smiled, stopped for a photo, chatted for a few seconds then continued running.
She seemed very relaxed and pleasant, despite it being her debut marathon.
nobody has ever talked to a sprinter, huh?
Mary Keitany. Sat next to her on a flight to NYC marathon. I left her alone for most of the flight (she was with her family) but we chatted about the race at the end. She asked about my training and marathon goal, which was sweet.