Who is the nicest Pro runner you've met?

1. Centro.

When I was in highschool, he was in my city around the holiday season of 2012. I asked him if he wanted to run with me on Twitter and he actually came out the next day and we ran an easy run together. That was the coolest thing ever for highschool me and he didn't have to do that at all so I really appreciate that. Plus there was not a dull moment the entire run, that guy can definitely hold a conversation.

2. David Torrence R.I.P.

I was cheering for him at USAs in 2014 and was able to have a nice conversation before his race. I could tell he had some prerace nerves and in hindsight I should've just let him go relax but he was very gracious and seemed happy to take time to chat with me.

3. Mac Fleet + Trevor Dunbar

Saw them after their races at USAs in 2014. Don't even remember what we talked about honestly I remember asking them if the food truck I was about to get was any good.

4. Nick Symmonds

Waited for him for a couple hours after his 800m win at the Olympic Trials in 2012. Totally worth it. Signed a bunch of stuff for me and was overall just a cool guy.

Flagpole wrote:

I have met several professional runners, but the two that stand out to me as being extra nice are:

Mark Plaatjes

Chris Solinsky

Mark Plaatjes for sure. I got physical therapy from him for a long while. He's the man.

Kelly Holmes knew my school PE teacher and she agreed to come to our school summer fete... on the condition that none of the kids approached her or asked for photos or autographs or anything. I was so disappointed :(

Bernard Lagat's sort of in a class by himself. Chris Solinsky might be next. Torrance was as great as everyone has said. One woman no one has mentioned is Desi Linden, who's quieter but always nice.

Of the foreign runners, I'd mention David Rudisha, Gebre Gebremariam, Edna Kiplagat and Wesley Korir. And Nick Willis and Jo Pavey.

Someone asked about sprinters. Lauryn Williams and Allyson Felix are the nicest I've met.

If we're including field events, the nicest elite athlete I've met is the pole vaulter Stacy Dragila.

JBFanBoy wrote:

Who is the nicest Pro runner you've met?

·Where?

·Why was she/he nice?

He maybe retired but surely in the heart of stoners everywhere, Chris Barnicle, let's spark one.

I actually can't recall meeting any pro runners, but I did meet a bunch of professional triathletes, which I guess are kind of pro runners since they run for their profession, and they were all very nice without exception. Even got beer with some and made a barbecue with another.

Can't say who was the nicest, but Mark Allen sure was nice, and so were Diogo Sclebin, Igor Amorelli, Marcia Ferreira and Marcus Ornellas. I'm from brazil btw, that's why most of the ones I know are Brazilian.

Yes, please bring some negativity to the thread. That would be great.[/quote]

Key word: separate...but I understand your trepidation.

Also, the potential for that thread to reveal a common feature of most elite runners (nice most of the time, mostly only crabby after a bad race, yadda, yadda, yadda...) may inspire some empathy or slack from other readers. Situation versus disposition is often completely thrown to the wayside, especially when you come across someone famous in your own niche /athletic fandom microcosm.

Like I said, go check out any major sport's sub-reddit. They have those types of threads, and they mostly only devolve slightly. Though you're probably right and prescient: it's doubtful that most LRCers could keep from just mindlessly lambasting their least favorite runner without regard to validity.

Cristian Soratos hands down. Was at a summer mile race and I saw him on the in-field even though he wasnt running. Mentioned I was a big fan and he happily talked for to me about his training, injury prevention, breakout season, asked about me, all of that. Could not have been more genuine and nice.

I think it would break my heart if Lagat and Meb weren't on this list. They just seem like the genuine article and rare good men.

SR Yr of Highschool I got to meet a lot of Pros at NXN. Centrowitz was very nice and genuine, along with Jordan Mcnamara, and Evan Jager, along with the whole list of other Nike athletes that were there at the time except one athlete...

Galen Rupp, he just looked like he was annoyed with having to be there and he wouldn't engage in conversation with anyone. As a highschooler that really liked Galen Rupp at the time, it really put a sour taste in my mouth about liking Rupp.

Billy Mills.

Our college team puts on a H.S. XC camp every summer. A couple of years ago our coach got Billy Mills as a guest speaker through a friend of a friend, but kept it a secret.

A bunch of us were sitting around while the kids were in a session on goal setting, and this guy walks up to us and says "you guys look like runners!" And we said something about the team and the camp, and he said "I used to run a little back in the day. Nice to meet you, my name's Billy Mills."

We all jumped up and fangirled a bit, but he was super cool and just chilled and talked running with us. Gave a pretty good talk to the highschoolers too.

I met Abbey D'Agostino at a running camp and she was super nice and really cared about everyone's success in running. Also, at NXN Eric Jenkins and Hassan Mead were awesome. Didn't get to meet Jager :( Rupp was cool but kinda quiet. I've met Joan Benoit a bunch of times growing up in Maine at road races.

Rod Dixon

Smoove wrote:

Deena Kastor. Ran about 20 miles with her at the Chicago Marathon. Turned to her at about 20 or 21 miles and told her "It's going to come down to me and you for the overall masters title and I've got a pretty good kick." That was right before she smiled at me, politely laughed, then put 3:00 on me over the last 5-6 miles.

Good you are such a d!ck. No wonder you are an unhappy lawyer.

Donn Cabral and Boston Bill

JBFanBoy wrote:

Who is the nicest Pro runner you've met?

·Where?

·Why was she/he nice?

Mo Ahmed- Ran into him in Forest Park in Portland running by himself he slowed down so I could jog with him and was super humble I didn't even know he was 4th at the Olympics and I consider myself a huge running nerd.

Meb. Nobody even comes close.

Steve Ovett, Steve Jones, Mike Gratton, Grete Waitz.

I met Steve Ovett at a London Marathon exhibition in the 1990s where he was doing something for a sponsor. We had a chat, and he invited me for a lunchtime run of around 10K. We spent the whole run talking about running, and I remember he had a couple of great stories about Henry Rono. Very down-to-earth and really nice.

I met Steve Jones at a marathon in the US - can't remember where, but also in the 1990s. We had a nice chat and somebody took a photo of us together.

I'm good friends with Mike Gratton (winner of London marathon in 1983, 2:09).

I met Grete Waitz during the London Marathon one year, maybe 1990, and ran with her before she dropped out. Again, very pleasant lady.

I met Eamonn Coghlan at Coogans in NYC. I asked him for an autograph and he told me to go shite in my hat.