Run-Down Forums

Micah Ward · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2001 4:40 pm Post subject:

Just thought I would fire up another discussion guys. I was cleaning out a drawer of old running mags and saw an article on significant running achievements of the 20th century. What would be your choices? I'm sure they would come from the track world so I will throw out some ideas from the distance scene.

Roger Bannister breaking 4 minutes.

The inclusion of the women's marathon in the Olympics.

The publication of The Complete Book of Running by Jimm Fixx. How many people (besides me) might never have taken up the sport without being inspired by that book.

The Nike Waffle Trainer. The "jogging" shoe for the masses. Just as Joe Henderson and George Sheehan popularizied running for the non-elite, Nike provides the shoe.

There are a few ideas to get things rolling.
Micah

Conway · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2001 7:54 pm Post subject:

Hmmmmm .... I would probably start with something like all weather tracks ... Which significantly improved the ability to train and gave a solid surface for competitions ...

Also ..

Walker going sub 3:50 ..

Beamon's long jump .... Actually the 68 Olympics as a whole ..

Starting blocks - instead of holes in the ground ...

Auto timing ...

I'll think of some others later ...

Dan · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2001 9:23 pm Post subject:

January 1st, 1999 - Run-Down was born. Wink

Dan

Micah Ward · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 4:54 am Post subject:

DAN...YOU ARE THE MAN!! I have found no websites that provide the info this one does. I have also found no discussion boards that get into the type of intelligent discussions we do. I thouroghly enjoy our debates, even the ones where we totally disagree...like the drug issue. Unlike some discussion groups I have seen there have been no personal attacks and no one being less than civil. I like that.

Conway mentions tracks. I saw the last few minutes of Chariots of Fire while channel surfing and saw them digging starting holes instead of using starting blocks. When starting blocks began to be used they had to have been a huge inovation.

What about the advent in the 70's of mass participation in road races. Good or bad? Or maybe good and bad. Has it helped lead to the decline in US distance performances?

Conway · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 6:56 am Post subject:

I think starting blocks was a huge innnovation ... And the false start blocks maybe even bigger ...

The running boom I saw as a negative overall, but don't heve enough time to elaborate right now ... But will a little later ...

Dan · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 9:52 am Post subject:

Wow, thanks Micah! Very Happy

It's nice to know that my insistence on a civil discussion atmosphere is appreciated by those involved.

I recall reading something about the running boom following the hey day of US distance more so than the other way around, with American elites losing ground sometime thereafter, which would lend support to the position Conway hinted at.

Conway · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 12:48 pm Post subject:

The Eastern Bloc turned sport into science and as a result vaulted the female side of the sport into a viable part of the sport ... As a matter of fact I would say that the female side in a relatively short amount of time surpassed what the men were doing - relatively speaking ... It may not be until the middle of this century that women catch up to themselves ..

With respect to sprinting I would agree that the influence of the Eastern Bloc was monumental .. Their work is what lead to Ben Johnson .. Which has lead to ao different level of sophistication in sprinting - drug use aside as I am referring ot the technical aspects of sprinting ...

On a related note, what do you guys think of the migratoin of Jamaicans and its impact on the sport ???

Dan · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:07 pm Post subject:

Yeah, the Jamaican influence is a good one. The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba have also done well for themselves, but not nearly to the same extent. I've always wanted to compile a list of the standout Jamaican sprinters, but I never I held onto the old attempts I saw at putting that together. Maybe we can brainstorm a good list together?

Ben Johnson
Linford Christie
Donovan Bailey
Sandra Farmer-Patrick
Lennox Miller
Robert Esmie (a bit of a stretch for greats)

I know there are lots more for both men and women, but I'm pulling a bit of a brain fart right now...

Dan

Dan · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:31 pm Post subject:

Uh, a few obvious oversights (some a bit more obvious than others Smile

)...

Merlene Ottey 10.74/21.64/51.12
Don Quarrie
Arthur Wint (400m gold in '48, 800m silver in '48 and '52)
Herb McKenley (400m silver in '48, '52 and 100m silver)
Cynthia Thompson (WR in 200m heats in '4 Cool

Una Morris (4th in 200m in '64)
Deon Hemmings
Errol Stewart
Michael Fray
Clifton Forbes
George Rhoden (400m gold in '52)
Grace Jackson 11.08/21.72/49.57
Juliet Campbell 11.32/22.50/50.11
Jacquline Pusey 11.29/22.82/51.38
Beverly Grant 11.24/22.93/51.57
Vivienne Spence 11.41/23.51/52.93
Garth Robinson 10.19/20.66/45.73
Patrick O'Connor 10.32/20.78/45.50
Lancford Davis 10.37/20.95/45.87

And a few solid, if not quite elite, current athletes:

Peta-Gaye Dowdie
Patrick Jarrett
Beverly McDonald
Tanya Lawrence

Here's a site I found on Jamaican t&f history, but I'm not sure I would recommend visiting it. More popups than a porno site, and rather annoying ones at that... Sad

http://www.netcolony.com/members/bsamuels/track.htm

Dan

Dan · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:49 pm Post subject:

Byron Dyce - sub-4 miler
Juliet Cuthbert

Dan

[ This Message was edited by: Dan on 2001-11-08 17:52 ]

Conway · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 10:09 pm Post subject:

Looks like you have covered things pretty well ... It's those darned resources of yours Smile

... My only question is how many of the Brits other than Linford are/were of Jamaican decent ???

Dan · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 11:55 pm Post subject:

I believe there are a few more Brits and Canadians that hail from Jamaica, but I can't think who... I'm pretty sure there are several more US athletes, too.

Dan

Micah Ward · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2001 6:33 am Post subject:

The Complete Book of Running...I guess I am showing my age. It came out in 1977 and unless I am wrong it was a bestseller. I was a sophomore in college.

Just as significant as the Jamaicans in sprinting is the impact of the East Africans in distance running.

The running boom was good in my opinion because it brought lots of new people to the sport of distance running. As we have discussed before I think there are other factors that have led to the decline in American performances.

Dan · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2001 8:50 am Post subject:

Micah Ward · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2001 10:56 am Post subject:

Good in the looooooooong run! How can I count the ways?

Mass partcipation brought more road races and more participants. As a road racer I see that as good.

Mass participation also brought more consumers which in turn created a market and a competition to produce better shoes and other equipment. We all benefited from that.

Mass participation created a need for info which produced the running magazines and of course Run-Down!!! (If I could figure out how to use those smiley faces I would have used one there.)

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