biography
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1920– )
|
| biography:
| Marathon runner, born in Dunbarton, South Carolina, USA. Called ‘the father of American distance running’, his exploits in marathon running and ultra-marathons (distances longer than 26 miles 385 yds) contributed substantially to the popularity of long-distance running in the USA. He trained hard, and ran in international races of 40–100 mi, often against much younger men. He usually finished among the top five and often set American records in the process. By profession a physiotherapist, he maintained his fitness long after most have given up competitive efforts. His stamina and longevity are legendary and are not likely to be equalled. At age 54 he ran his 175th marathon in Boston in a time of 2:49·16, less than one minute slower than his first marathon 23 years earlier. (His fastest marathon time was 2:26·44 in 1958.) He held the American record at 25 mi, at the marathon distance, and at 40 and 50 mi. |
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