This article is from Gary Corbitt's running blog |
Wed, Apr 8, 5:15 AM (1 day ago)
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Edward J. Winrow (1937 – 2020)
LSD – Long Slow Distance
When I learned that Ed was seriously ill, I sent him this message.
Dear Ed:
Thank you for the many ways as a champion athlete and coach you’ve given back to long distance running and track & field.
You along with others from previous eras deserve to be in the Road Runner Club of American (RRCA) Hall of Fame. I’ll always do all I can to ensure that the work you and other first generation (1958-1970) New York Road Runners (NYRR) are never forgotten. I use the term you coined “Sedgwick Avenue Gang” often in describing the people and race course that gave birth to NYRR in 1958 at MaCombs Dam Park. The NYRR is now over 70,000 members with 53,000 finishers in the NYC Marathon. We could never could have imagined this growth in road running since the Sedgwick Avenue days.
As you know during my teenage years, I witnessed the modern day sport of long distance running being invented by people like yourself. History is fragile; easily lost, distorted and forgotten. I’ll always do all I can to properly preserve this great history of our sport that you helped make happen.
I’m also eternally grateful for the love you had for my father and your work in developing a move/play script about his life and his running battles with Jim McDonagh.
I and the running community are always pulling for you Ed.
Love
Gary Corbitt
John McCarroll – Gaelic American AC was one of Sedgwick Avenue gang I use to see racing as a teenager during the 1960s. John said the following after learning of Ed’s passing. “I never trained with Ed but I understand that he did mostly long slow runs. He was sort of a pioneer in long, slow runs. I used to train at an outdoor 11 laps/mile wooden track in the winter and I remember he appeared once while I was doing 200 yard intervals. He stopped and looked but didn't join in. He just kept on doing his long run. It worked well for him; he was a terrific runner, one of the very best in the U.S.”
Ed was a champion runner who achieved excellent results on slow training runs. The book “Long Slow Distance: The Humane Way to Train” by Joe Henderson tells the stories of five fellow revolutionaries (Amby Burfoot, Bob Deines, Tom Osler, Ed Winrow and Jeff Kroot) who all revolted against speed training. Ed was a master at even pace or negative split running. His wins usually included strong and dominating closing miles.
In 1966 he won three national titles including setting an American Record for one hour run on the track running 11 miles, 1334 yards in breaking Norm Higgins record.
Ed’s national championship win at 30K was March 27, 1966
Silver Springs, Maryland
Ed Winrow 1:40:19.6
Lou Castagola 1:40:52
Gar Williams 1:41:03.6
Tom Osler 1:43:38
Paul Hoffman 1:44:01
Ed’s national championship win at 25K was October 9, 1966
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Ed Winrow 1:19:13.2
Ralph Buschman 1:21:43
Herb Lorenz 1:24:47
John Dockstader 1:24:51
Tom Osler 1:25:46
Ed set the 4 mile cross-country record at Van Cortlandt Park (2 laps of Cemetery Hill) on October 2, 1966. His time 20:03.2 broke John McDonnell’s record.
On April 26, 1964 Ed Winrow won his 5th straight Metropolitan AAU road race over the legendary MaCombs Dam Park course in the Bronx. Ed tied Oscar Moore’s 4 mile course record of 20:17 and broke Oscar’s 8 mile record with a time of 40:40.2 on this date.
Gary Corbitt
Curator: Ted Corbitt Archives
Historian: National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA)
My mentor at Ball State University Human Performance Laboratory, Dr. David L. Costill was the pioneer of research in long distance running when the sport was just starting to popularize. Here are some words from Dr. Costill about Ed. This appeared in a Runners World interview. George
RWD: How did you get into this field?
DC: I always liked sport. My sport was swimming. I guess I'm more genetically suited to that than running. I was captain of the swimming team at Ohio University. And I was always interested in biology, how things worked. I was dissecting frogs when I was six, seven years old. But, when I went to college I had no intention of getting into biology, but I took a physiology course and I was hooked. I wanted to know why things worked. Same with running, when I got into that, I wanted to know why all these guys were faster than me.
I had been coaching and Ball State wanted to start a lab. I applied and got the job. When I arrived there, all there was was an empty room. I was able to recruit the money and get things going. But the real fortunate thing that happened was that Ed Winrow showed up to do graduate work. He knew all the top runners in the U.S. So we were able to get them to come in and we could study them.
Dave Costill just sent the following to Once Upon a Time in the Vest
George
RWD: How did you get into this field?
DC: I always liked sport. My sport was swimming. I guess I'm more genetically suited to that than running. I was captain of the swimming team at Ohio University. And I was always interested in biology, how things worked. I was dissecting frogs when I was six, seven years old. But, when I went to college I had no intention of getting into biology, but I took a physiology course and I was hooked. I wanted to know why things worked. Same with running, when I got into that, I wanted to know why all these guys were faster than me.
I had been coaching and Ball State wanted to start a lab. I applied and got the job. When I arrived there, all there was was an empty room. I was able to recruit the money and get things going. But the real fortunate thing that happened was that Ed Winrow showed up to do graduate work. He knew all the top runners in the U.S. So we were able to get them to come in and we could study them.
Dave Costill just sent the following to Once Upon a Time in the Vest
George
Ed was a great guy with a wonderful sense of humor. We all enjoyed running with him. Despite being a fast racer his long slow training allowed even the least talented jogger to run with him. I asked him one time how it felt to train at 8:30 per mile and then race an indoor 2 mile in 8:41. His response was: “I’m sure you know how it feels to run an all-out 200 meters? Well, you do that and just keep it going for 2 miles “
Ed was one of the great characters of my career and the world of distance running.
It was because of his stories that I became interested in heat stroke and dehydration in distance runners. His time in the lab coincided with our first research with Gatorade/sports drinks. Those studies and Ed were instrumental in starting the HPL. Where would we have been without Ed Winrow.
Dave (Costill)
George,
I do not remember when/where Ed and I had this conversation. I am guessing it was a Friday night after a long first day of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet. I do not remember the year or the site.
We were sitting with other coaches in a bar, all telling (running) war stories. Ed told of the time he was running in one of the big-time road races...I don't remember if it was a 25K or 30K, but I do know it was not a 5K, 10K or 15K.
Ed and another runner were leading the field. Ed fell behind a bit but was able to maintain contact. Ed said that he wasn't feeling great but with less than a mile to go, he new if he did not do something soon he would have no chance. Ed mustered up enough energy to catch the lead dog with about 800 meters to go. He was huffing and puffing, but was able to hold it in and said to the leader, 'I'm feeling good. Do you want to go for the gold or run in together?' The other run looked left, saw Ed and knowing what Ed could do, said 'Let's run in together and tie.' They did that and Ed said that he was very fortunate to tie for first. One has to remember that back then there was no FAT timing to go to .001 part of a second.
I won't guarantee that Ed told the 'truth' but I will guarantee that Ed told us this story. Ed was a 'wonderful' character!
Dick Daymont
Rich Englhart in his essay about Joe Henderson, Just Joe, briefly mentions Ed Winrow in the body of the piece: ....... A few weeks later at the AAU 15-kilometer championship in St. Paul, Minnesota, Joe met Ed Winrow, a New Yorker who had done graduate work in exercise physiology at Ball State University, and was one of the better road racers in the US at the time. His best marathon was only 2:34, but he excelled at intermediate distances and would miss the US Olympic marathon team in 1968 by only two places. “He told me he’d been training an hour a day with one two-hour run each week at 7:30 to 8:00 per mile.” On that day, Winrow dispelled any notions Joe might have had that slow training could lead only to slow racing. “Chin hanging in disbelief,” he would later write, “I watched (Ed) reel off mile after mile at 5:00 pace.” At the time, Joe was writing for a newsletter called "Iowans on the Run". His first written piece about long, slow distance training appeared there, explaining his switch to slower training and the success Ed Winrow was having with it.
For those wondering why we would honor Ed, here is his page in the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) Ed Winrow Racing Statistics clik here
Rich Ceronie former coach at Miami of Ohio and U. of New Mexico was one of Ed's athletes at Brockport State University. He wrote the following brief story.
" He was my college track coach at Brockport State (NY). A great guy, he used to play cards on the bus with all the guys and he was a terrible card player so we would take all the cash he had on him for the trip. Great times. Rich"
This and a few responses came from Dick Daymont in Minnesota.
Hi all,
... I am guessing that many or all of you have a connection with Ed as he
was a
NCAA College Division All-America cross country runner for Buffalo State in
1960, a coach at Brockport State, a coach at Valpariso, and a coach at Mansfield
State (PA) when I was the women's cross country and track coach at
Bloomsburg State (PA).
David Wee is a near and dear friend of mine who is a retired English prof at
St. Olaf College, he and spouse are god-parents to one of our children - Megan.
(Megan is a 6-time DIII All-America in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field).
David, while a St. Olaf student, was also a NCAA College Division All-America cross
country runnerand finished one spot behind Ed Winrow in the national meet in
Wheaton, IL. I believe that Ed and Dave were 4th and 5th respectively.
David, while a St. Olaf student, was also a NCAA College Division All-America cross
country runnerand finished one spot behind Ed Winrow in the national meet in
Wheaton, IL. I believe that Ed and Dave were 4th and 5th respectively.
Anyway, if you knew Ed Winrow, and would like to know more about Ed and/or
hundreds of others, click on Once Upon a Time in the Vest (below in blue print).
Be safe....stay healthy,
Dick
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Thanks Dick as I met Ed many times
but the first was when a few of us ACC(Auburn Community College) runners went
to Poughkeepsie for their Thanksgiving Day Race(12mi I think). Lots of stories
about that race and then trip to NYC for the evening. We met Ed in the shower
where we found out he was the National 50mi Championship winner. We asked
how he could do that distance and he showed us his secret of a quart jar filled
with a thick mixture of water and sugar. I almost got sick thinking about it.
I saw Ed at a number of XC meets especially Geneseo with his Mansfield teams.
He was a great guy.
The following was in the Wellsboro Gazette:
Mansfield University and the cross country program are saddened to learn of the
passing of the program’s second head coach Ed Winrow.
passing of the program’s second head coach Ed Winrow.
A legendary long-distance runner out of New York, Winrow served as the head
coach of the Mountaineer cross country team from 1975 to 1988.
coach of the Mountaineer cross country team from 1975 to 1988.
The Mounties finished eighth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference three
times under Winrow, with three athletes earning all-conference honors.
times under Winrow, with three athletes earning all-conference honors.
Winrow, known for his dedication to his students and athletes, developed multiple
Mountaineer trail runs that are still used by the program today.
Mountaineer trail runs that are still used by the program today.
“Ed and I arrived at Mansfield the same year (1976) and shared an office my first
10 years,” longtime Athletic Director Roger Maisner said. “Ed was loved by all of
his colleagues and his student-athletes. He was a great teacher for all of his students
and student-athletes and he will be missed by many.”
10 years,” longtime Athletic Director Roger Maisner said. “Ed was loved by all of
his colleagues and his student-athletes. He was a great teacher for all of his students
and student-athletes and he will be missed by many.”
Steve McCloskey, who became full-time sports information director in Winrow’s
final year.Winrow (1959-1963) ran two years of cross country and track at Buffalo
State, where he earned All-American honors in 1960 after placing third in the NCAA
College Division finals. Winrow held 10 records during his career and was MVP of the
track and field team in 1962. Winrow was inducted into the Buffalo State Athletic Hall
of Fame in 1977.
final year.Winrow (1959-1963) ran two years of cross country and track at Buffalo
State, where he earned All-American honors in 1960 after placing third in the NCAA
College Division finals. Winrow held 10 records during his career and was MVP of the
track and field team in 1962. Winrow was inducted into the Buffalo State Athletic Hall
of Fame in 1977.
Throughout the 1960’s Winrow won several US district championships. Winrow, in the
first ever U.S. Olympic trials, was the only runner from the surrounding area (New York)
to place in the top-10 in 1968, finishing in 2:34:51, just four seconds behind the winner.
first ever U.S. Olympic trials, was the only runner from the surrounding area (New York)
to place in the top-10 in 1968, finishing in 2:34:51, just four seconds behind the winner.
“I got to meet coach Winrow in 2007 when he came to watch our fabulous men’s cross
country team that finished fifth at the NCAA regional championship,” current cross
country head coach Mike Rohl added.
country team that finished fifth at the NCAA regional championship,” current cross
country head coach Mike Rohl added.
“He was the first to recognize Mansfield’s unique geography and how it could help
develop great distance running programs.
develop great distance running programs.
There’s a series of runs that Mountaineers have been doing for decades: Brooklyn, Mulberry, Newtown and the infamous Pickle Hill routes, which were all laid out under coach
tenure.”
tenure.”
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