Vol. 2 No. 100 Hurricaine Sandy may intervene on NYC Marathon

A race organizer's worst nightmare.  Less than seven days until the ING New York City Marathon and Hurricaine Sandy is on the way.   Will the aftermath be too much for the race to go on or will be some kind of watered down affair?   You can follow the Marathon organizer's website below. 

http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/


I found this paragraph under terms and conditions of entering the race.   We are talking some serious dollars.   Today , Wednesday,  NYRR says they are planning to hold the race and considering making some changes.  the ferries and subways to Staten Island are not working today due to flooding and/or high water. If you had a flight reservation for Friday or Saturday and a hotel reservation, and had trained 1000-2000 miles preparing for this would you still go to NYC this weekend?

Terms and Conditions

Once you have entered a race, your entry fees are non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and non-refundable, under any and all circumstances, including, but not limited to, cancellation of the event or of your participation, or change in the date, nature, or format of the event. An event may be cancelled or changed due to severe weather or other factors that threaten the safety of participants, staff, or volunteers. Cancellation or change of the date, nature, or format of an event may be mandated by governmental officials or otherwise be at the discretion of NYRR.
All NYRR races are capped.  Price and entry is subject to availability.
No credit cards accepted for race registration after number pickup begins. Cash or check only.
Members: If you are registering on event day, you must provide your NYRR member number to receive your member discount; otherwise you will be charged the non-member event fee.

No where on the website have I found the actual entry fee.  I did see that there was an $11 fee to put your name in the random selection process.

They have limited entries to  47, 000 runners.

Vol. 2 No. 99 Van Cortlandt Park, 100 years of Cross Country History

I have never run at Van Cortlandt Park, and it may well be that I never will nor will I ever see the course or a meet there.  However it is a legend in American cross country history.   I've been to Belmont Park in Philadelphia where that course has been used by Philadelphia schools and universities for many years.  It is unchanging and in many places it is a well worn rut.  In the East , change is an anathema amongst track people.  They want to compare performances of 50 years ago with today's performances.  Thus at all costs the courses remain unchanged.  In reading about Van Cortlandt it is noted that for several years while the City Park management was refurbishing the park, the course had to be changed, and there is a lot of agony felt in the references to that fact.

The New York Times published an article (October 12, 2012)  by Mark Bloom  commemorating the 100th anniversary of cross country running in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.  Mr. Bloom's article follows on the first link.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/sports/for-new-york-cross-country-runners-a-century-of-testing-runners-speed-and-spirit.html?pagewanted=3



The next link comes from Oregon remembering the 1969 NCAA cross country championships held at Van Cortlandt and won that year by Gerry Lindgren.  Steve Prefontaine was third in that race behind Lindgren and Mike Ryan of the Air Force Academy.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/thehappyrower/5615929325/


The third article is about the old water courses that ran through the park in colonial days.  The water is still there, however it runs through underground conduits.  Interesting article for history nuts and conservationists.
http://watercourses.typepad.com/watercourses/bronx/

Below are some pictures I've culled from various sources.

NCAA's 1969

Pre and Lindgren on left, Donal Walsh of Villanova and Ron Bednarski UTEP on the right

underground stream under the park

The Van Cortlandt subway stop

Pre  1969

1945

Meet probably 1920's

Couse layout (corrected July 5, 2022)  thanks to anonymous reader

Vol. 2 No. 98 September, 1962

SEPTEMBER 1962

The season has pretty much run its course in the US, so Mihali Igloi takes Jim Grelle, Lazlo Tabori, Bob Seaman and Jim Beatty on a European Tour. Let's see how it turns out.

Igloi

Tabori

Beatty defeating Jazy at L.A. Times

Jim Grelle

Bob Seaman

The first meet on August 6 on London's White City track goes less than well. The four are entered in the 2000 meters, but there is no hope of a fast time because rain has turned the track into a sea of mud. Grelle, Beatty and Tabori drop out, deciding “not to risk injuries and jeopardize the rest of the tour”. Seaman toughs out a 5:20 second place behind Derek Ibbotson's 5:19.2. The British press is not kind. “This regrettable and most unheroic showing could be interpreted as underlying the need for a more Spartan American cross country season.” Ouch!

The second stop came three rainy days later on Oslo's famed Bislet track where the quartet is entered in the 1500. The sun makes an appearance by race time, but the track is anything but fast. Igloi wants a quick first lap and he gets it. Seaman takes it out in 56.4. Beatty is a tenth back before moving into the lead on the second lap and passing the 800 in 1:57.0 and the 1200 a minute later. Grelle makes it interesting, closing on Beatty on the final curve, but the American record holder lifts in the last 60 to win and take half a second off his record with a 3:39.4. Grelle and Seaman clock personal bests of 3:40.2 and 3:42.7 in second and third. Tabori, unsure of his fitness, surprises himself with a 3:43.9 for fourth.

If this is August 15 we must be in France, right? Avranches to be exact where it is cold, wet and windy. A match between Michel Jazy and Beatty has been anticipated, but for some reason doesn't come off. Jazy runs the mile. Beatty is entered in the 3000 with the goal of breaking Jazy's world record of 7:49.2. He is joined by Tabori and Grelle. The home country opposition will come from Michel Bernard. Tabori does the donkey work for the first two laps before Beatty takes over, closely followed by Bernard. The two of them quickly separate from the field. The 1000 passes in 2:36.0, but the second 1000, completed in 5:16.2, puts them 4.2 seconds behind Jazy's pace, eliminating any hope for the record. Bernard doesn't lack for courage, but Beatty pulls away on the last lap for 7:54.2 to 7:56.0 victory and the American record. Grelle is third in 8:13.8. Tabori injures his Achilles and finishes fourth in 8:21.0 and “is of little use the rest of the tour”.

Seaman takes on Jazy in the mile. After a slow 3:07.0 three quarters that costs Jazy his first four minute mile, the Frenchman goes to the afterburners that Seaman doesn't have and wins 4:01.4 to 4:03.6.

Michel Jazy

And now it is August 18 and we are back at White City where a dry track awaits. The goal is to show the British press what they can do in the feature event, the mile. Once again it is Seaman doing the work on the first go round at 57.5 and once again Beatty is a tenth back. Grelle takes over on the second lap with Beatty coming aside at the 880 in 1:58.2. Now Beatty is on his own. He completes three laps in 2:58.8 with Grelle in close attendance. In fact, Grelle is running the race of his life. With half a lap to go, he does the unthinkable, passing Beatty and taking the lead. However the North Carolina grad is not done. He rallies to pull even at the 1500 in 3:41.3. Surprisingly Seaman, also running the race of his life, is only six tenths back. Down the straight they come. Gradually, Beatty's strength begins to pay off. He hits the tape a couple yards ahead of Grelle in a US record of 3:56.5. Grelle runs 3:56.7. Britain's Stan Taylor catches Seaman at the tape with both being timed in 3:58.0. Smiles all the way around as the four have produced PR's. Taylor is the first Britain to break four on English soil.   the editor must take umbrage with this fact.  Obviously Bannister was the first Englishman to break four minutes on English soil.  Checking the records Derek Ibbotson ran 3:57 in London in 1957.  Other British runners who preceded Taylor in breaking 4 minutes, though not necessarily on British soil were Chris Chataway 3:59.8 one year to the day after Bannister's historic race on May 28, 1955, then Brian Hewson in the same race, Ibbotson 3:59.4 on August 6, 1956, Ken Wood 3:59.3 on July 19, 1957, and then Taylor appears to have been the next Brit to  break 4 minutes on August 18, 1962, with a time of 3:58.01. ed. 

Three days pass and now we are in Helsinki where once again the competition is at four laps. Guess who leads the first lap. If you said Seaman, you would be right. The problem is that he is too fast, 54.5. Beatty follows in 55.5. The pattern is that of the White City race. Grelle takes the second lap with Beatty passing him at the half mile with both at 1:55.6. The pace slows predictably on the third lap with the bell reached in 2:58.0. Although by himself at this point, Beatty has enough in the tank to close in 58.3 and finish in 3:56.3 thus breaking his own American record. Once again Grelle is second, this time in 3:58.8. Olavi Salonen delights the Finnish crowd with a 3:59.1 for a national record. Seaman and Tabori are fourth and fifth in 4:01.8 and 4:06.2.

                                                  Olavi Salonen

I call this the Flying Olavi's

Olavi Salonen 135 (2nd) 3:40..2  ,  Olavi Vuorisalo 221 (3rd) 3:40.3 , and Olavi Salsola 12 (1st) 3:40.2

all defeating Dan Waern 7 (4th) 3:40.8    in Turku, Finland July 11, 1957.

Obviously 'Olavi' loosely translates as 'fleet of foot' in Finnish.  Of note in 

this race, Matti Nurmi, Paavo Nurmi's son finished a distant ninth place 2.2

seconds slower than Paavo's personal record for 1500m.

Three days later and we are still in Finland, this time in Turku where the order of the day is a rainy 50 degrees. The feature race is the 5000 where Beatty is taking a shot at Vladimir Kuts' 13:35.0 WR. The track is wet and the competition less than competitive. Tabori takes the lead on the first and third laps with Beatty leading the second and fourth. From this point the LATC star is on his own. His kilometer splits are 2:40.6, 2:45.2 (5:25.8), 2:48.2 (8:14.0), 2:49.0 (11:03.0) and 2:42.0 for 13:45.0 and yet another American record. Oh, make that two American records while you are at it, as he passes three miles 13:19.2. One has to believe that, given competition, a dry track and proper rest, the world record is within his grasp next season.

Perhaps Igloli's boys stayed at the dance too long. There is one more meet. (“Another one? Aw, come on, coach.” ) Yep, we are in Borlange, Sweden, on a 382.5 yards to the lap track with three lanes on the backstretch, running 2000 meters. Beatty wins in 5:10.9, only nine tenths off Fred Dwyers' AR. Seaman is second in 5:11.6 with Tabori third at 5:17.4. One would have to think that there were four very relieved distance runners.

Other happenings covered in this issue include Italy's Salvatore Morale's 49.2 400 hurdle clocking, tying Glenn Davis's world record and Harry Jerome's two 9.2 100 yards, tying Bob Hayes and Frank Budd. Pytor Bolotnikov revises his 10,000 WR by six tenths with a 28:18.2 performance.

Do you consider cross country among Peter Snell's strengths? Me neither, but we are both wrong. He is the 1962 New Zealand cross county champion, covering a manly 6¾ mile course “with a tough hill on each of three laps and 33 obstacles, some of them over five feet high” in 35:36 to win by 41 seconds.

After much foot dragging, the NCAA has finally entered the 20^th century, replacing the 220 lows with the 330 intermediates, adding the triple jump to all meets and the six mile to the championships and increasing the championship meet to three days. Equally important is the inclusion of tie breaking rules on misses and attempts in the high jump and pole vault, something that has been standard in the AAU meets for years.

Page 16 has the national relay rankings. Oregon shows pretty good range, winning the 440, the two mile, four mile and distance medley. Texas Southern tops the 880, Arizona State the mile and Santa Clara Valley Youth Village the sprint medley.

In Bert Nelson's “Of People and Things” column he makes two suggestions that sound reasonable. He proposes running the two mile in high school meets and, to spice up invitational meets and make the decathlon more popular, having half a decathlon (not a pentathlon, but the first or second day of a decathlon or any combination thereof) in major meets.

Odds and ends: John Uesles has been suspended by the Florida Gold Coast AAU for “demanding and receiving $185” for competing in a local meet......Former Texas sprinter Dean Smith has been given a feature role in the movie “PT 109”......Grace Butcher recently ran a 5:04 mile in practice, believed to be the fastest ever by an American woman......As the mile started in a meet in Branford, Canada an unidentified runner left the stands and jumped in the race, taking the lead by the half and winning in 4:46 only to keep running to a waiting car and driving off. Who was that masked man? We'd like to thank him. Hi-Yo, Silver, away!......An undocumented survey of top US athletes occupations reveals that the most common field of employment is teaching followed by sales. Among those with less common fields of endeavor are Parry O'Brien – banker

April 23, 2007

Parry O'Brien, whose fascination with the shotput and physics fueled a career in which he held the world record from 1953 to 1959 and won two gold medals and a silver medal in four Olympic games, has died. He was 75.

O'Brien, who revolutionized the sport by devising a new throwing technique, died Saturday while participating in a masters' swim meet in Santa Clarita. His wife, Terry, with whom he lived in the Rancho Belago section of Moreno Valley, said he had suffered a heart attack.,

 Mike Herman – stock broker, Willie Atterberry – laboratory technologist, Jay Silvester – field engineer for a scale company, Pete Mundle – statistical consultant, Buzz Sawyer – draftman, Jim Beatty – insurance claim adjuster, Herm Wyatt – juvenile counselor, Phil Conley – mechanical engineer, Kent Floerke – claims adjuster, Doug Smith – bank employee, Herm Stokes – instructor at the Philadelphia Police Academy, Alex Breckenridge – career Marine officer, Ira Davis – personnel manager and Ron Ulrich – computing analyst. Some are still in school. Keith Thomassen and Jerry Siebert are graduate students in physics. Bob Vinton is in law school. John Gutknecht is a graduate student in biology. As satisfying as those sound, for pure sexiness none match the employment of Terry Beucher. He is a jet pilot in the Air Force......In case you thought track and field was over for the year, let me remind you that the British Commonwealth Games will be held Nov. 22 - Dec. 1 in Perth, Australia. Be sure to stay tuned.

Vol. 2 No.. 97 Haldane, Kangaroos, and a 4000 year old Minimalist Shoe discovered in Mesopotamia

Welcome to our Halloween Edition.

The more we forget, the more we have to rediscover.  I remember in 1977 learning to measure oxygen and CO2 levels of gas expired by endurance athletes running dehydration studies on stationery bicycles in a heat chamber..  The instrument that Dr. David Costill at the Human Performance Lab


Dr. David Costill




 at Ball State University had us budding exercise physiologists learn to use was something called a Haldane Apparatus.

The Famous Haldane Apparatus

 It had been invented in the early  1900's by John Scott Haldane a British scientist looking for ways to determine oxygen levels in underground mines.  The spin off uses of the apparatus included many experiments with marathon runners and other athletes , and some of our present theories of training came about from the use of this invention.

John Scott Haldane in his lab in England 1900

 In 1977, the new technology was just coming in that would replace Haldane's magnificent invention consisting of curved tubing, reagents, valves, and maybe even some wheels and bells.  Clever manipulation of the Haldane apparatus would result in getting good measurements, but a clumsy novice (this writer) would run that baby backwards and contaminate samples, and necessitate just as intricate a maneuvering to flush the mess out, take a new sample, and start over.

Grad Student volunteers for research  

 Dr. Costill wanted us to appreciate the pioneers who had done the groundbreaking work and had the skill to bend glass and invent tools to meet the challenges of testing their hypotheses.  For my master's thesis, the data I collected and the analyis that I did, took almost a year.  Now with the advances in biochemistry, biomechanics, and the computer, the same work could be done in a week or two at the most.

On occasion some of the research went terribly wrong. 

Test Subject in Early Dehydration Studies

Grad Students were ususally pushed to the limit  in Muncie, Indiana.

This subject did regain the use of his legs when DNA recombinant theory was put to practical use.

Back in the late 70's running shoes were starting to improve in leaps and bounds, becoming more and more intricate and comfortable with synthetic materials, but then they had to meet the needs of a mass public.  So looks and appearance started to be part of the  marketing mix as well.

Extreeme Nike

The old Adidas Interval

There was a time in the mid 1950's that Adidas made track spikes out of Kangaroo leather, and those shoes fit so comfortably that they just enveloped your feet like a new layer of closely fitting skin.  In fact some kangaroo in the Outback gave up his or her hide so I could tear around the cinders and feel like a champ when those 3/4 inch spikes dug into the earth and seemed to propel me through the turns and down the straightaways.  Adidas  probably sold a few thousand pairs in North America through the good offices of Cliff Severn and the Van de Voort Sporting Goods Company in Lansing, MI.  Puma may have used Kangaroo, and Dresske certainly did.  Others may have too.  But the sales were so small that the noble Kangaroo never felt the whack of big time marketing and a culling of his loved ones from  the herds.  Do they travel in herds?  I have seen the word 'shepherd' but definitely not 'kangaherd'    Today I received a notice via email asking me to plead with Nike to cease and desist from the use of Kangaroo leather in their soccer boots.

This Joey would make a single size 5D

  How can I ask them to do such a thing?  The Kangaroo leather shoe was a huge part of my past.  It is still  a wonderful memory.  Can't we just clone Kangaroo leather on a sheep or maybe a cow?  Save the Kangaroo.  Should we ask Nike to go synthetic?  That might cause untold damage as well making a synthetic soccer boot. How many acres of soybeans would need to be grown to serve the soccer masses?  I'm sure it would take food off of someone's table.   I'm for 100% organic track shoes,  but that means leather doesn't it?  I'll overlook the steel  spikes being inorganic.

Proper application of Kangaroo leather  circa 1960

                                              Recycling Your Minimalist Shoes

Now for that minimalist shoe.  (Seen Above)   These shoes pre-date Bill Bowerman's first experiments by about 4000 years.   (Can be seen at the British Museum)  They were made of Kangaroo leather imported to Mesopotamia from Australia.  It was easier then as the land masses were still joined by a continental bridge through what is now Indonesia.   These shoes had a light midsole that enabled the runner to have a near 100% contact with the earth as he or she ran.  There is a double stitch down the back of the shoe and this innovation was proven time and again to preserve the integrity of the Achilles tendon when stitched properly to the tendon.  However Achilles had not yet been born at this time and the tendon was known as the Zorbag tendon after a mythological hero of the Hittites.   Further innovations include  the stay tight fasteners found on the shoe on the left.  This design is  on the drawing board today, my sources tell me along with another version of the wheel.  The big companies are just waiting for the patent to expire, so they can put their version on the market.  They are hoping to keep these rip offs under $300.00.    I think this pair was made specifically for someone with two left feet.  Pigmentation studies indicate that they came in a transluscent orange for seasonal wear, however, earth tones were much more practical.  The stylish lacing design is still seen today in some Versace creations, excuse me, imitations.   These shoes retailed.  Well, they didn't really retail as coin of the realm had yet to be invented.  However, a pair could be had from the cobbler for  a firkin of butter or a role in the hay. ed.

Post Modern Minimalist   Puleeese!

Vol. 2 No. 96 Runners on Running, a Book from Rich Elliott

Most of our readers have strong backgrounds in track and field/cross country as athletes or coaches.
Their current professions run the full spectrum of humanity.  A few are published authors, and one that I recently became aware of is Rich Elliott, a former U. of Kansas distance runner.  Rich's book Runners on Running, The Best  Nonfiction of Distance Running has been out since November , 2010, but it's not too late to give it a plug.  ed.

Rich says,

"I know that some of you, like me, may be too hobbled by age to run anymore. But if you are reading George's blog, then you are still reading about running. And perhaps you have a younger friend or relative who runs? In any case, I believe that my book is the best collection of pieces about distance running available--and a flat-out great read for you and other kindred spirits. "

"If you’d like to get my book, you can order it through Human Kinetics; or Amazon, but I’d prefer you buy it from me directly—that way, I can give you a signed copy."

"I’m selling my book for $20; that includes shipping cost. If you are interested, just respond to this email, letting me know your mailing address, how many copies you’d like, and to whom I should inscribe the book(s). Send your check to: Rich Elliott/ 1127 Laurel Ave./ Winnetka, Illinois 60093; and I’ll send you the books."

Runners on Running

Runners on Running, The Best Nonfiction of Distance Running is the ultimate anthology of inspirational stories, humorous accounts, and pivotal moments in the sport. This one-of-a-kind collection includes over 30 unforgettable stories from the most acclaimed writers in running:

• John Brant
• Kenny Moore
• Amby Burfoot
• Kathrine Switzer
• Don Kardong
• Marla Runyan and Sally Jenkins
• Frank Murphy
• Pam Reed
• Mark Bloom
• Hal Higdon
• Roger Hart
• Rachel Toor
• And More!

The pieces encompass the full range of the running experience, from motivation to frustration to exhilaration. The stories brilliantly capture the essence of the sport.
 

This year's winner of the Cordner Nelson Book Award, given by the Track and Field Writers of America

Vol. 2 No. 95 Study and Train in Kenya

The following press release was sent to us by Mike Solomon, former Kansas University runner of the 1960's.   He is working with the United States  International University organizing a study and training abroad program focused toward distance runners who would like to train in Kenya but also to have an opportunity to get university credits in the process.  They will have a booth at the Chili Pepper Meet in Arkansas this weekend.  If you are planning to be there , look them up.  If you wish to contact them by email, that information is in the press release. ed.

PRESS STATEMENT

From USIU Public Relations Office: October 2012

USIU launches its Sports Exchange Program in US

United States International University (USIU) has again undertaken in an innovative study abroad program that incorporates sports and education. We have managed to combine one of the many great things that Kenya is renowned for and packaged it successfully with academics. This unique program was engineered to cater for anyone who has a passion for athletics.

On Saturday, 13^th October 2012, USIU will be present at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival to inform and educate the public on this venture.

The USIU officials who will be present during this event for registration will be:

·        George Lumbasi: USIU Head of Admissions

·        Boniface Salano: USIU Activities Coordinator

·        Kellen Njagi:  USIU International Students Officer

·        Franklin Muriithi: Sports Exchange- Kenya

They will answer any queries you will have on the USIU Sports Exchange Program. From them you will get an insight on how to integrate training like a Kenyan athlete while still being able to study.

Sports exchange students will have access to Kenya’s training facilities that are utilized by Kenya’s renowned athletes when training for international competitions such as: IAAF World Championships, IAAF World Challenges, IAAF Diamond League and Olympic Games.

These facilities include two international stadia situated within the City of Nairobi and seven high altitude training camps situated at the heart of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.

This is a great initiative that will see American athlete enthusiasts get the best of both worlds while also gaining cultural and social diversity. Take the time to visit our USIU stand at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival and register for the sports exchange program at USIU.

USIU: www.usiu.ac.ke

SPORTS Exchange: www.sportxchange.org

Vol. 2 No. 94 Phil Coppess, a Living Legend

Sarah Barker writing for the New York Times today recalls Phil Coppess who in 1985 set the record for the Twin Cities Marathon at 2hrs 10 minutes and 5 seconds .  It is still the record.   Phil was definitely a blue collar runner as Ms. Barker reports.   Our hats are off this gentleman who must have showed the way to a lot of high strung thorougbreds in those days.  Can anyone I.D. the runner next to Phil in the photo?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/sports/phil-coppess-still-holds-twin-cities-marathon-record.html?emc=eta1

Vol. 2 No. 93 A Bevy of Bouffanted Beauties Brightens Boys' Meets

Ok,  it's time to get serious and cover women's track.    This morning I opened the New York Times (October 2, 2012) , turned to the Arts section where the crossword puzzle is located, and suddenly on page C2  I'm flashing back to the 60's.   There is a story on a current exhibition in Paris, France, not Texas, entitled The Art of Hair.  Wait, you're asking,  this is a blog about track and field events, where is the editor headed with this?  Patience folks, read on or click on the link below to find out.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/09/25/arts/design/20120919HAIR-10.html

Featured is a photograph of three young ladies, members of the Texas Track Club out of Abiliene, resting in their starting blocks.   These young ladies wearing what then could only have been  called skimpy uniforms, though they might today pass for Hooters' waitress get ups  are rather top heavy in the hair department, especially the one in lane two.  The caption on the photo refers to them as the "Bouffant Belles, a running team in Texas in a 1962 photograph by Neil Barr".  The one in the center could easily be the subject of the jokes about Texas ladies getting tangled in ceiling fans.  The three actually made the cover of Sports Illustrated on April 20, 1964, announcing they were on the road to Tokyo.  Of course the SI curse bit them, and I believe only Janice Richardson , the blonde in the foreground made it to the Olympic trials in the 200 meters running 4th in her heat in a non-advancing 25.5 seconds.  The out of focus lady with the starting pistol was their coach.  The meet  announcers had a good time with them, and they certainly had all the attention of the male contestants and the spectators. 

Having run at the University of Oklahoma in those days, I used to see this group of bouffanted beauties at various meets in the Southwest, and they were certainly an attraction in an era of limited female participation at men's meets.  It fact they were the only female attraction at men's meets other than a few Relays queens from the local sorority houses in Austin, Des Moines, and Lawrence. It was a small beginning toward women being recognized as competitive in the sport, and they had to peddle their sexuality to do it.

It you have any memories or comments about this group please share them through the comments section of this blog or email them to me at georgebrose@yahoo.com 

Vol. 2 No. 92 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

  

July 21-21, 1962  The Russians Are Here Okay, class, here is the question for the day. Not counting Olympic competition, what is the largest attendance for a single track meet in the United States? If you said the USSR – USA dual meet in Palo Alto July 21 and 22, 1962, go to the head of the class. Saturday's competition at Stanford Stadium drew 72,000 spectators and the following day 81,000 filled the stands, a total of 153,000 for the two days. Was it a great meet filled with dramatic duals? No, actually nearly every event lacked excitement from a team standpoint. The US went 1-2 in nine events. The Soviets swept five. The two relays were never in doubt. This is not to say that there were no great marks. There were. Seventeen stadium records, twelve meet records, three Russian records, two American records and two world records were set. It is just that there wasn't much competition between the two countries. The Russians won what they were supposed to win, so did the Americans. This meet was of major cold war importance for the propaganda that could be made in the  "Our Way Is Better Than Your Way" mentality that existed between the Americans and the Soviets, the East Bloc vs. the West.  Throughout the world we were competing on many fronts from the amount of money donated for aid projects or military hardware.  We were lining up for a hot war in Viet Nam and ready to contest the legitimacy of governments in Central America, South America, Africa , and Asia.  For this reason the USSR USA track and field meet produced a tremendous audience in North America both at the stadium and on television.  It was the beginning of the hey day of men's track and field   and the beginning of  a build up of  track and field for American women. ed.

At this point the cry of what about the broad jump dual between world record holder Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and Olympic champion Ralph Boston may be welling up in your throat. Okay, you got me there. That was pretty good. These are the only 27 foot jumpers in history. Boston is having step problems and Ter-Ovanesyan had three shots of novocaine to dull the pain in his thigh on his take off leg. Ter-Ovanesyan hits 26-6¾w on his first jump, but Boston tops that with his 26-9w in the second round. Though the Armenian matches his opening jump on his last effort, the day belongs to Boston.

Unquestionably the highlight of the meet comes on Sunday when 20 year old Valeryi Brumel clears 7-5 in the high jump, breaking his own world record and bringing 81,000 to their feet.

But the other world record may have been better intrinsically. Hal Connolly, beaten by Al Hall in his last two meets, puts to rest any thought that he is past his prime. In a performance, Cordner Nelson describes as “the best series in the history of hammer throwing”, in fact “the best series ever in any event”, Connolly adds 13 inches to his world record with a throw of 231-10. But that isn't the half of it. His remaining throws are 227-10, 225-0, 228-10½, 227-2 and 227-7. Putting this in further perspective, the best effort of three of the best hammer throwers in the world are four feet short of Connolly's worst.

Pyotr Bolotnikov is the only double winner, taking the 10,000 in an American all comers record of 29:17.7 on Saturday and the 5000 in 13:55.6 on Sunday as the Russians sweep both races.

Wilma Rudolph Ward wins 100

Opening Ceremonies

Ulis Williams lane 2 wins 400

Women's 80 meter hurdles

Payton Jordan Meet Director/Stanford Coach

The discus dual among world record holder Al Oerter and former record holders Vladimir Trusenyov and Rink Babka falls short of the anticipated fervor. Oerter wins easily at 200-1. Babka beats Trusenyov 193-10½ to 189-9. Oerter says that a trailing wind hampered the distances. “I am sure that my 200 foot throw would have gone at least five feet further with no wind or with a slight headwind.”

The timers are having a bad day. In the 100 Bob Hayes beats Roger Sayers by a yard, but both are given 10.2.

               Bob Hayes                                                                                       Roger Sayers

 In the highs Jerry Tarr hits the tape four feet in front of Hayes Jones, but the margin is not reflected in the times of 13.4 and 13.7.

Paul Drayton and Sayers run 20.8 and 20.9 to sweep the 200. Ulis Wiliams takes the 400 with ease in 46.4. Ray Saddler eases up at the finish and barely holds off Vadim Arkhipchuk 46.8 to 46.9.

Jerry Siebert says he is retiring after his 800. He wants to take Tom Courtney's 1:45.7 American record with him. The field is small, the track fast and the weather good. He follows the Russian leader through a 52.5 first go round, but can't get by the Soviet and Jim Dupree until the final straight where he opens up and powers to a 1:46.4 win. Dupree runs 1:46.8 in second.

One can only hope Jim Beatty gave Ivan Byelitskiy a hearty handshake and a slap on the back after the 1500 for the Soviet provides something Beatty has seldom seen, a fast early pace. The gutsy Ruskie leads through spits of 57.8, 1:57.8 and 2:57.7 before Beatty takes over on the backstretch and races to an American record of 3:39.9. Keith Forman, subbing for injured Jim Grelle, also passes Byelitskiy only to be nipped in the last few yards 3:41.0 to 3:41.2.

Rex Cawley takes the lead in the 400H on the sixth hurdle, but Willie Atterberry has more in the tank coming off the last hurdle and wins 50.3 to 50.5.

Ron Morris vaults 16-0¾ to win by nearly a foot over the Russian vaulters, but the surprise is a no clearance by John Cramer who passes at 13-3 and 13-9 before missing at 14-5¼. No explanation is given.

George Young wins the hearts of the crowd in the steeplechase when he hits a hurdle and falls flat on his face on the penultimate lap, only to rise and chase winner Nikolay Sokolov to the finish, losing only 8:42.3 to 8:44.7. There will be other days for George.

Dallas Long

As expected, Dallas Long and Gary Gubner go 1-2 in the shot, but it isn't easy. Long throws 64-1 to win, but Gubner has training for weight lifting and barely edges the Russian record of Viktor Lipsnis 62-3 to 62-1½.

Hayes Jones, Bob Hayes, Homer Jones and Paul Drayton combine to run 39.6 for victory in the short relay. The 1600 relay is even better. After Ray Saddler leads off in 46.9, things heat up. Cawley splits 45.9 and hands to Dave Archibald who runs 45.3. Ulis Williams brings it home in 45.7 for a 3:03.8 total, excellent considering that the Russians provide no competition and finish in 3:09.9. The red, white and blue win the team competition 128-107.

And yes, there are women's events. Tennessee State provides the basis for the US victories. Wilma Ward wins the 100 in 11.5 and Vivian Brown takes the 200 in 23.7. Willye White and Edith McGuirre combine with these two to take the 400 relay in 44.6. Other than that, our ladies are soundly whipped by the Soviet girls, as the visitors sweep six of the other seven events and take the meet 66-41.

Bert Nelson writes about the week leading up to the meet. The Russians arrived eight days before the competition. They stay in the Stanford dorms. We put on the full court press in the hospitality department. Each of the Russian women are given lipsticks. All of the athletes, coaches, managers, etc. are presented with baskets of fruit fresh from the Santa Clara Valley. The Russians are fascinated with our magazines. Okay, Track and Field News not so much, but Life, Time and the Saturday Evening Post are big hits. Yes, they know who Frank Sinatra and Doris Day are. A life cover featuring Marilyn Monroe is a big hit. Nelson runs through a typical dinner menu, “chicken, corn, potatoes, four kinds of bread, cottage cheese, several jellos, fruit salad, two kinds of milk, coffee, ice cream, a variety of fruit, and all the fruit juice you could drink”. No cabbage and fish head soup here, you Godless Ruskies.

Bert overhears a conversation among three pretty fair college football players. Homer Jones, Bob Hayes and Roger Sayers are talking about pro football. Jones and Hayes are going to play in the pros. Sayers says he is not. A surprised Hayes asks why not. Sayers replies, “Are you crazy, man? I weigh 148 pounds.” Rumor has it that Roger may not be the best football player in his family.

                                                                 Results

Women
Day 1
100 Meters  2. Wilma Rudolph-Ward 11.2    Maria Ikina  11.3  Edith McGuire 11.8  Gallina Popova 12.1

Javelin  Elvira Ozelina 183  4 1/2  Alextina Shastivka  167-9  Ranee Bair 147-3   Karen Mendyka 143-7

High Jump  Talkiya  USSR 5-7  Gallina Eveyukeva  5-5  Barbara Brown  5-3  Estelle Baskerville  5-2

Discus  Tamara Press    Olga Connolly 167 1  1/2  Antonina Eolyukhiina  163-6  Sharon Shepherd  151-3

4x100 Relay  US  44.8   USSR   


Men
Day One

100 Meters  Robert Hayes  10.2  Roger Sayers 10.2  Amin Tuyskov  10.4  Edvin Ossolin 10.5

110 HH  Jerry Tarr  13.4  Hayes Johnes  13.7  Anatoly Mikhaliev 13.7  Anatliv  Chistyokov 14.2

400 Meters  Ulis Williams 46.4  Ray Saddler 46.8  Vadin Aralipchik  46.9  Viktor Bychkov 47.9

10,000 Meters  P:yto Bolotnikov  29:17.7  Leonid Ivnaoff 29:30.3  Max Truex  29:34.1  Peter McCardle 30:57.2

Shot PUt  Dallas Long  64-1  Gary Gubner  62-3  Viktor Liponis  62-1

Pole Vault  Ron Morris  16-3/4 US    Petrenka  15-1 USSR   Igor Feld USSR  14-9  1/4   Jon Cramer  US No Height

20Km Walk  Vladimir Gobabnichay  1hr 27:51  Antily Vedyskov  1 hr 38:28  Ron Zinn 1 hr 43:34  John Allen 1 hr 46:04

4x100meter relay  Hayes Jones, Bob Hayes, Homer Jones, Paul Drayton 39.8  Amin Tuyakev, Edvin Ossolin,  Yvacheslav Prokhorevsky Nikolai Politike  40.2

Broad Jump  Ralph Boston 26-9  Igor Ter Ovanesyan  26 6 3/4  Paul Warfiled  25  8 3/;4  Dimitry Bonderenko 25-4

Hammer  Hal Connolly 251-10 WR  Alexay Bielievsky 221-3  Yuriy Bakaronov 218-11  Al Hall 213- 1 1/2

Decathlon

100  Kuznetsov 10.9  Kurenko  11.1  Herman 11.2   Pauly 12.3

BJ  Herman 24 3 1/2  Kuznetsov 23-11  1/4  Kurenko  23-9  Pauly 23- 1 1/2 

SP  Kuznetsov  47-4  Pauly  45-6 1/4  Herman  43-0  Kurenko  40-10

HJ  Tie  Kuznetsov   Herman 5-11   Pauly 5-9   Kurenko Withdrew

Ralph Boston at Rome

Janis Lusis  today

  John Thomas

George Young

Igor Ter-Ovanesyan

Rink Babka

400  Herman  50.1  Pauly  50.2   Kuznetsov  53.2

Total Day One Decathlon Vasily  Kuznetsov  4080 Paul Herman 4041 Steve  Pauly 3874


Day  2
Women
200 Meters   1. Vivian Brown, US, 23.7    2. Maria Itkina, USSR, 23.8   3. Valentina Maslovakaya, USSR, 24.3   4. Carol Smith, US  24.3

80 meter Hurdles
1. Irina Press, USSR 10.7   2. Niilya Kulykova USSR 10.8  3. Cherrie Parish  US  11.2  4. Joanne Terry US 11.3

800 Meters
1. Lyudmila Lysenko USSR 2:08.6  2. Yekaterina Pariyuk USSR 2:09.6   3. Leah Bennett US 2:10.4 (US record, pending of 2:12.8 also by Bennett)  4. Sandra Knott US 2:11.8

Shot Put
1. Tamara Press USSR 57  1/2   2. Galina Zybina USSR 55  1/2  3. Earlene Brown US  48 11  4. Cynthia Wyatt US 46  10 1/2
Broad Jump   1. Tatiana Schelkanova USSR  20  11  3/4   2. Willye White US 20  3 1/2  3. Vera Krepkina USSR 19  5 1/2  4. Edith McGuire US  18  9 1/2

Decathlon

110 HH  Kzsnetsov  14.6 (923)  Pauly US  14.8 (867)  Herman US 15.3 740  Kutenko (withdrew due to illness

Discus  Kuznetsov 155-3 (854)  Pauly 140-1 (790)  Herman 137  10 (683)
Pole Vault Herman 13 10 1/4 (854)  Kuznetsov 13  8 1/2 (835)  Pauly 12 11 1/2 (720)

Jav  Kuznetsov 228 4 1/2 (977)  Pauly 215  4 1/4 (784)  Herman 194 8 1/2 (647)

1500 meters Herman 4:15.9  (665)  Pauly 5:01 (253)  Kuznetsov 5:30 (141)

Final Score  Kuznetsov  7830  Herman 7653   Pauly 6996


Men  Day Two

400 Hurdles  Willie Atterbury  50.3 MR,  Rex Cawley 50.5  Vasilliy Aniaimov 50.9 , Georgiy Chevychalov  51.2

200 Meters   Paul Drayton 20.8  Roger Syers 20.9  Edvin Ossolin 21.2  Amin Tuyakov 21.5

800 Meters  Jerry Siebert 1:46.4  Jim Dupree 1:46.8  Valeriy Bulyshev 1:48  Abram Kriveshev 1:49.6

Steeplechase  Nickolay Sokolov  8:42.3  George Young  8:44.7  Pat Traynor  8:50  Vladimir Evdokomov 9:02

High Jump   Valery Brumel  7-5 WR  Gene Johnson 7-0  Viktor Bolyshov 6-10 fewer misses  John Thomas 6-10

Discus  Al Oerter  200-1  Rink Babka 193-10 1/2  Vladimir Trusenov  189-9  Kim Bukhantsev 184-5

1500 Meters Jim Beatty  3:39.8  Ivan Beletskely 3:41  Keith Foreman  3:41.2  Vasily Savlakov  3:48.8

5000 Meters  Pytor Bolotkniov 13:53.6  Alexander Artynyuk  14:06.4  Charlie Clark  14:09.8  John Gutknecht 14:31.5

Jav   Janis Lusis 269-6  USSR     Viktor Taybulenko 256-2  USSR   Dand Studney  USA 243  Nick Kovalakides 238  3  1/2 US HSJ  Vladimir Gosaeyev  54  5  1/21   Oleg Fedoseev  53  1  1/2  Bill Share 52  4 1/2  Herman Stokes  51  3 1/2

4x400  1. US  Sadler Cawley  Archibald Williams  3:03.8
            2.  USSR  Arkipchick  Aychkov  Anisunov  Sverbetev   3:09.8

Final Men     US  128   USSR  107
                      USSR 90   USA  41
Note:  Some times and distance may vary slightly from Roy's reporting due to the difficulty reading some of the text off the internet.   Of interest in the AP  story  was that writing style of the day  frequently referred to women athletes in a formal manner  ie.  Mrs. Rudolph-Ward or Mrs. Ludyshenko.

Also to be noted in the Eugene Guard Register on this same day there was an All - Comers meet in Eugene in which Bill Dellinger won the mile   4:43   and the 2 mile in 10:01.  Maybe he had just come in from a hard 20 miler and wanted to do a little cool down. ed.

Advertising in the Eugene Guard Register that day -- Earl Schieb would  "Paint Your Car"  for $29.95    and a set of 4 new tires was $49.50.



Dean Cromwell      Dink Templeton

We will end this report with mention of the deaths of two track and field icons. On August 4 Dean Cromwell, the coach at USC from 1908 to 1948 and 1948 Olympic coach, dies of a heart attack at 82 in Los Angeles. His teams won twelve NCAA titles including nine in a row from 1935 to 1943. Many of his athletes became prominent coaches themselves. They include Herschel Smith, long time coach at Compton College and founder of the Compton Invitational; Jesse Mortensen who followed Cromwell at USC, winning seven NCAA championships; Payton Jordan of Stanford who was the meet director for the 1962 dual meet with the Russians; Jess Hill, the USC athletic director and acting SC track coach for the '62 season; and Vern Wolfe the current SC coach.   Not to be forgotten was Cromwell's role in taking Sam Stoller and Marty Glickman off of the 4x100 relay at the 1936 Olympics (See earlier post on Sam Stoller) ed.

                                                                                                     Dean Cromwell and Greta Garbo

Three days later the grim reaper visited Dink Templeton. He died of a heart attack following pneumonia which developed from a bad cold he picked up, ironically, at the US-USSR meet. He placed fourth in the broad jump in the 1920 Olympics and played on the Olympic winning rugby team. He coached the Stanford track team as an undergraduate in 1917 and 1918. He was known as “the boy coach” when, following graduation, he became the head coach in 1921. Over the next 19 years his Stanford team won three NCAA titles, a record beaten only by Cromwell and Mortensen (who died in February of '62). He held an edge on Cromwell in dual meets, 12-11. He resigned from Stanford in 1939 because of ill health. Upon regaining his health he coached the San Francisco Olympic Club until it dropped track 15 years later. He was a flier in WWI and later earned a law degree at Stanford.

Late breaking news from page 19. Dr. Robert Dickie of the Princeton University physics department thinks that some of the world's leading jumpers are reaching fantastic heights because the earth's gravitational pull is fading. Andhere              Brumel, Boston and Ter-Ovanesyan thought hard work was the reason.

Valery Brumel

Brumel died Jan. 25, 2003 at age 60

Paul Drayton winner of 200

Gary Gubner

Al Oerter 

And now to give you a weapon for the next time the conversation at the Dew Drop Inn turns to track and field trivia. Hit 'em with this and you won't have to buy a round the rest of the evening. The shot that set Bill Nieder's 65-10 world record and the shot that Dallas Long used to break that record by half an inch.......is the same shot. Vern Wolfe gave it to Long when he was at North Phoenix High. It is the only one Long has ever used. On the night Nieder set his record he borrowed it from Long.