2022 RunBlogRun Summer Cross Country Mileage Program, Week Six, Day Seven

This is Sunday, August 14, 2022. It is day seven, Week Six of the 2022 Summer Cross Country Mileage Program.

Today we are going to speak about Coach Arch Jelley. Coach Arch Jelley is one of the most famous coaches in New Zealand running, and he turned 100 over the weekend. His most famous athlete, Sir John Walker, 1976 Olympic champ at 1,500 meters, the first man to go under 3:50 for the mile, and a man who broke 4 minutes in the over 120 times.

NIKE presents #TheJourneytoCompete, A NIKE Cross Country newsletter, celebrating cross-country, and Indoor Track & Field, Issues, 1-17, Back Issues, Winter 2026

NIKE presents #TheJourneytoCompete, A NIKE Cross Country newsletter, celebrating cross-country, and Indoor Track & Field, Issues, 1-16, Back Issues, Winter 2026

NIKE presents #TheJourneytoCompete, A NIKE Cross Country newsletter, celebrating cross-country, Issues, 1-15, Back Issues, Winter 2026

Arch Jelley is a tough guy. He was a submariner in World War 2, one of the loneliest, most claustrophobic, and most dangerous jobs in any navy.

He also developed John Walker from a pretty good miler to the best in the world, with a host of challenging injury complications. Their relationship developed from coach/athlete to advisor/athlete.

Coach / Athlete relationships are key to an athlete’s success. Make sure you are honest with your coach.

For your workout today, warm up, 70 minutes relaxed on trails, then cool down.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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