by Larry Eder
This Day in Track & Field/X-Country-December 3
1950-Brazil’s Adhemar da Silva set the first of his 5 World Records in the Triple Jump, reaching out to 52-6 (16.00) in São Paulo. He would win the gold medal at the 1952 Olympics.
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_jump_world_record_progression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhemar_da_Silva
1964-Australia’s Ron Clarke set a World Record of 13:07.6 for 3-miles in Melbourne. A distant 2nd in 13:31.0 was New Zealand’s Murray Halberg, who set the previous WR of 13:10.0 in 1961.
WR Progression: https://www.arrs.run/RecProg/RP_wwT.htm
1967-Australia’s Derek Clayton set a “World Record” of 2:09:36.4 to win the 21st Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.
Clayton, whose personal best before the race was only 2:18:28, and New Zealand’s Mike Ryan set a fast early pace which separated them from the rest of the field.
Ryan started to lose contact between 15k-20k, while Japan’s Sei-ichiro Sasaki was maintaining a decent pace in 3rd place. Clayton passed the half-marathon mark in a quick 1:03:22, still far ahead of Ryan (1:03:51) and Sasaki (1:03:56).
It looked like Mutt and Jeff when the 5’-4 ½” (1.64) Sasaki drew even with the 6’-2” (1.88) Clayton before the 30k mark. The two ran side-by-side for the next 5k before a side-stitch forced Sasaki to back off. Clayton went on to complete his record run, while Sasaki finished 2nd in 2:11:17, which was also under the previous record of 2:12:00 that was set by Japan’s Morio Shigematsu in 1965.
Said Clayton about the race: “The Fukuoka International marathon on December 3, 1967 was the most memorable event of my life. This fact most probably will remain true for the rest of my life. It was a very special day for me, and the emotional high I experienced on the day cannot be described in words.” (From Ken Nakamura’s detailed report on the race—see WA link).
(The IAAF/World Athletics didn’t recognize road performances as official World Records until 2004)
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_world_record_progression
https://worldathletics.org/news/news/marathon-part-2-1967
Video: https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/140326/
1978-Japan’s own Toshihiko Seko was the winner of the Fukuoka Marathon in 2:10:21. It was the first win of his career, but certainly not the last. He would win again in Fukuoka the next two years and also in 1983. He would also win at Boston (1981,1987), Chicago (1986/where he ran his lifetime best of 2:08:27), and London (1986).
The Soviet Union’s (and Russia’s) Leonid Moseyev (2:12:44) passed Bill Rodgers (2:12:51) late in the race, finishing in 5th place, one spot ahead of the defending champion.
That late move past Rodgers by Moseyev turned out to be significant, since it turned out to be the deciding factor when T&F News released their end-of-year World Rankings. Moseyev, the winner over a strong field at the European Championships, was named #1 over Rodgers, the winner in Boston and New York earlier in the year.(Seko was #3)
It wasn’t reported at the time, but it turns out that Rodgers ran the race while battling the flu, which helps to explain what some fans saw as his disappointing performance in Fukuoka. He would return to his winning ways the following April, when he beat Seko while winning at Boston for the 3rd time.
Geoff Pietsch offered some thoughts on the race, the rankings, and Rodgers himself:
“What T&F News didn’t know is that Rodgers was fighting the flu at Fukuoka. I learned that from his then-wife Ellen when they were in Miami a few days later. Brought in by the Orange Bowl committee, as I recall, to help promote the long since defunct Orange Bowl marathon. I was writing fortnightly Running columns for the old Miami News, and when elite runners came to town, I “interviewed” them by going on runs with them and chatting. I did 3 easy ten milers with Bill and he never mentioned the flu. But at one point Ellen told me about his sickness. His unwillingness to make excuses is admirable but I suspect if T&FN had known he would have received their #1 world ranking.
Two anecdotes:
When I drove them to the airport, Bill volunteered his phone number. It struck me as surprising since, as the BIG star of the running boom, I figured the last thing he needed was phone calls from relative strangers. We corresponded occasionally for several years and in 1980 I wrote to him to ask if it would be okay with him if I established a Bill Rodgers award for my XC team. And, if so, what criteria he would like for the award. He agreed and said he would like it to go to the one who loved running the most. Some months later, with our year-end major athletic award ceremonies impending, I sent him a note to tell him a little about the two boys who would be the first recipients. I received a reply – I think from Dallas – which he wrote two days after he had won another Boston Marathon. And been on TV shows, traveling, etc. He took the time and trouble not just to reply to me but also to include personal notes for each of the kids. Which they treasured far more than the awards ceremony plaque. Forty years later, his kindness still moves me.”
Past Winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_Marathon
Seko: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshihiko_Seko; https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/72599; https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/japan/toshihiko-seko-14345994
Rodgers Career Stats: https://more.arrs.run/runner/3748
Fukuoka Documentary(2 hours):
https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/canadian-releases-fukuoka-marathon-documentary/
2022—Texas sophomore Brian Herron ran 59.87 for 500-meters in Louisville to set American & Collegiate Records. Both previous records were held by Brycen Spratling, who ran 1:00.63 in 2012 while at Pittsbugh, and 1:00.06 in 2015. Herron just missed the World “Record” of 59.83, which was set by Abdalelah Haroun in 2016. He set the current U.S. High School Indoor Record of 32.64 for 300-meters in 2018 (Lakeside,GA).
(The 500 is not an official World Record event)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4n9Ji6xITQ
X-Country
1932—Fordham’s Joe McCluskey (32:36/6-miles) overtook Indiana’s J.C.Watson (32:40) late in the race to win the U.S. title in Cincinnati, Ohio. McCluskey had won the bronze medal in the Steeplechase at the L.A. Olympics during the summer.
https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/12/04/100878983.html?pageNumber=121
1949-FBI agent Fred Wilt (30:31/10k), a future Hall-of-Famer, beat his friendly rival Curt Stone (30:45), the 1947 champion, to win the first of his 3 U.S. X-Country titles in Detroit (also won in 1952 & 1953). Finishing 3rd was another future HOFer, Horace Ashenfelter (31:19), who would win the Steeplechase at the 1952 Olympics.
1995-Local hero Brad Schlapak was the surprise winner of the Men’s race at the U.S. X-Country Championships at Boston’s Franklin Park, while 8-time champion Lynn Jennings finished 3rd in the Women’s race, which was won by Joan Nesbit for the 2nd year in a row.
Schlapak (28:49/10k), who competed on this course many times during his high school (Baldwinville,MA) and collegiate (Northeastern) careers, and who trained here often in the weeks leading up to the race, used his miler’s speed (PB-3:58.5) to outsprint defending champion Reuben Reina (28:50), who thought he had his 2nd title in hand, for the win. (See T&F News’ cover link).
Next across the line were Terrance Mahon (28:53), Brian Baker (28:56), Bob Kempainen (28:58), and Mark Coogan (29:02), who had made a quick recovery after falling hard with 1000-meters to go in the race.
The 33-year old Nesbit (19:05), who had won the bronze medal in the 3000-meters at the World Indoor Championships earlier in the year (and would finish 6th at World Cross), led from the gun and was never seriously challenged as she won by 31 seconds over Villanova grad Kate Fonshell (19:36). The cross country coach at North Carolina had a large and vocal cheering section, as many Tar Heels, who had competed in other races during the day, were able to sprint to various points along the course to show their support.
Jennings (19:46), whose 7-year winning streak at this meet had come to an end the year before, was never in position to go for her 9th win, but she did rally from 6th-place to grab 3rd over Amy Rudolph (19:49).
Stanford’s Hauser twins, Brad and Brent, finished 1-2 in the Men’s Junior race.
Other notable finishers
Men: 11.Seamus McElligott, 12.Brad Barquist, 16.Arturo Barrios, 20.Pat Porter (8-time champion), 28.Tim Hacker, who suffered a cramp as he tried to hurdle the fallen Mark Coogan-see above)
Women: 6.Laurie Henes, 9.Elva Dryer, 10.Collette Murphy, 11.Gwyn Coogan, 12.Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, 13.Fran ten Bensel, 16.Melody Fairchild, 18.Sarah Schwald
(From T&F News)
T&F News Cover-February(Schlapak): https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1996_02.jpg
Schlapak (for subscribers):
2022—Senior Irene Riggs (Morgantown,WV) ran 16:40.9 to win the Girls’ race at NXN (Nike Cross Nationals) on the Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon. Two runners with famous running dads did well, senior Sophia Kennedy (Park Tudor,OH) finishing 8th (17:18.4), and freshman Addy Ritzenhein (Niwot,CO) finishing 18th (17:38.4). (Ritzenhein won the 2023 title).
Bob Kennedy and Dathan Ritzenhein are among the best American distance runners in history. NXN wasn’t around when they were in high school, but they were both Foot Locker XC Champions, Kennedy winning in 1987 and “Ritz” winning in 1999 & 2000.
Saratoga Springs (NY/Kinetic) won the team title for the 2nd consecutive time (2019/no meet in 2020/2021 due to Covid), beating runnerup Niwot(CO) by 28 points (81-109). It was the 3rd overall win for the coaching duo of Linda and Art Kranick, who led the team to the first NXN title in 2004.
Senior Aaron Sahlman was the surprise winner of the Boys’ race in 14:44.5, leading powerhouse Newbury Park (CA) to a repeat (and lopsided) win over Jesuit (OR), 66-152.
The RunnerSpace announcers were handing the win to Sahlman’s teammate, Leo Young, who had a 25-30 meter lead with little more than a ¼-mile to go (his brother Nico was the 2019 NXN champion). Sahlman, who had run a 4:01 mile in June, gradually got closer to Young and sprinted past him on an uphill slope and won going away. Young’s spirit seemed to be broken as he faded to 11th.
Past Winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Cross_Nationals
Past U.S. Champions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Cross_Country_Championships
