by RBR Admin
This Day in Track & Field-January 1—Happy New Year!
1909—Robert Fowler set a World Record of 2:52.45.4 for the marathon in Yonkers,NY, in freezing conditions. The crowd of 10,000 made the finish area unmanageable and referee James Sullivan (namesake of the Sullivan Award) stopped the race after only 7 runners had finished.
The previous mark of 2:55:18.4 was set by fellow American Johnny Hayes at the 1908 Olympics in London, the first time the event was held at the current distance of 26-miles, 385 yards.
(From Progression of IAAF World Records)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_world_record_progression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fowler_(athlete)
1912 – Robert J. Vlught was the winner at the 1st running of San Francisco’s famed “Bay to Breakers” race (7.63 miles/12.3 km) (known as “Cross City” at the time)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_to_Breakers
1964–Bob Hayes rang in the New Year by running 9.1 at the Orange Bowl meet in Coral Gables, Florida, to tie his own World Record in the 100-yard dash, but there was no wind gauge in operation. He also won the 220y on a straightaway in 20.1.
Born On This Day*
Sifan Hassan-Ethiopia/Netherlands (2013) 32 (1993)
Triple medalist at the last two Olympics
2021/Tokyo: Gold (5000,10,000), Bronze (1500)
2024/Paris: Gold (Marathon), Bronze (5000, 10,000)
Almost pulled off another triple medal performance at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Was on the
verge of winning at least the silver medal (if not the gold) in the 10,000 when she stumbled and fell just as
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay drew even with her 20-meters before the finish line (Hassan wound up in 11th place).
She went on to win bronze in the 1500 and silver in the 5000.
Made an impressive move up to the Marathon in 2023—won in Boston (2:18:33) in April, then won in Chicago in
October with a European Record of 2:13:44
Won the 1500 and 10,000 at the 2019 World Championships in Doha (schedule prevented her from
running the 1500/5000 double). 6th in the 5000, 4th in the 10,000, at the 2022 World Championships
Set a short-lived World Record of 29:06.82 for 10,000-Meters in 2021
Set a World Record of 4:12.33 for the Mile in Monaco in 2019 (since broken)
Also set the current World Record of 18,930-Meters for the 1-Hour Run in 2020
PBs:
800–1:56.51 (2017)
1500–3:51.95 (2019/#5 All-Time), Indoors: 4:00.46 (2015)
Mile–4:12.33 (2019/#2 A-T), Indoors-4:19.89i (2017)
3000–8:18.49 (2019/#1 Outdoors/#3-Ind/Out), Indoor–8:30.76i (2017)
5000–14:13.42 (2023/#9 A-T)
10,000–29:06.82 (2021/#4 A-T)
Half-Marathon–65:15 (2018)
Marathon–2:13:44 (2023/#3 A-T)
(T&F News’ All-Time lists do not include questionable marks achieved by runners from China)
World Athletics Inclusive Lists
2024 SBs: 4:04.83, 14:30.61, 30:44.12, 2:18:05
She competed at the 2019 World Championships shortly after her coach, Alberto Salazar, was hit with a 4-year ban.
2016 World Indoor Champion—1500(2018-bronze medalist)
Silver medalist in the 3000 at the 2018 World Indoor Championships (2014-5th)
2-time bronze medalist at the World Championships-2015 (1500), 2017 (5000)
4-time European Champion: 2014 (1500), 2015 (1500i, X-Country), 2018 (5000)
5th in the 1500 at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships
Tokyo Dominance: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/07/sports/olympics/sifan-hassan-tokyo-medals.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sifan_Hassan
www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-world-hassan/angry-hassan-completes-unique-double-idUSKCN1WK0HM
Hassan/Salazar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AclgeoGTAHg
https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/49948731
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/131130
Videos
2023 WC 10k: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG36ylFRvMI
Lopez Lomong South Sudan/USA 40 (1985) 2019 U.S. Champion-5000, 10,000; 7th in the 10,000 at the World
Championships in Doha
5-time U.S. Champion—1500m (2009,2010), 5000m (2019), 10,000 (2018,2019)
2014 U.S. Indoor Champion–1500
2-time NCAA Champion in 2007 (Northern Arizona/1500, 3000i)
2-time U.S. Olympian (2008-1500/semi-finalist, 2012-5000/10th).
8th in the 1500 at the 2009 World Championships (semi-finalist in 2013)
6th in the 3000 at the 2012 World Indoor Championships (2010-1500/1st round)
Ran his mile best of 3:51.21 while winning the Wanamaker Mile at the 2013 Millrose Games
Some people had written him off after he failed to make the U.S. team in the 5000 for the 2016 Olympics
and the 2015 and 2017 World Championships (2015,2017), but he bounced back to win the 10,000 at the
2018 U.S. Championships and continued to run well for the next few years. (Last competed in 2022)
“I’ve been battling a lot of injuries for the last three years. (2018) has just been perfect. Training has been
amazing, everything has been clicking really well. [Chiropractor] John Ball fixed me up.”
U.S. flag-bearer at the 2008 Olympics
PBs:1:45.58 (’08), 3:32.20 (’10), 3:36.52 i(‘13), 3:51.21i (’16/#11 All-Time U.S.), 3:51.45 (’16), 7:37.74i (’20/#6 A-T U.S.),
7:39.81 (’14), 13:07.00i (‘13/AR at the time), 12:58.78 (’20), 27:04.72 (’19/#6 A-T U.S.)
One of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”…spent 10 years in a Kenyan refugee camp before being brought to Tully,NY, in
2001 by Rob and Barbara Rogers (they would take in 5 additional Sudanese boys)…competed for Tully
H.S….became a U.S. citizen on July 6, 2007
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lopez_Lomong
http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Lopez-Lomong.aspx; http://www.lopezlomong.com/
The American Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd_6GKWLZpM
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/sports/othersports/31vecsey.html
Parents: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/out_of_war_and_into_their_hear.html
Lopez Lomong Foundation: http://www.lopezlomong.com/lopez-lomong-foundation.html
Arm-Wrestling With Ashton Eaton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD-Ag-ijVTg
Abdi Abdirahman-Somalia/USA(’00) 48 (1977) 43 at the time, he qualified for his 5th U.S. Olympic team with his 3rd-place
finish at the 2021 Marathon Trials in February, 2020. Competed in the 10,000-meters in 2000 (10th),
2004 (15th), and 2008 (15th), dropped out of the marathon in Rio in 2016, was 41st in the Marathon in
Tokyo..was a DNF at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
Competed in the 10,000 at three World Championships-2001 (19th), 2005 (13th), 2007 (7th)
Also competed in 5 World X-Country Championships from 2000-2004 (11th in 2002)
#1 American finisher at the 2016 (3rd) and 2017 (7th) NY City Marathon
9th in the 2019 NY City Marathon (2:11:34).
Former Arizona Wildcat refers to himself as the “Black Cactus”
All-American was 6th in the 10,000 at the 1998 (2nd-5k) and 1999 NCAA Championships.
NCAA XC:1997-7th, 1998-2nd
Native of Somalia became a U.S. citizen on January 28, 2000…family moved to the United States in 1990
due to the civil war in his home country…His father, Mahamed, worked as a production head for
Conoco, an American Oil company; the position put him in great danger…The family moved to the
U.S. and settled in Tucson, Arizona
Idolized Billy Mills, the upset winner of the gold medal in the 10,000m at the 1964 Olympics and
whose story is portrayed in the movie Running Brave–At one point, watched the movie almost
every day, including the day of his race at the 2000 Olympic Trials, before he headed to the
track…When Abdirahman stepped onto the awards podium as the third-place finisher at the Trials, it
was Mills who was presenting the awards!
Didn’t compete in a running race until he was in junior college when the coach insisted he come out
for the team–tried out in hiking boots and cut-off shorts
PBs:13:13.32 (2005), 27:16.99 (2008), 60:29 (2007), 2:08:56 (2007); Last competed in 2022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdihakem_Abdirahman
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/89097
https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/abdihakem-abdirahman-14230897
Gary Cohen Interview: http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Abdi.aspx
Deceased
Dick Quax-New Zealand) 70 (1948-May 28, 2018) 1976 Olympic silver medalist—5000m
Former World Record holder:
5000 (13:12.87 /1977),
4×1500 (14:40.4/1973) Tony Polhill (3:42.9), John Walker (3:40.4), Rod Dixon (3:41.2), Quax (3:35.9)
4xmile (16:02.4/1972) Kevin Ross (4:01.0), Tony Polhill (4:02.0), Richard Tayler (4:01.0), Quax (3:58.4)
Other PBs: 3:36.7 (1976), 3:56.23 (1976), 7:45.11 (1977), 13:12.87 (1977), 27:41.95 (’77), 2:10:47 (’80)
Passed away in May, 2018, after a 5-year battle with cancer
http://www.olympic.org.nz/athletes/dick-quax/
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74343
’76 OG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB5DxltIkTI
Racing Past: http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=286
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Quax
Quax Talks About His Career and Cancer:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11962735
Remembering Quax: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12062176
Alain “Ali” Mimoun—France 93 (1921-June 27, 2013) 1956 Olympic gold medalist—Marathon
Had previously won 3 silver medals in 1948 (10,000) and 1952 (5000,10,000), finishing 2nd to the great Emil
Zátopek in all 3 races. His good friend Zátopek, not in top shape, finished 6th in the 1956 Marathon.
Competed in a 4th Olympics in 1960, finishing 34th in the Marathon.
4-time World X-Country Champion (1949,1952,1954,1956)
PBs:14:07.5 8(1952), 29:13.4 (1956), 2:21:25 (1958)
Born in Algeria, which was part of France at the time, he fought in the French Army during World War II.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/sports/alain-mimoun-a-top-runner-dies-at-92.html
http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68407
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Mimoun
An excerpt from “The Destiny of Ali Mimoun”, a book by Pat Butcher:
https://www.likethewindmagazine.com/2020/09/25/legend-alain-mimoun/
