Coffee with Larry, May 12, 2025, Remembering my first Olympic experiences

This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on all things track & field!

Coffee with Larry graphic, photo by StarGazerPics, graphic design by Mike Deering

Coffee with Larry is your almost daily podcast from #RunBlogRun for Monday, May 12, 2025.

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Coffee with Larry is sponsored by OMIUS, the cooling technology company, which you can find at www.omius.io.

Sifan Hassan won the Paris Olympic marathon, wearing the OMIUS head band, photo courtesy of OMIUS

Coffee with Larry is supported by Pace Events, managers of #DubaiMarathon. Mark your calendar for February 1, 2026.

Bedatu Hirpa wins the 2025 Dubai Marathon, photo by Giancarlo Columbo, /Dubai Marathon

The adidas Atlanta City Games, sponsored by #adidas, is May 17, 2025, you can watch on NBC from 3-4 PM Eastern on May 17! Global Athletics and Marketing is managing this event for the Atlanta Track Club. GAM also manages the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix , now coming into year 31. Check out info here.

Anna Hall, adidas Atlanta City Games, photo by Kevin Morris

Our topics:

1. Today I am speaking about my experiences with the Olympics.

2. My first was in 1968, watching Bob Beamon on a little bw tv in St. Louis, with my Dad and brother, while we had our Saturday tradition, hot dogs with saurkraut, mustard and a pickle!

3. My second experience was in 1972, watching the broadcast as I was beginning to run cross country at DeSmet.

The Munich 1972 Olympics, Lasse Viren leads Miruts Yifter, Frank Shorter, Mariano Haro, et al, photo by IOC/Munich 1972

4. By 1976, i was into the Olympics, watching from Blytheville, Arkansas, where I my Uncle Bubba, and EW in Airforce, was stationed.

Alberto Juantorena won 800m and 400m in Montreal Olympics, 1976, photo public domain from Wikipedia/Olympics.org.
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8. In 1980, I watched from afar, no TV due to boycott, but read in San Jose Mercury News each day on reports and TFN issue, a month later.

Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz, 1980 Moscow Pole Vault champion, from Poland, was jeered by Russian fans, photo by Olympics.org.

9. In 1984, I visited LA Olympic Trials, LA Olympics, thanks to Bob Anderson, my RW boss. Seeing Ruth Wysocki upset Mary Slaney in the 1,500m, and then, Seb Coe win 1,500m after silver in 800m in LA was life changing!

See you tomorrow on Coffee with Larry!

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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