by Larry Eder
I am going to share a secret with you.
One of my true supporters for past 35 years, no matter what project I was working on, has been Jeff Benjamin.
Jeff Benjamin is the senior writer at RunBlogRun for the East Coast. Jeff Benjamin is the Mayor of Staten Island Running. Jeff Benjamin is a high school history teacher. Jeff Benjamin is the son of Jack Benjamin. Jeff Benjamin is the husband of Roseann Benjamin, who loves her husband and supports his positive addiction to running and the Staten Island Running Association, and their their two daughters, Amanda and Brianna. I recall Amanda and Brianna with their Dad at various running and track events! It is truly, a labor of love!
Jeff Benjamin is a friend of mine, and has been so for all these crazy years.
I was so proud of him last Wednesday night, when he brought Billy MIlls (1964 Olympic gold medalist, 10,000m, Last American to do so), Bob Beamon, 1968 Olympic gold medalist at the long jump (8.90 meters, 29 feet, 2.5 inches, still the Olympic record), Dave Wottle, 1972 Olympic gold medalist, 800 meters, Bill Rodgers, 4-time winner of NYC (1976-1979) and Boston (1975, 1978, 1979, 1980) and bronze medalist, World Cross Country, Steve Jones, former WR holder marathon (1984-2:08:05, winner of London, NYC and Chicago, plus 2:07:12 in 1985, missing the WR by one second), Tony Staynings (1976 and 1980 Olympic steepler, Team GB), Bill Jackunis, 1976 Olympian in the high jump, Frank O’Meara, Ireland, gold medalist World Indoors 1987 and 1991, 3,000 meters, Geoff Smith, Team GB, winner of 1984 and 1985 Boston Marathons, second place NYC Marathon, 1983, Ajee’ Wilson, 2022 World Indoor Champion gold, 800 meters, bronze in World Outdoors, 2017 and 2019, 800 meters and silver medalist World Indoors, 2016 and 2018. 2024 Olympian Allie Wilson, former WR holder, 400m, Olympic silver medalist (1988) and Olympic gold medalist, 4x400m (1988), Butch Reynolds, and 1956 Olympic race walker, Elliott Denman, Olympic scribe, and Olympic coach, Tracy Sundlun.
At this dinner, Staten Island Runners Association celebrates the finest runners of all ages from Staten Island and inspires them to continue to run, jump and throw.
This writer has been to dinners and award ceremonies for clubs that do not have such an esteemed list of sports legends. SIRA Board Chsir Jeff Benjamin, his wife RoseAnn, friend Tony Gulotta SIRA President Michael De Vito and the Staten Island Running Association work tirelessly to put this event together and bring this distinguished group of Olympians together. The goal is to celebrate the sport and inspire the next generation.
Here is how long time sports brand executive, and former 2:17 marathoner (Boston), Mark Bossardet put it:
“Jeff Benjamin gives gives this next generation a sense of the sports history, especially from th 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the golden age of our sport. Jeff Benjamin inspires the next generation of our sport’s athletes and coaches.”
There are simply amazing people in our sport, who do amazing things, day after day, to inspire present and future generations of sport, and who tell the stories of the great ones who preceded us and on whose shoulders we stand.
Jeff Benjamin is such a person.
What a superb event.
As I nodded off in my Lyft, returning to Manhattan Island, I considered the inspiring evening the fun and Odyssian journey to get to the Stanta Restaurant.
It began for me at 3.30 AM in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. I took the 45 minute drive to Dane Country Regional Airport, flying direct to Newark at 6 AM. I grabbed a Lyft to Manhattan, checking into my FurnishedQuarters.com apartment. Around 4 P.M., I grabbed a taxi to meet Tracy Sundlin, another “whackadoodle’ in our sport. For those of you who do not know the term, “Whackadoodle”, I define it as an absolutely eccentric person, with a heart of gold, who loves an activity for no apparent reason. Both Jeff Benjamin and Tracy Sundlun are, to use the vernacular, “whackadoodles” and I am honored to support their eccentricities.
Tracy then took me on the subway to the Staten Island Ferry. As the subway machine was not accepting cash or credit cards, Tracy pulls out, and I am not making this up, a sub-way ticket with a bit of money left, that most fortunately allowed us both on the subway.
From said subway, we travelled to the Staten Island Ferry, a wonderfully New York institution , where one can travel for free (I love this Ferry), and then, Tracy negotated with a taxi driver, who smiled and took us to his vehicle. From there, we proceeded to drive to the Stanta, a curious Staten Island establishment which has iconic status on the Island.
The Legends and Youth Gala surpassed expectations.
Bob Beamon, Billy Mills and Dave Wottle were among the people who inspired. Billy Mills, all of 86 years, spoke for 30 minutes, and everyone was mesmerized.
Well done, Jeff Benjamin and his group of merry pranksters, who inspire and celebrate all that is good with our sport!
I hope to return.
