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Top Inspirational Runners (Read 1226 times)

Hollie S.


Merry Christmas!

    So I wanted to say that today I heard about the runner that inspired me the most. Her name is Sami Stoner, and she is legally blind, but that does not stop her. She is a senior in high school, and she has been running cross country since eighth grade. Now that she is blind, she still runs cross country for her team, she uses her guide dog named Chloe. She did not stop running, even with her impairment, and it just inspires me. Sometimes, I get into these ruts where I don't really want to run, but thinking about how she still runs makes me want to go out there and run for the people who can't.

    If anybody else has anyone who inspires them, write about them on this forum.

    I wish I was as young as I look in the forum picture! But I'm not. :(

    cbennett926


    Trust Me, Im an Engineer

      Terry Fox was an amazing individual. He was a canadian distance runner who had one leg amputated due to cancer, he had always ran and didn't let this stop him he ran cross country in Canada for 143 days stopping only for sleep and eating, in order to raise money for cancer research. Here's a quote from good ol Wikipedia

       

            "Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name."

      Not all those who wander are lost - JRR Tolkien

       

        Zola Budd- ran 15:02 at the age of 17, a bare footed girl of 90lbs, and was offered scholarships by nine American universities.

         

        While a South African citizen she was denied opportunities to compete internationally, and banned from the Olympics but applied for and controversially  was granted UK citizenship on grounds that her grandfather was British.

        Most famous for tangling with the also enormously talented Mary Decker at the 1984 Olympics, after which incident both of their careers took a downhill trajectory, (She was running  barefoot  and ahead of Decker who later admitted Budd was not at fault.

         

        Henry Rono.

        Joan Benoit.

        Greta Waitz

        PBs since age 60:  5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

                                            10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

         

          Lane


            Biking Bad


            finnegan begin again

              Many runners amaze me. An occasional local sub 15 minute 5k guy to 80yo age grade champs. Anyone just getting out there for the first time and discovering that , yes, they can do it.

               

              But I really love going to high school cross country races. They are really races. Runners racing-not pacing. Not chasing the clock but the runner near them. These kids pour it out. It's stunning to see them collapse sometimes at the finish, sometimes just meters short. Nothing left to give. That's a hard place to get to as a middle age athlete. Very inspiring.

              "... the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value..."  Thomas Paine Dec 23, 1776 The Crisis 

               

              Adversity is the first path to truth. Lord Byron

               

              "No one plans to fail…..they fail to plan" Skinny Pete

                Steve Jones.  scroll down within this link for a three-week excerpt from his training diary prior to his running a World record of 2:08:05 at Chicago in '84.

                My leg won't stop mooing.

                 

                i think i've got a calf injury.

                  My favourite is Team Hoyt - Dick and Rick Hoyt

                   

                  I also like the Men's 5000m Final Full Replay - London 2012 Olympic Games . Especially last lap starting at 16:30.

                  5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

                  kcam


                    Zola Budd- ran 15:02 at the age of 17, a bare footed girl of 90lbs, and was offered scholarships by nine American universities.

                     

                    While a South African citizen she was denied opportunities to compete internationally, and banned from the Olympics but applied for and controversially  was granted UK citizenship on grounds that her grandfather was British.

                    Most famous for tangling with the also enormously talented Mary Decker at the 1984 Olympics, after which incident both of their careers took a downhill trajectory, (She was running  barefoot  and ahead of Decker who later admitted Budd was not at fault.

                     

                    Henry Rono.

                    Joan Benoit.

                    Greta Waitz

                     

                    Zola still runs and competes.  She was at the World  Masters Championships last summer in Sacramento.  I think the only event she ran was the 8K XC (2nd in , competing for South Africa.   With shoes and sunny attitude, Zola Budd competes at Masters event.  

                    She ran 29:19 which is 5:54 pace, still impressive!

                    Hollie S.


                    Merry Christmas!

                      Runners that inspire me don't even have to be famous. There are a lot of people that I know that inspire me a lot. My sister, for one, started running cross country her freshman year, and found out that she had a fractured hip. She kept running the entire year, and, even though she never even got to sub-30, (5K) she kept it up and never gave up. Her sophmore year, she was having almost no trouble until a really fast course when her knee gave out, and she only ended up missing one race that season.

                       

                      One of my friends, Elijah, gave up football and started running as a freshman during my sophmore year. He ended up breaking nineteen minutes, which only about nine people did on our team that year.

                       

                      As a freshman, my friend Kiah tied our school record with our team captain and as a sophmore she broke it, and also broke nineteen.

                       

                      Aiden missed our school record by only one second his second year of high school, and only his third year of cross country.

                       

                      Becky, one of the nicest girls I ever met, got 5th in state in 2009.

                       

                      Stefani got hit by a car her sophmore year, but still made it to state both her junior and senior year.

                       

                      My younger sister and I ran in a Thanksgiving day race, and she hadn't really been running much, and she has asthma. She kicked through it and beat my time by about 40 seconds. (I was pissed but I'm still proud of her)

                      I wish I was as young as I look in the forum picture! But I'm not. :(


                      Village people

                        Terry Fox was an amazing individual. He was a canadian distance runner who had one leg amputated due to cancer, he had always ran and didn't let this stop him he ran cross country in Canada for 143 days stopping only for sleep and eating, in order to raise money for cancer research. Here's a quote from good ol Wikipedia

                         

                              "Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name."

                         +1 

                          Terry Fox was an amazing individual. He was a canadian distance runner who had one leg amputated due to cancer, he had always ran and didn't let this stop him he ran cross country in Canada for 143 days stopping only for sleep and eating, in order to raise money for cancer research. Here's a quote from good ol Wikipedia

                           

                                "Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi), and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name."

                           

                          +2

                           

                          MTA- a trip to Victoria is not complete without a visit to the Terry Fox statue near Beacon hill park.

                          bojangles


                            I saw this video a couple months back and now can't seem to find it, but I will explain it the best I can. It was an older video and the runners looked young ( 17-22 would be my guess). They were racing 1600m on the track and this one dude was towards the back. After the second lap he picked up his pace and started sprinting. The crowd started to giggle and laugh because they all thought he counted his laps wrong and it was the final lap. None of the other runners picked up their pace. Well this dude came around for his last lap and he kept on sprinting. The gap between first and second was huge. The crowd is now quiet and in shock. The dude beasted it. 

                             

                            He inspired me a lot. If you know what you are capable of, do it. Screw the judgers and na sayers. That dude hurt feelings out there that day.


                            Jess runs for bacon

                              I'm almost done with The Long Run (RW book) and it has stories on pretty much all these people (Terry Fox, the Hoyts, Zola Budd, Benoit) as well as a few others. Zola's story was pretty sad. Really interesting book though.

                              AmoresPerros


                              Options,Account, Forums

                                I saw this video a couple months back and now can't seem to find it, but I will explain it the best I can.

                                 

                                I think you're referring to this video of Michael Stember winning CIF 1600 in 1995

                                It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

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