I miss Mary Slaney

Apparently Mary lives just a few miles from me, on my regular running route.

I run barefoot, like her nemesis, Zola.

Hope Mary doesn't become enraged and run me over with her Mercedes SUV. Would it be my fault for being in the way?

ryan foreman wrote:

He said there were only two runners he had ever seen who were naturals at what they did: Henry Rono and Mary Slaney. That makes sense to me.

Only two? Only an idiot would make or believe this claim.

Longfellow Deeds wrote:

ryan foreman wrote:

He said there were only two runners he had ever seen who were naturals at what they did: Henry Rono and Mary Slaney. That makes sense to me.

Only two? Only an idiot would make or believe this claim.

Well Slaney could break 23 in the 200 in college. Plus she ran a marathon on a whim in high school under 3:00. I would call that a natural.

She was a star. We need those in this sport. Is Jenn Berringer a star?

I ran an indoor meet in San Diegio which was hyped as a showdown betweed her and Ruth Wysocki. Ruth got her in a big upset at the trials in 84. They were racing a 2000. Mary of course got the star treatment and shows up in a limo, jumps out and there were a huge group of kids at the tunnel wanting her autograph. But she had to warmup so she did and set a new world record. Wysocki was never a factor.

Love her or hate or, I would love to see that again in this sport from an American.

Right. Like the way he let the Munich final play right into the hands of the fastest finishers, of which he was not one.

Tactics are bullshit. Like Pre said, if you run with guts you don't need tactics.

Don't forget Steve Scott came up from Upland High School in So Cal and went on to an IAAF Outdoor WC Silver Medal.

Mongol tribes of Helsinki wrote:

Don't forget Steve Scott came up from Upland High School in So Cal and went on to an IAAF Outdoor WC Silver Medal.

Yep, Scott took the silver. But another American distance performance from Helsinki that never gets mentioned is Marianne Dickerson's silver in the marathon behind Greta Waitz.

Sorry, that's Grete Waitz.

concord wrote:

Mongol tribes of Helsinki wrote:

Don't forget Steve Scott came up from Upland High School in So Cal and went on to an IAAF Outdoor WC Silver Medal.

Yep, Scott took the silver. But another American distance performance from Helsinki that never gets mentioned is Marianne Dickerson's silver in the marathon behind Greta Waitz.

That's right. What became of her. She had a Nike ad in the running magazines and must have got injured and didn't run the trials in 1984.

If you are old enough the 1983 World Championships were a huge deal. The first World Track and Field Championships. NBC covered it every night after 11:30pm and had full coverage Saturday and Sunday. I recall Juantereno breaking his ankle in the heats, DeCastella winning the marathon with Viren involved up front. And the first time I heard of a Morrocan named Aouita. And staying up to watch Henry Marsh wipe out on the last steeple barrier on live television.

Tina Lilliak winning the Javelin in her home country was a great moment. Eammon Coghlan getting a medal and celebrating very early was one. Carl Lewis anchoring a wr 4 x 100 was huge but Mary Decker's double was the top story.

Er... wrote:

Right. Like the way he let the Munich final play right into the hands of the fastest finishers, of which he was not one.

Tactics are bullshit. Like Pre said, if you run with guts you don't need tactics.

Viren pushed him right when he was coming back on him on the last turn and that was it for Pre.

Decker was amazing and the best female distance runner we have ever produced, easily, even beyond Joanie, given how Decker dominated from 800 on up and from such a young age. To have beaten the Eastern Bloc at the height of their drug powers at both fifteen and three, frontrunning in both races was an incredible accomplishment. We don't know whether she was using then. It was not until much, much later that she had the positive test, though she might have started using when she met the British throws guy. In any case, if it was the all drug WC, she was the best, and that era did feature low 3:50s by Kazankina and others.

Campell Street Pirate wrote:

Well Slaney could break 23 in the 200 in college. Plus she ran a marathon on a whim in high school under 3:00. I would call that a natural.

Sure she's a natural. And was fun to watch. All I'm saying is that comments like "there are only two true natural runners in the world" are idiotic.

I also question the sub-23. I'd give Slaney 24-point with a flying start at her peak, at best.

Longfellow Deeds wrote:

All I'm saying is that comments like "there are only two true natural runners in the world" are idiotic.

The actual quotation, from Tracy Sundlun, was this:

"I've always said that two people were put on this earth by God to run. One is Mary Decker. The other is Henry Rono."

When he said that, he probably didn't expect people on letsrun.com to pick apart his statement decades later. Personally, although I don't believe that anyone was put on this earth by God to do anything, I like his selections.

The Helsinki races were wonderful, by the way, and well worth watching. Gutsy frontrunning against very tough competition.

Longfellow Deeds wrote:

Campell Street Pirate wrote:

Well Slaney could break 23 in the 200 in college. Plus she ran a marathon on a whim in high school under 3:00. I would call that a natural.

Sure she's a natural. And was fun to watch. All I'm saying is that comments like "there are only two true natural runners in the world" are idiotic.

I also question the sub-23. I'd give Slaney 24-point with a flying start at her peak, at best.

i just pulled pulled out Kenny Moore's "Best Efforts" and on page 114 so it claims she ran 23.7 for 220. Not near breaking 23 and it doesn't say if it was out of the blocks. Probabably a flying start. I still would doubt other mid-distance U.S. woman could fly like that.That's speed for a 4:00 male miler.

Those were the days when the US won US distance medals at an IAAF Outdoor WC.

Mary Decker (2) of Orange CA

Steve Scott of Upland Ca

Marianne Dickerson of U Illinois

Avocado's Number wrote:

The Helsinki races were wonderful, by the way, and well worth watching. Gutsy frontrunning against very tough competition.

Younger posters may not appreciate just how tough her competition was. Kazakina, who Slaney outkicked in the 3000, was the double gold medalist in the 800/1500 in Montreal and won the 1500 gold in Moscow. She had pbs of 3:52 and sub 1:55.

The 2 Russians Slaney defeated in the 1500 were both 3:56 runners.

i miss lance armstrong

I don't think cheating prima donnas add anything to our sport. Glad she's gone.

I'm her age and I always thought she was hott. Married down with Ron Tabb. Too bad she never met me. Poor girl.

god riddens to that druggy butter face

Slaney was awfully talented, but I would have to argue Joan Benoit could give her a run for the money in talent, albeit at a longer distance... A 2:21 marathon for a woman in 1985. THAT is impressive.