RIP Henry K Rono

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LRC's tribute to Rono can be read here: https://www.letsrun.com/news/2...

5 months ago 02/16/2024 5:35pm EST

re: wejo

wejo wrote:
This one sucks too.
Not as tragic as a runner dying in their prime but Rono's accolades were so legendary off the charts it reminds me of Kiptum. He did what had never been done before. And like Kiptum he never got to perform on the biggest stage as Kenya boycotted 1976 and 1980 Olympics.
And then I was just following the sport and people are like "hey this guy works as a skycap in New Mexico" and Henry would post on LetsRun occasionally. With Henry for the first time I realized our superstars are human as well.
Here's a great thread from 2005 on him. Has a great article from Marc Zeigler on him as well.
Thank you Henry for your brilliance! May you rest in peace.
Thread:www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?th...

Well said wejo!

RIP Henry Rono.

5 months ago 02/16/2024 5:35pm EST

re: wejo

wejo wrote:
This one sucks too.
Not as tragic as a runner dying in their prime but Rono's accolades were so legendary off the charts it reminds me of Kiptum. He did what had never been done before. And like Kiptum he never got to perform on the biggest stage as Kenya boycotted 1976 and 1980 Olympics.
And then I was just following the sport and people are like "hey this guy works as a skycap in New Mexico" and Henry would post on LetsRun occasionally. With Henry for the first time I realized our superstars are human as well.
Here's a great thread from 2005 on him. Has a great article from Marc Zeigler on him as well.
Thank you Henry for your brilliance! May you rest in peace.
Thread:www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?th...

Well said wejo!

RIP Henry Rono.

5 months ago 02/16/2024 5:35pm EST

re: wejo

wejo wrote:
This one sucks too.
Not as tragic as a runner dying in their prime but Rono's accolades were so legendary off the charts it reminds me of Kiptum. He did what had never been done before. And like Kiptum he never got to perform on the biggest stage as Kenya boycotted 1976 and 1980 Olympics.
And then I was just following the sport and people are like "hey this guy works as a skycap in New Mexico" and Henry would post on LetsRun occasionally. With Henry for the first time I realized our superstars are human as well.
Here's a great thread from 2005 on him. Has a great article from Marc Zeigler on him as well.
Thank you Henry for your brilliance! May you rest in peace.
Thread:www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?th...

Well said wejo!

RIP Henry Rono.

#85

This post was removed.

5 months ago 02/16/2024 8:58pm EST

re: Aouita 84

Another sad day for us distance guys. I ran against Henry in the McCarran Airport second runway race (before they let planes on). Of course, he won the race. I used to see him running mile repeats at the UNLV track. I also saw him in the British Commonwealth Games in 1978, when he was at the top of his prowess. Unfortunately, he got gypped out of the Olympics, when he was in great shape. May he rest in peace.

5 months ago 02/17/2024 1:44pm EST

re: Not again

The spring and summer of '78 were a mind-boggling moment in Track & Field. Rono stripped away the idea of limitations in distance running. Here was a talented, fit and fearless runner who freed his mind vis-a-vis the clock!

I had the pleasure of watching the knock-down, drag 'em out fight over 10,000 in a steady hard rain between Henry and Al Salazar at Hayward field in the spring of 1982. Rono kicked to win the epic duel by .1 second in 27:29.9, a few seconds off his own world record. He didn't look like a world beater on the starting line--more like a soft, out of shape late-career runner. But again his indomitable racing sense and will carried the day.

5 months ago 02/17/2024 10:18pm EST

re: Big Red

As a high school runner in the Seattle area in the late 70s dreaming of making
the Olympics, I'd often ride Metro to Husky stadium to watch meets. To
my everlasting regret, I missed the WR Henry ran there in the steeple in
the northwest rain, no pacer, no super shoes. Years later, around 1990, I was
working at a homeless clinic in Portland and picked up a chart on a
patient named Henry Rono. Yes, him. He was everything that everyone
said about him: quiet, polite, gentle and humble. It broke my heart and
I could not tell him how I'd admired him so much, as he seemed so far down on
his luck. I am sad he missed the OG due to boycotts. RIP Henry, may
you lead some reps for God

5 months ago 02/17/2024 10:44pm EST

re: doylage

doylage wrote:
As a high school runner in the Seattle area in the late 70s dreaming of making
the Olympics, I'd often ride Metro to Husky stadium to watch meets. To
my everlasting regret, I missed the WR Henry ran there in the steeple in
the northwest rain, no pacer, no super shoes. Years later, around 1990, I was
working at a homeless clinic in Portland and picked up a chart on a
patient named Henry Rono. Yes, him. He was everything that everyone
said about him: quiet, polite, gentle and humble. It broke my heart and
I could not tell him how I'd admired him so much, as he seemed so far down on
his luck. I am sad he missed the OG due to boycotts. RIP Henry, may
you lead some reps for God

Thanks for that. Henry in a nutshell, or using an idiom Henry has said so often. "You hit the nail with the hammer!"

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