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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

TFS Podcast: “Best of” Series Legendary Miler
MARTY LIQUORI

Posted March 5th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Ask Flash, High School

A year ago, The Final Sprint had the opportunity to interview legendary middle-distance runner and Olympian Marty Liquori.

Liquori was the 3rd American high schooler to run under 4:00 in the mile when he ran a 3:59.8 in 1967 while at Essex Catholic High School in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. By nineteen he was already an Olympian, finishing 12th in the 1968 1500m final in Mexico City.

He was ranked #1 in the world in 1969 through 1971 at the 1500m/Mile distance, in part because of famously defeating then world-record holder Jim Ryun in the “Dream Mile” on May 16th, 1971. In 1977, he ran an American record of 13:15.1 in the 5000m and was ranked 1st in the world at that distance. He retired from competition in 1980.

Since his retirement, he has hosted and executive produced Saucony Running and Racing, an endurance sports event show now in its 13th year on ESPN, has been a track & field broadcaster on network TV, has owned a chain of specialty running stores, performs as a professional jazz guitarist with the Marty Liquori Quintet, and is the national chairman and spokesperson for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. Ironically, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia just months after becoming their spokesman. He is now in remission.

Listen and/or download the podcast to hear Marty discuss defeating Jim in the Dream Mile, bouncing back from injury, American running today and much more!

LISTEN IN:

TO DOWNLOAD: Right click and select “save as”

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Marty Liquori
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 16.2MB
Length: 00:23:44

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Quote of the Day: 12/31/07

Posted December 31st, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Motivation, Famous Quotes

“Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going.”

- Jim Ryun

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Lagat looking for strong Osaka tune-up in London

Posted August 3rd, 2007 at 8:50 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

With just over three weeks remaining before the start of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, American 1500m record holder Bernard Lagat will be looking for one last high profile tune-up tomorrow night at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix in the British capital.

Lagat, who won the 5000m and finished third in the 1500 at the U.S. championships in late June, will be aiming for his first solid outing over the shorter distance since his runner-up finish in the Prefontaine Classic mile on June 10. In his most recent 1500m races, Lagat was a distant seventh at the Golden League meet in Paris on July 6, and a well-beaten third at the Norwich Union International on July 15.

Alan Webb, who’s been on a tear over the past month after his world-leading 3:30.54 victory in Paris, his U.S. record in the mile and a sub-1:44 career best in the 800 last week in Heusden, Belgium, has opted out of the London race to nurse a sore hamstring.
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14:16.63 World Record for Defar in Oslo

Posted June 16th, 2007 at 9:10 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Running in still and near perfect conditions, Meseret Defar smashed the world record in the 5000 meters to highlight the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo.

“No, I had no doubts,” the reigning Olympic champion said after knocking nearly eight seconds from her own world mark with a phenomenal 14:16.63 run.

“I didn’t think I would break the record by such a big margin, but I was aiming under 14:20. So I think I did a good job.”

Her record-breaking margin was the largest in the event in more than two decades, dating back to the Zola Budd-Ingrid Kristiansen rivalry when the record was slashed by more than 10 seconds on a pair of occasions.
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As Golden League kicks off, Dream Mile, Defar the focus of attention

Posted June 14th, 2007 at 6:03 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Craig Mottram Oslo A strong field in the men’s Dream Mile and a possible world record assault by Meseret Defar will steal the focus of attention as the 2007 IAAF Golden League kicks off at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games on Friday.

The Dream Mile, the meeting’s signature event, annually lures many of the world’s top milers, and this year’s is no exception. This year’s field includes an intriguing match-up between a pair of runners who brought some impressive momentum to the Norwegian capital: Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya and Australia’s Craig Mottram.

At last Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., Komen took down a solid field in the mile with a blazing 3:48.28, the year’s fastest. Mottram also dispensed with an all-star field over two miles, clocking a national record 8:03.50. Only Daniel Komen and Haile Gebrselassie have ever covered the distance faster.
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Podcast 19: Interview with Olympian Marty Liquori

Posted February 23rd, 2007 at 6:08 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

In Podcast 19, I had the pleasure of being joined by Olympian Marty Liquori.

Marty is one the four American men to run a sub-four minute mile (PR = 3:52:2) and defeated American hero Jim Ryun in the dream mile race that took the nation by storm. Marty also rose to number one world rankings in the mile and 5000m events.

Since his retirement, Marty, a fellow New Jerseyian, has hosted his own show on ESPN, owns a chain of specialty running stores, performs as a jazz guitarist, and is the national spokesperson for Team in Training.

Download the podcast to hear Marty discuss defeating Jim in the Dream Mile, bouncing back from injury, American running today and much more!

Listen In
[MP3] Direct Download (Right click, select “save as”).
[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Marty Liquori
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 16.2MB
Length: 00:23:44

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

Read the rest of this entry »

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Podcast 18: Interview with American hero Jim Ryun

Posted February 22nd, 2007 at 12:35 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Today’s podcast features my interview with the legendary Jim Ryun.

At only 19 years old, Jim became a hero to millions by setting the H.S. world record and becoming the first high school student to ever run a mile in under 4 minutes. Jim was also a three time Olympian, held five world records and served as an elected member of the U.S. House of representatives from 1997 – 2006.

Download the podcast to hear Jim discuss the Dream Mile, when Alan Webb broke his American record, the thought of running for President, his role models, winning back his Congressional seat and much more!

Listen In
[MP3] Direct Download (Right click, select “save as”).
[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Jim Ryun
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 14.3MB
Length: 00:20:56