RunningStateOfTheSport

Dan Schlesinger--marathon great and fine artist

As a freshman at Yale in the spring of 1974, Dan Schlesinger broke the school's record in the 6-mile run. That record was previously held by a guy named Frank Shorter. Remember this for your next running trivia game.

Schlesinger did much more in his running career, and also on the long, twisting path that eventually led to his current work as a fine artist.

In the 1982 NYC Marathon, Schlesinger came out of seemingly nowhere to finish third in 2:11:54. He was beaten only by Alberto Salazar and Rodolfo Gomez. The next spring Schlesinger placed eighth at Boston with a personal best time of 2:11:37.

That seemed to make him a strong contender in the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials, and Schlesinger was super-fit, as he describes in this podcast. But sometimes things don't always work out the way you hope. He had similar bad luck in preparing for the 1988 Trials.

Then he got on with life, finding a job as a translator in Korea and gaining his legal degree at Harvard. This career path didn't excite Schlesinger, so he began dabbling in various art forms.

One thing led to the next, and he eventually gained the assignment to illustrate all the Harry Potter books in Japan. These volumes sold more than 20 million copies, and launched Schlesinger into the fulltime art work he has pursued ever since.

Indeed, his newest project is an illustrated book out in mid October that's called Injury Blues And The Red Running Shoes. It's personal, colorful, humorous at times, and intended to inspire injured runners to believe they'll soon be back on the road again. Like Dan himself.

To see a portfolio of Schlesinger's artwork, go here.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

German Silva--Mexican marathon great

In the latest episode of the podcast, "Running: State Of The Sport," George and Amby chat with German Silva, winner of the 1994 and 1995 New York City Marathons.

Silva grew up as one of 13 children living in a small Mexican town without electricity. He now runs a travel agency catering to Mexican marathon runners, and recently finished the Sydney Marathon in sub-3-hours--not bad for an athlete in his late 50s.

In this interview, he explains what happened when he made an infamous "wrong way Silva" turn into Central Park in 1994, and also some of the issues he faced in finishing sixth in the 1996 Olympic Marathon.

He also explains his belief in a simple, humble approach to running, and why super shoes might not be the best option for midpack marathon runners.

You can learn more about German Silva at: germansilvatours.com.

And you can follow him on Instagram here.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Rod Dixon--New Zealand great

Rod Dixon is one of the alltime great runners from New Zealand--a country that has produced far more than its expected share of top runners. This possibly extends from the influence of Arthur Lydiard, the immensely influential New Zealand coach from the early 1960s to the present day.

[In this episode, George and Amby also discuss Yomif Kejelcha's half marathon record, Jenny Simpson's health update, and Ethan Strand's 1500-meter win over Cole Hocker and Jacob Ingebrigtsen.]

Dixon won an Olympic bronze medal in the 1972 Games in Munich, and returned 4 years later in Montreal to miss another bronze by a whisker in the 5000-meter final.

After the Olympic boycott of 1980, Dixon turned increasingly to the roads, and won many big U.S. races. These included: Falmouth, Bay to Breakers, and the Philly Half Marathon.

The marathon beckoned and Dixon took on the challenge. In 1983, he won the New York City Marathon in 2:08:59 in one of the most dramatic finishes in NYCM history.

He trailed Geoff Smith by a wide margin at 20 miles, but slowly whittled away at the gap until he sprinted past Smith just 200 meters from the finish in Central Park. A famous poster shows Dixon with raised, celebratory arms while Smith writhes in collapse on the road behind the New Zealander.

Today Dixon, from Nelson, NZ, at the northernmost edge of the South Island, stays busy working with schools that support his Kids Marathon Foundation, which promotes activity, good nutrition, and wellness for young age groups. More at KidsMarathonFoundation.org

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Pete Pfitzinger--legendary U.S. marathon runner and book author

Pete Pfitzinger was a two-time USA Olympic marathoner, in the 1984 and 1988 Games. He won the '84 Olympic Marathon Trials in a stunning sprint-finish victory over Alberto Salazar, and ran from behind to clinch third place in the 1988 Trials.

Pfitzinger always knew how to get the job done, especially at the marathon distance--his speciality.

Later he converted his experience and knowledge into a best-selling book, Advanced Marathoning, co-written with Scott Douglas. The book recently was updated with a fourth edition, and is always mentioned as one of the best marathon training books for serious runners.

In the late 1990s, Pfitzinger moved to New Zealand with his wife, Chrissie, a New Zealand Olympian. For the next several decades, he served as an executive in several New Zealand organizations aimed at improving opportunity for the country's top athletes.

Now retired, he has turned his attention to online coaching at PfitzingerCoaching.com, where he hopes to offer his training knowledge to a modest number of highly-motivated runners.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Paul Gompers--elite marathoner and Harvard Business School professor

Paul Gompers has a long history in the marathon and in the pursuit of excellence. It's hard to imagine anyone more competitive than Gompers. He even owns Alter-G treadmills in two separate residences so he can work out twice a day.

Gompers ran his first marathon in 1983 while a Harvard freshman. His 2:15:28 in Huntsville, Ala, still stands as an under-20 world record on a eligible course.

Here's a famous photo from that race. Gompers explains it in the podcast.

Four years later, Gompers improved to 2:11:39 at the 1987 Twin Cities Marathon. The following spring, he placed fourth in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials behind Mark Conover, Ed Eyestone, and Pete Pfitzinger.

Gompers turned next to the study of economics. He has been a professor at the Harvard Business School since 1995, specializing in venture capital and entrepreneurship.

About 20 years ago, he learned to swim and began serious training for age-group triathlon, as did his wife Jody, a Boston-area physician. Gompers has since completed four Kona Ironman Triathlons, as well as many others, with top finishes for his age.

In recent years, he has also advised Harvard's standout alumni runners, including Graham Blanks and Ben Rosa.

For more on Paul Gompers, see this page on Wikipedia.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Bob Bickel--RunSignUp.com

Back in his college days at Bucknell University, Bob Bickel trained 100 miles/week, and pushed his 10,000-meter time down to an impressive 29:07. Then he took his electrical engineering skills into the tech industry, and enjoyed several modest successes.

Next he opened a running retail store in Moorestown, NJ, and a few years later decided he could improve upon existing race registrations platforms. He was right. Run Sign Up has become the dominant road race registration platform in the U.S., because it's simple to use, and free for race directors to implement.

What more could a volunteer race director want?

We spoke to Bob about his own running career, what he learned from the team philosophy that made Bucknell a regional powerhouse in cross-country, and how he views the demographics of road racing in the U.S. today. We were particularly struck by one key statistic.

According to Bob, only 6 percent of U.S. race participants participate in the top 100 races--the mega races that get nearly 100 percent of news coverage. In other words, 94 percent of U.S. runners take part in local and regional races. That's what makes the sport so deep and strong.

For more about Run Sign Up, check out this 10-minute YouTube video, or read Bob's "Trends Update" for mid-year 2026.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Paula Radcliffe

This week’s podcast features an interview with Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, one of the best-known names in running for the past 30+ years.

Radcliffe first gained international prominence when she won the World Jr. Cross-Country race (on a snowy day in Boston, MA) in 1992. She had a great track career, and then moved up to the marathon, where she enjoyed unparalleled success. Among her biggest wins: three London Marathon titles, and three NYC Marathons.

At the 2003 London Marathon, Radcliffe ran a then-almost-unthinkable 2:15:25 to set a world record that lasted for 16 years. It even survived the first several years of the super-shoe onslaught until Brigid Kosgei ran 2:14:04 in the 2019 Chicago Marathon.

A little more than a year ago, Radcliffe, then 51, came out of marathon retirement to run the Tokyo and Boston Marathons with finish times in the mid 2:50s. This gave her finishes in the six original Abbott World Marathon Majors races.

Radcliffe currently lives in Monaco with her husband, Gary Lough, a well-known coach and agent, and a 15-year-old son, Raphael. Raphael has recently gotten serious about his running, and lowered his 1500-meter best to 3:59. An older daughter, Isla, who had a cancer scare in her teen years, is studying at college in Great Britain.

Radcliffe stays deeply involved in the sport through her track and marathon commentary for various TV outlets. She also co-hosts a podcast titled “Paula’s Run Club,” and promotes youth-running opportunities with several organizations.

In this conversation, Radcliffe talked in depth about her early running experiences and influences, her peak training, her favorite runners, the current women’s marathon world record (2:09:56, by Ruth Chepngetich), and much more.

To learn more about Radcliffe and her activities, check out her Instagram account.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.