It's been WAY too long since I've posted one of my "Five for Friday" columns (or any TJ's Turf blogs, for that matter). With a number of interesting articles making the news this week, it was the perfect time to reinstate this routine.
The first article came across my desk just as I was trying to decide on a fifth notable article. The Jim Thorpe news quickly made its way to the top of this list.
Before we all hunker down for the weekend to watch the World Track & Field Championships, take a look at what I found remarkable in this week's running news.
1.
Jim Thorpe, first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S.
Just today the Associated Press announced that Jim Thorpe has been reinstated as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon & decathlon – nearly 100 years after being stripped of those gold medals for violations of strict amateurism rules of the time. Read more about it here:
Jim Thorpe reinstated as sole winner for 1912 Olympic golds
And in this article in The New York Times:
Jim Thorpe Is Restores as Sole Sinner of 1912 Olympic Gold Medals
Thorpe, to some, remains the greatest all-around athlete ever. He was voted as the Associated Press' Athlete of the Half Century in a poll in 1950.
By now you've all heard, no doubt, about the stunning achievements of Angela Copson at the British Masters Championship.
[Photo credit: Tom Phillips]
Angela Copson entered the W75 category in April and she added to her reputation as one of the greatest masters of all time as her 6:20.93 1500m took 13 seconds off of American Sharon Gerl’s 6:38.30 and well over a minute off of Jose Waller’s UK mark of 7:29.3 set 25 years ago.
She also set a British record in the 800m with 3:16.04 bettering Kathleen Stewart’s 3:27.45 2015 mark.
Backward Running?
An article in The Washington Post posits that backward running (should be?) the wave of the future. "For these runners, the only way forward is backward."
The unusual-looking sport is gaining popularity in the United States as casual and competitive runners who train backward are starting to realize it can be gentler on the body, said Bob Draim, one of the organizers of the Saturday’s meet.
NK: You left Nike and subsequently Bowerman Track Club to join Lululemon. I feel like a lot of people who grow up running and love the sport look up to (Steve) Prefontaine, (Bill) Bowerman, and Nike’s historic legacy. For you, what were that decision and process like as an individual but also as a woman in the sport?
CQ: People hold on to that legacy of the brand.
For me, I don’t love traditions. I think there are a lot of things traditionally that we do in our society that is outdated and doesn’t make sense, but we keep doing them because it’s tradition.
So many people love Nike because of the tradition and what the brand stood for, the big players who started it & were at the forefront of it. Those people aren’t there anymore. You have so many people who have joined the brand since then and they might not have the same values that the company once stood for. But people have a hard time letting that go.
I pushed back on the notion that Nike is so great, perfect, and powerful. It was interesting to see who didn’t want me to leave the brand and who was excited to see me partner with a brand that aligned better with their values.
Breaking traditions can be hard. Anytime [sic] you do something different, people are uncomfortable at first. They’ll adjust.
Henry Rono
"The Most Talented Runner of His Generation Takes the Unexpected Route Back Home."
Forty-four years ago, Henry Rono set multiple world records on the track. Much of his life was later overshadowed by addiction. Bat at 70, he had no regrets.
This longer-form article was a fascinating read. I learned so much about someone who is obviously a complex and very compelling human being.
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