The 1970s Running Boom

Frank Shorter's win in the 1972 Olympic Marathon has been credited with being a big inspiration for the running boom of the 1970s.  It also got him into the first series of Sportscaster cards. 

Not surprisingly, Shorter is mentioned as being "skinny".  How many Olympic Marathon winners weren't?

He was attending law school while training for the marathon.  He finished second in the 1976 Olympic Marathon.  

Not on the card - the 1976 winner has been implicated in East Germany's state-sponsored doping that went on for almost 20 years. 

I remember what I did after watching the 1972 race.  As a nine-year-old kid, I went out to try to run around the block 26 times.  I think I went for about an hour before my mother stopped me.  It was probably about 0.5 miles so I'd guess that I racked up 5 - 7 miles.   I remember not walking at all.  Unfortunately, in every marathon that I've attempted I ended up walking for a while.  Oh, to be nine years old again. 

That day marked my first ever run.  Sure I'd probably run home from school, to a friend's house or away from a dog, but this was the first time I actually went running as sport/exercise.  Too bad I didn't own running shoes until 1978.  I wish I knew what kind of shoes I wore that day.