Ron Clarke autobio available again

[AS]

Ron Clarke's 1966 classic autiobiographical "The Unforgiving Minute", long out of print, is finally back on shelves (just in time for Xmas?):

http://www.runnerstribeshop.com/ron-cla ... oft-cover/

Here's hoping it appears in my Christmas stocking

[kuha]

His "The Lonely Breed" should also be reprinted. One of the most inspiring books for young distance runners ever...

[lovetorun]

I'm a Ron Clarke fan...he was an amazing runner. But lack of a strong sprint finish kept him from winning the big meets.

[pickle47]

I have a copy (somewhere) of that lengthy interview that one of the publications (maybe Runner's World) did with Clarke in the early '70s. In it he is quite adamant that he didn't lose the major championships because he lacked a spring finish. He candidly claims that after the 64 Olympics he should not have lost any of the championships except at the Mexico Games because he knew that he could run away from anyone else in the world by setting a torrid pace during the last half of the race, not the first half. He admits to making the freshman mistake of underestimating the ability of Temu in '66 and to being out of shape in '69.

It may sound a little bit like rearranging the chess pieces after the game is over, but when you look at how superior he was time-wise to the other distance men of his time and at how often he beat the world's best meet after meet, he makes a pretty strong case. He claims that he would have won the 68 Games if they had been at sea level. Nowhere does he lament that lack of a sprint finish; in fact, he gives examples of sitting on allegedly faster sprinters and out-kicking them. He just detested that sort of approach to racing and preferred to challenge both himself and his competition to run their best.

[DoubleRBar]

You might be referring to "Ron Clarke Talks Track" (edited by Jon Hendershott, 1972). This is an excellent book (almost 100 pages) with lots of very interesting comments from Ron Clarke. It's a question/answer format, but very well done.

[kuha]

In it he is quite adamant that he didn't lose the major championships because he lacked a spring finish. He candidly claims that after the 64 Olympics he should not have lost any of the championships except at the Mexico Games because he knew that he could run away from anyone else in the world by setting a torrid pace during the last half of the race, not the first half. He admits to making the freshman mistake of underestimating the ability of Temu in '66 and to being out of shape in '69.

No one is a bigger Clarke fan than I am, but, really, this is rose-colored glasses stuff, and pretty much nonsense. Mexico City hardly counts at all, given the altitude factor. But otherwise, the simple--cruel--fact is precisely what the championship record reveals: Keino and Temu could hang with Clarke's pace and kick past him. On his best days, they'd be in the dust, but in championships the record is what it is.

[runforlife]

His "The Lonely Breed" should also be reprinted. One of the most inspiring books for young distance runners ever...

Agreed!! I've reread sections often over the decades.

[Madd Marine]

In it he is quite adamant that he didn't lose the major championships because he lacked a spring finish. He candidly claims that after the 64 Olympics he should not have lost any of the championships except at the Mexico Games because he knew that he could run away from anyone else in the world by setting a torrid pace during the last half of the race, not the first half. He admits to making the freshman mistake of underestimating the ability of Temu in '66 and to being out of shape in '69.

No one is a bigger Clarke fan than I am, but, really, this is rose-colored glasses stuff, and pretty much nonsense. Mexico City hardly counts at all, given the altitude factor. But otherwise, the simple--cruel--fact is precisely what the championship record reveals: Keino and Temu could hang with Clarke's pace and kick past him. On his best days, they'd be in the dust, but in championships the record is what it is.

I'd have to agree to a point. After heats in the 5k, Clarke likely would not have bolted from the gun, and that's what he would have had to do in '68 in the 5k to win. Taking off in the 2nd half wouldn't have done it, because Keino and others would have just hung on. If the 10k had been at sea level, no heats, and Clarke just took the bull by the horns from the start, he possibly could have run away with it. But in tactical races, he didn't have the wheels. Keino, Temu, Jazy, Norpoth etc. sprinted by him many a time in tactical duels. For some reason it reminds of Ryun, who even though not at his best, likely would have won the 1500 at sea level. Interesting trivia on Keino is that his best 1500 and best mile were both at altitude. His mile PR wasn't set at the same dizzying altitude as Mexico City, but it does show that some athletes born and bred at high altitude may possibly gain a bit in races up to a mile held well above sea level, like some sea level runners can gain in races up to 800 meters (like I suspect Ralph Doubell did for example).