Alberto Salazar
Encyclopedia
Alberto Salazar is an American
marathon runner
of the 1980s. Born in Cuba, Salazar emigrated to the United States with his family. They ultimately moved to Wayland
, Massachusetts
, where Salazar competed in track and field in high school. Salazar is best known for his performances in the New York City Marathons in the early 1980s and his American track records of 13:11.93 for 5,000 m (July 6, 1982 - Stockholm) and 27:25.61 for 10,000 m - (June 26, 1982 - Oslo).
, Randy Thomas, and Greg Meyer
) where he was given the nickname of "the rookie". From there he went to the University of Oregon where he won numerous All American honors, was a member of the 1977 NCAA cross country championship team, won the individual NCAA cross country championship in 1978, finished third in the Olympic Trials 10,000 meter race to make the 1980 Olympic team (that didn't compete in the Olympics in Moscow due to the U.S. boycott), and broke the American indoor 5,000 meter record in February, 1981 at the Millrose Games
in New York (his 13:22.6 beating the old AR by nearly 20 seconds as he finished second behind Suleiman Nyambui
, who broke the indoor world record with a 13:20.4). Salazar and Rodgers had a legendary duel at the Gurnet Classic Beach Run in Duxbury during the 1970s. At the 1978 Falmouth Road Race
after fading to 10th place, he collapsed at the finish with a temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 °C) and was read his last rites prematurely.
From 1980 through 1982, Salazar won three consecutive New York City Marathon
s. His first-ever marathon, the 1980 New York City race, resulted in a 2:09:41 win, at the time the fastest American debut and the second-fastest time recorded by a U.S. runner (behind Bill Rodgers' 2:09:27 at Boston
in 1979). In 1981, Salazar set an apparent world record at the New York City Marathon
of 2:08:13, surpassing the 12-year-old mark of 2:08:33 set by Australian Derek Clayton
in 1969 in Antwerp, Belgium. However, the course was found on re-measurement to be about 148 meters short of the 42.195 kilometre (26 miles, 385 yards) distance. This is equivalent to about 27 seconds.
In 1982 he won his first and only Boston Marathon
after the famous "Duel in the Sun" with Dick Beardsley
. Salazar won the race in an exciting sprint finish and collapsed at the end before being taken to an emergency room and given 6 liters of water intravenously because he had not drunk during the race. Salazar ended the year ranked #1 in the world in the marathon by Track & Field News
magazine for his wins in Boston and New York, #1 in the their North American Road Rankings for his American 10K road record win of 28:04 at the Orange Bowl 10K and his course record of 31:53 at the highly competitive Falmouth 7.1 miles (11.4 km) road race (his second win and course record there), #8 in the world (and #1 American with an AR of 13:11.93) in the 5,000 meters, and #2 in the world in the 10,000 meters, with three second place finishes at Eugene (27:30.0), at Oslo in an American Record of 27:25.61, and at Paris (27:29.06).
Salazar enjoyed success in cross country competition, earning several All American honors in collegiate and postcollegiate national championships. He won the 1978 NCAA national cross country championship in cold, snowy conditions, handing Track & Field News Athlete of the Year Henry Rono
one of his few losses of the year. He finished 2nd to Rono in memorable duel at the 1979 NCAA national cross country championships at Lehigh University
, in which Rono (28:19) and Salazar (28:28) ran the 3rd and 5th fastest 10,000 meter cross country times in NCAA championship history. (Neither time has been matched in over three decades of NCAA cross country competition since then.) Salazar was also the U.S. national cross country champion in 1979 and fared well at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, finishing second in 1982 and fourth in 1983.
In addition to a fourth place finish (only one second behind the top three placers) at the 1983 world cross country championships, Salazar twice broke the American 10 km road record in 1983 with efforts of 28:02 and 28:01 at the Americas 10 km and Continental Homes 10 km respectively. He finished as the top ranker in Track & Field News magazine's North American Road Rankings for 1983. He was also the 10,000 meter national track champion in 1983, pulling away from Craig Virgin
in the last straightaway at the U.S. championships in Indiana in June to win his second such title (the first coming in 1981). However, he finished last in the 10,000 meters at the World Track & Field Championships while suffering from bronchitis and was beaten for the first time in the marathon, finishing fifth at the Rotterdam marathon in April (2:10:08) and then fifth again at Fukuoka in December (2:09:21). (The latter time would have been the American Record for the next seventeen years except that there was a problem in filing the paperwork with the authorities.)
In 1984, after a 2nd place finish by Salazar in the 10,000 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays
in 27:45.5, he finished 2nd at the men's Olympic marathon trials (2:11:44) to become a member of the United States' Olympic Marathon Team
, along with Pete Pfitzinger
and John Tuttle. He was considered a favorite to win or medal in the Olympics, but finished a disappointing fifteenth in 2:14:19 under the hot Los Angeles sun.
Salazar's competitive decline is often attributed to a reported blow-out after the 1982 Boston Marathon (his famous "Duel in the Sun" with Dick Beardsley), after which his athletic performance gradually declined to the point at which he could barely jog. Salazar recounts falling into a "more-is-better" mindset which led him to reason that if 120 miles per week yielded a certain level of success, then 180 miles (289.7 km) or even 200 miles (321.9 km) would bring even better results. This intense and grueling regimen of such extremely long distances ultimately led to a breakdown of his immune system, and he found himself frequently sick, injured, and otherwise unable to continue training. The downward spiral of his marathon career culminated in his disappointing fifteenth place at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The story of Salazar's 1982 win at the Boston Marathon and his subsequent competitive decline is told in Duel in the Sun
, a book by John Brant.
After several years of inactivity, in 1994 Salazar won the prestigious 90 km (55.9 mi) Comrades Marathon
. Salazar stated that Fluoxetine (Prozac) played a role in motivating him to succeed in professional running again; the actual effect of the drug on his performance remains controversial.
, Salazar has stayed connected with the sport as coach of the Nike Oregon Project
. Aimed at producing Olympic-caliber athletes, project members who have trained under Salazar's tutelage include Alan Webb
, Galen Rupp
, Adam Goucher
, Kara Goucher
, Dan Browne
, Amy Yoder Begley, and Dathan Ritzenhein
. His connection to Oregon and Oregon Sports gave him the distinction of being inducted the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1997.
Salazar ran in the ING New York Marathon in 2006, at age 48, serving as a pacesetter for cyclist Lance Armstrong
, the 7-time winner of the Tour de France, who was attempting his first marathon. Salazar was primarily responsible for guiding Armstrong for the first 10 miles (16.1 km) of the race, while Joan Benoit Samuelson oversaw the next 10 miles (16.1 km), and Hicham El Guerrouj
the final 6.2 miles (10 km). With their help, Armstrong met his goal of completing the race under three hours, finishing in 2:59:36.
On Saturday, June 30, 2007, he experienced a serious "heart event" and was rushed to the hospital. On Sunday, July 1 he was reported to be "groggy" by his family and remained listed in serious condition. On July 2, doctors upgraded his condition from "serious" to "fair". They also confirmed it was a heart attack. He was released from hospital on July 8.
On June 26, 2008, on the eve of the US Olympic trials, Salazar was taken to the hospital again, for dehydration and high blood pressure. He attributes this partially to the stress over coaching five Olympic-hopeful athletes. Afterwards, doctors adjusted his medications, but do not believe that there was any further injury to the heart. He returned to the track to coach his athletes through the trials.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
marathon runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
of the 1980s. Born in Cuba, Salazar emigrated to the United States with his family. They ultimately moved to Wayland
Wayland, Massachusetts
Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,994 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on Cochituate, which is part of Wayland, please see the article Cochituate, Massachusetts.-History:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where Salazar competed in track and field in high school. Salazar is best known for his performances in the New York City Marathons in the early 1980s and his American track records of 13:11.93 for 5,000 m (July 6, 1982 - Stockholm) and 27:25.61 for 10,000 m - (June 26, 1982 - Oslo).
Athletic career
Salazar started as a high school standout from Wayland, Massachusetts. He was the state cross country champion in 1975 and trained wıth the well known Greater Boston Track Club (whose members ıncluded the likes of Bill RodgersBill Rodgers (athlete)
William "Bill" Henry Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s...
, Randy Thomas, and Greg Meyer
Greg Meyer
Greg Meyer is best known for his accomplishments in distance running. Most notably, he is the last American male to win the Boston Marathon.-Education:...
) where he was given the nickname of "the rookie". From there he went to the University of Oregon where he won numerous All American honors, was a member of the 1977 NCAA cross country championship team, won the individual NCAA cross country championship in 1978, finished third in the Olympic Trials 10,000 meter race to make the 1980 Olympic team (that didn't compete in the Olympics in Moscow due to the U.S. boycott), and broke the American indoor 5,000 meter record in February, 1981 at the Millrose Games
Millrose Games
The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They will be held at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011...
in New York (his 13:22.6 beating the old AR by nearly 20 seconds as he finished second behind Suleiman Nyambui
Suleiman Nyambui
Suleiman Nyambui is a former athlete from Tanzania who won the silver medal in 5000 metres at the 1980 Summer Olympics. Nyambui had dropped out of school after primary education. He became a fisherman in Ukerewe District Mwanza Region where his potential as a good athlete was spotted by the...
, who broke the indoor world record with a 13:20.4). Salazar and Rodgers had a legendary duel at the Gurnet Classic Beach Run in Duxbury during the 1970s. At the 1978 Falmouth Road Race
Falmouth Road Race
The Falmouth Road Race is an annual 7-mile road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights.-History:...
after fading to 10th place, he collapsed at the finish with a temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 °C) and was read his last rites prematurely.
From 1980 through 1982, Salazar won three consecutive New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
s. His first-ever marathon, the 1980 New York City race, resulted in a 2:09:41 win, at the time the fastest American debut and the second-fastest time recorded by a U.S. runner (behind Bill Rodgers' 2:09:27 at Boston
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1979). In 1981, Salazar set an apparent world record at the New York City Marathon
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...
of 2:08:13, surpassing the 12-year-old mark of 2:08:33 set by Australian Derek Clayton
Derek Clayton
Derek Clayton is a former Australian long-distance runner, born in Cumbria, England and raised in Northern Ireland. He set a marathon world best in the Fukuoka Marathon, Japan on 3 December 1967 in 2:09:36.4, in what is considered a classic race, the first marathon race ever run in less than two...
in 1969 in Antwerp, Belgium. However, the course was found on re-measurement to be about 148 meters short of the 42.195 kilometre (26 miles, 385 yards) distance. This is equivalent to about 27 seconds.
In 1982 he won his first and only Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
after the famous "Duel in the Sun" with Dick Beardsley
Dick Beardsley
Dick Beardsley is an American long-distance runner best known for his close finish with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon.-Running career:...
. Salazar won the race in an exciting sprint finish and collapsed at the end before being taken to an emergency room and given 6 liters of water intravenously because he had not drunk during the race. Salazar ended the year ranked #1 in the world in the marathon by Track & Field News
Track & Field News
Track & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field.The magazine provides coverage of athletics in the U.S.A. from the high school to national level as well as covering the sport on an international bases. The magazine...
magazine for his wins in Boston and New York, #1 in the their North American Road Rankings for his American 10K road record win of 28:04 at the Orange Bowl 10K and his course record of 31:53 at the highly competitive Falmouth 7.1 miles (11.4 km) road race (his second win and course record there), #8 in the world (and #1 American with an AR of 13:11.93) in the 5,000 meters, and #2 in the world in the 10,000 meters, with three second place finishes at Eugene (27:30.0), at Oslo in an American Record of 27:25.61, and at Paris (27:29.06).
Salazar enjoyed success in cross country competition, earning several All American honors in collegiate and postcollegiate national championships. He won the 1978 NCAA national cross country championship in cold, snowy conditions, handing Track & Field News Athlete of the Year Henry Rono
Henry Rono
Henry Rono is a Kenyan former athlete.-Biography:Rono was born in Nandi Hills, Kenya, into the Nandi tribe. He started running while at primary school. Starting in 1976 he attended the Washington State University, along with his compatriot Samson Kimobwa, who broke the 10,000 meter world record in...
one of his few losses of the year. He finished 2nd to Rono in memorable duel at the 1979 NCAA national cross country championships at Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, in which Rono (28:19) and Salazar (28:28) ran the 3rd and 5th fastest 10,000 meter cross country times in NCAA championship history. (Neither time has been matched in over three decades of NCAA cross country competition since then.) Salazar was also the U.S. national cross country champion in 1979 and fared well at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
, finishing second in 1982 and fourth in 1983.
In addition to a fourth place finish (only one second behind the top three placers) at the 1983 world cross country championships, Salazar twice broke the American 10 km road record in 1983 with efforts of 28:02 and 28:01 at the Americas 10 km and Continental Homes 10 km respectively. He finished as the top ranker in Track & Field News magazine's North American Road Rankings for 1983. He was also the 10,000 meter national track champion in 1983, pulling away from Craig Virgin
Craig Virgin
Craig Steven Virgin is an American distance runner. He was born in Belleville, Illinois and grew up near Lebanon, Illinois...
in the last straightaway at the U.S. championships in Indiana in June to win his second such title (the first coming in 1981). However, he finished last in the 10,000 meters at the World Track & Field Championships while suffering from bronchitis and was beaten for the first time in the marathon, finishing fifth at the Rotterdam marathon in April (2:10:08) and then fifth again at Fukuoka in December (2:09:21). (The latter time would have been the American Record for the next seventeen years except that there was a problem in filing the paperwork with the authorities.)
In 1984, after a 2nd place finish by Salazar in the 10,000 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays
Mt. SAC Relays
The Mt. SAC Relays are an annual track and field festival held primarily at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The relays, held in April each year, were started by then track coach Hilmer Lodge in 1959. The meet attracts all levels and disciplines of...
in 27:45.5, he finished 2nd at the men's Olympic marathon trials (2:11:44) to become a member of the United States' Olympic Marathon Team
Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
These are the official results of the Men's Marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, held on Sunday August 12, 1984. The race started on 17.00h local time. A total number of 78 athletes completed the race, with Dieudonné LaMothe from Haiti finishing in last position in...
, along with Pete Pfitzinger
Pete Pfitzinger
Peter Dickson Pfitzinger is a former American distance runner, who later became an author and exercise physiologist...
and John Tuttle. He was considered a favorite to win or medal in the Olympics, but finished a disappointing fifteenth in 2:14:19 under the hot Los Angeles sun.
Salazar's competitive decline is often attributed to a reported blow-out after the 1982 Boston Marathon (his famous "Duel in the Sun" with Dick Beardsley), after which his athletic performance gradually declined to the point at which he could barely jog. Salazar recounts falling into a "more-is-better" mindset which led him to reason that if 120 miles per week yielded a certain level of success, then 180 miles (289.7 km) or even 200 miles (321.9 km) would bring even better results. This intense and grueling regimen of such extremely long distances ultimately led to a breakdown of his immune system, and he found himself frequently sick, injured, and otherwise unable to continue training. The downward spiral of his marathon career culminated in his disappointing fifteenth place at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The story of Salazar's 1982 win at the Boston Marathon and his subsequent competitive decline is told in Duel in the Sun
Duel in the Sun (book)
Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon is a 2006 book by freelance sportswriter John Brant. Expanded from an article featured in Runner's World magazine, the book tells the story of two American distance runners, Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar, and how...
, a book by John Brant.
After several years of inactivity, in 1994 Salazar won the prestigious 90 km (55.9 mi) Comrades Marathon
Comrades Marathon
The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 90 km run in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race...
. Salazar stated that Fluoxetine (Prozac) played a role in motivating him to succeed in professional running again; the actual effect of the drug on his performance remains controversial.
Post-competitive career
Currently employed by NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Salazar has stayed connected with the sport as coach of the Nike Oregon Project
Nike Oregon Project
Nike's Oregon Project is a group created by athletic shoe company Nike in 2001 to promote American long distance running, using air thinning technology. The runners live and train in Portland, Oregon near Nike's headquarters...
. Aimed at producing Olympic-caliber athletes, project members who have trained under Salazar's tutelage include Alan Webb
Alan Webb (athlete)
Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
, Galen Rupp
Galen Rupp
Galen Rupp is an American cross-country and track and field athlete, who competed for the University of Oregon and currently trains under Alberto Salazar as a member of the Oregon Track Club. Rupp competed for his native country in the men's 10000 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,...
, Adam Goucher
Adam Goucher
Adam Goucher is a retired American cross-country and track and field athlete. He primarily competed in distance events and is featured in Running With The Buffaloes, a book revolving around the 1998 season of the University of Colorado cross country team.-Background:Goucher attended Doherty High...
, Kara Goucher
Kara Goucher
Kara Goucher is an American long-distance runner.-Personal life:Goucher was born in Queens, New York. When she was 4 years old her family moved to Duluth, Minnesota after her father was killed by a drunk driver on the Harlem River Drive...
, Dan Browne
Dan Browne
Daniel J. Browne is a United States distance runner, who as won numerous major American road race championships and was a member of the 2004 Olympic team in the 10 km and marathon.-Education:...
, Amy Yoder Begley, and Dathan Ritzenhein
Dathan Ritzenhein
Dathan Ritzenhein is an American long-distance runner. He held the American record in the 5,000 metres from 2009–10, when it was broken by Bernard Lagat...
. His connection to Oregon and Oregon Sports gave him the distinction of being inducted the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1997.
Salazar ran in the ING New York Marathon in 2006, at age 48, serving as a pacesetter for cyclist Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, the 7-time winner of the Tour de France, who was attempting his first marathon. Salazar was primarily responsible for guiding Armstrong for the first 10 miles (16.1 km) of the race, while Joan Benoit Samuelson oversaw the next 10 miles (16.1 km), and Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
the final 6.2 miles (10 km). With their help, Armstrong met his goal of completing the race under three hours, finishing in 2:59:36.
On Saturday, June 30, 2007, he experienced a serious "heart event" and was rushed to the hospital. On Sunday, July 1 he was reported to be "groggy" by his family and remained listed in serious condition. On July 2, doctors upgraded his condition from "serious" to "fair". They also confirmed it was a heart attack. He was released from hospital on July 8.
On June 26, 2008, on the eve of the US Olympic trials, Salazar was taken to the hospital again, for dehydration and high blood pressure. He attributes this partially to the stress over coaching five Olympic-hopeful athletes. Afterwards, doctors adjusted his medications, but do not believe that there was any further injury to the heart. He returned to the track to coach his athletes through the trials.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing the 1980 New York City Marathon New York City MarathonThe New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...New York, United States 1st 2:09:41 1981 New York City Marathon New York City MarathonThe New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...New York, United States 1st 2:08:13 1982 Boston Marathon Boston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...Boston, United States 1st 2:08:52 New York City Marathon New York City MarathonThe New York City Marathon is a major annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is one of the largest marathons in the world, with 45,103 finishers in 2010...New York, United States 1st 2:09:29
See also
- List of Famous Cuban-Americans
- List of winners of the Boston Marathon
- List of winners of the New York City Marathon
- List of winners of the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship