Gary Fanelli
Encyclopedia
Gary M. Fanelli is a long-distance runner from the United States
who represented American Samoa
in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Fanelli's 2:25:35 performance at the Olympics is an American Samoan national record
. Known for running in costume, he has been called "the crown prince of road racing", "the king of costume", and "road-racing's longest-running joke".
area. He attended school in Ardsley, Pennsylvania
where "he was just another class cut-up". In 1969, Fanelli dropped out of Montgomery County Community College
and reportedly joined a commune
in Maui, Hawaii, but eventually returned to Ardsley where he began training. By 1980, he was a bee pollen salesman and a natural food advocate living in Oreland, Pennsylvania
. He reportedly took 10 bee pollen tablets before races.
at the United States Olympic Trials in Buffalo, New York
held May 24, 1980. Wearing a shirt that read "The Road to Moscow Ends Here" in order to protest the American boycott of the Summer Olympics, he jumped out front at the start and by 11 miles had extended his lead over the pack to 150 yards. Fanelli crossed the half-way point in 1:04:39, but began to slow after yelling, "a blister on my left foot!" He maintained the lead for 15 miles before dropping back and finishing in 22nd place (2:16:49). Fanelli claimed that he set a fast pace so that the three American qualifiers, Tony Sandoval, Benji Durden
, and Kyle Heffner who ran under 2:11:00 at that race, would all have better times than the eventual Olympic champion, Waldemar Cierpinski
of East Germany who ran a 2:11:03 in Moscow.
Two-weeks later, Fanelli finished first ahead of Bill Rodgers
and Rod Dixon
at a Diet Pepsi
-sponsored 10,000 meters road race
in Philadelphia. In Montreal, Canada on September 6, 1980, he set his marathon personal best of 2:14:17. The following year, Fanelli led the 1981 Boston Marathon
for 16 miles. He competed in the marathon at the 1984 Olympic trials, finishing in 23rd place with a time of 2:18:53. Fanelli finished sixth at the 1987 Boston Marathon, and had competed in 70 marathons by the autumn
of 1988.
Fanelli moved to Tafuna, American Samoa
six months prior to the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul in order to coach and attain his Olympic eligibility. Competing in the marathon, he finished in 51st place. He was also listed as the only member on the territory's 400 meter relay
team.
Among Fanelli's victories are the 1981 Lewes Seashore marathon, a Sri Chinmoy marathon in 1982, the 1984 Last Train to Boston Marathon, the 1990 Maui Marathon, and the 1992 Run to the Sun 36.2 miler.
that reminded him of Elwood Blues, Dan Aykroyd
's character from The Blues Brothers
, in a Souderton, Pennsylvania
thrift shop. Sports Illustrated
reported that Fanelli's first race as Elwood Blues was a 10K event in Southampton, Pennsylvania
, where he played a few bars
of "I Can't Turn You Loose
" as he crossed the finish line in first place. Runner's World
later quoted him as stating that he first wore the costume at the New York City Marathon
where "the reaction was outrageous". Fanelli regularly ran road races as the Blues Brothers character, including the 1984 Boston Marathon, the 1985 Pittsburgh Marathon
, and the 1987 Charleston Distance Run
, as well as events in New York
, Stockholm
, and New Zealand
. In 1987, Fanelli and Scott Williams entered the costumed division of the Midnight Sun Run
as the Blues Brothers; the pair tied for second overall.
He has run the New York City Marathon as various characters: as Elwood Blues in 1983, as a Ghostbusters
ghost
in 1984, as a New York Mets
player in 1986, and wearing a white tunic
and toque
as "Chef Ronzoni" in 1987.
In the 1984 Toronto Marathon
, Fanelli ran a costumed best of 2:30:40 dressed as Michael Jackson
with a red leather jacket, sequined glove, and curly black wig. He dressed as Abraham Lincoln
in the 1987 Empire State Building Run-Up.
One of Fanelli's own characters is "Billy Chester Polyester", reported to be "one of the leisure suit
crowd" and wearing "100% synthetic clothing". He competed dressed as the character in the 1985 Bay to Breakers
. Dressed in a summer version of "Polyesther" that he described as "patio wear from Sears" (a straw hat
, Hawaiian shirt, and large Bermuda shorts
), Fanelli set a national record at the second running of the Jamaica International Marathon on January 19, 1985. His 2:24:41 performance concluded with him running backwards and dancing reggae
style over the final 100 yards prior to faking a hamstring injury with ten feet to go and crawling across the finish like like a snake. Another account states that in the same costume he ran a 2:15 at a marathon in New Zealand.
Some of Fanelli's other original characters include "Clarence Nerdelbaum", a nerd
with a calculator
and a pocket protector
full of pens and pencils; "Yogi High Karma, a wacko guru
"; "Dr. Outrageous", a hip neurosurgeon; and "Gary Wallstreet", a businessman who raced around Manhattan's financial district
wearing business attire and carrying an attache case. He has also appeared in races as a migrant farm worker, a pirate, and a teamster
.
as of December 1988, and in Philadelphia as of January 2006.
His brother Michael was a head coach
of the USA National Track and Field Team.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who represented American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
in the marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Fanelli's 2:25:35 performance at the Olympics is an American Samoan national record
American Samoan records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in American Samoa by American Samoa's national athletics federation: American Samoa Track & Field Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:ht = hand timingA = affected by altitude-External links:...
. Known for running in costume, he has been called "the crown prince of road racing", "the king of costume", and "road-racing's longest-running joke".
Early life
Fanelli was born and raised in the Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
area. He attended school in Ardsley, Pennsylvania
Ardsley, Pennsylvania
Ardsley is an unincorporated community located in Abington Township, as well as Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It shares the zip code 19038 with the neighboring town of Glenside. A large portion of this neighborhood is composed of the historic cemeteries...
where "he was just another class cut-up". In 1969, Fanelli dropped out of Montgomery County Community College
Montgomery County Community College
Montgomery County Community College, also known as MCCC, Montco, or MC3, is a 2-year community college offering associate degrees, technical certificates and non-credit courses to the general public...
and reportedly joined a commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
in Maui, Hawaii, but eventually returned to Ardsley where he began training. By 1980, he was a bee pollen salesman and a natural food advocate living in Oreland, Pennsylvania
Oreland, Pennsylvania
Oreland is a United States census-designated place in Springfield and Upper Dublin townships, just outside of the Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy areas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. He reportedly took 10 bee pollen tablets before races.
Running career
Fanelli qualified for the marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
at the United States Olympic Trials in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
held May 24, 1980. Wearing a shirt that read "The Road to Moscow Ends Here" in order to protest the American boycott of the Summer Olympics, he jumped out front at the start and by 11 miles had extended his lead over the pack to 150 yards. Fanelli crossed the half-way point in 1:04:39, but began to slow after yelling, "a blister on my left foot!" He maintained the lead for 15 miles before dropping back and finishing in 22nd place (2:16:49). Fanelli claimed that he set a fast pace so that the three American qualifiers, Tony Sandoval, Benji Durden
Benji Durden
Benji Durden is a Boulder, Colorado based coach of elite runners who came to prominence as a distance runner in the early 1980s, at the height of the American running boom...
, and Kyle Heffner who ran under 2:11:00 at that race, would all have better times than the eventual Olympic champion, Waldemar Cierpinski
Waldemar Cierpinski
Waldemar Cierpinski is a former East German athlete and two time Olympic Champion in the marathon. He is living in Halle an der Saale.-Career:...
of East Germany who ran a 2:11:03 in Moscow.
Two-weeks later, Fanelli finished first ahead of Bill Rodgers
Bill 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...
and Rod Dixon
Rod Dixon
Rodney Phillip "Rod" Dixon is a former New Zealand middle distance runner. He won the bronze medal over 1500 metres at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, and in 1983 won the prestigious New York City Marathon.-Biography:...
at a Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi is a no-calorie carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-branded as Diet Pepsi the following year, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a...
-sponsored 10,000 meters road race
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
in Philadelphia. In Montreal, Canada on September 6, 1980, he set his marathon personal best of 2:14:17. The following year, Fanelli led the 1981 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...
for 16 miles. He competed in the marathon at the 1984 Olympic trials, finishing in 23rd place with a time of 2:18:53. Fanelli finished sixth at the 1987 Boston Marathon, and had competed in 70 marathons by the autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 1988.
Fanelli moved to Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna is a village on the east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located on a peninsular a mile north of Pago Pago International Airport and one mile south of Nu'uuli, American Samoa. Tafuna is the largest village in American Samoa, with a population of 8,209 according to the US...
six months prior to the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul in order to coach and attain his Olympic eligibility. Competing in the marathon, he finished in 51st place. He was also listed as the only member on the territory's 400 meter relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team.
Among Fanelli's victories are the 1981 Lewes Seashore marathon, a Sri Chinmoy marathon in 1982, the 1984 Last Train to Boston Marathon, the 1990 Maui Marathon, and the 1992 Run to the Sun 36.2 miler.
Costumes
Fanelli is known for participating in road races while dressed in costume. He began running in costume either in 1979 or 1981 after seeing a suitSuit
-Garments:*Suit , a set of garments with matching pieces, including at least a coat and trousers**Formal wear, the general terms for clothing suitable for formal social events*Boilersuit, or coverall, a loose-fitting one-piece garment...
that reminded him of Elwood Blues, Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
's character from The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
, in a Souderton, Pennsylvania
Souderton, Pennsylvania
Souderton is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The population was 6,618 at the 2010 census.Souderton hosts the end of the annual Univest Grand Prix, a professional bicycle race.- Geography :Souderton is located at ....
thrift shop. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
reported that Fanelli's first race as Elwood Blues was a 10K event in Southampton, Pennsylvania
Southampton, Pennsylvania
Southampton, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated in the South-Eastern tip of Bucks County.Southampton is located 18 miles North, from the center of Philadelphia....
, where he played a few bars
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
of "I Can't Turn You Loose
I Can't Turn You Loose
"I Can't Turn You Loose" is a song written and first recorded by American soul singer Otis Redding. It was released as the B-side to his 1965 single "Just One More Day"...
" as he crossed the finish line in first place. Runner's World
Runner's World
Runner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
later quoted him as stating that he first wore the costume 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...
where "the reaction was outrageous". Fanelli regularly ran road races as the Blues Brothers character, including the 1984 Boston Marathon, the 1985 Pittsburgh Marathon
Pittsburgh Marathon
The Pittsburgh Marathon is a foot race covering held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. The race was held annually from 1985–2003 , and was revived in 2009 as the "Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon."The 1988 and 2000 races were USA Olympic Trials for women and men,...
, and the 1987 Charleston Distance Run
Charleston Distance Run
The Charleston Distance Run is a 15 mile road running event held annually in Charleston, West Virginia. The race starts at the corner of Virginia Street and Civic Center Drive. The course winds through Charleston's South Hills for six miles before crossing back over the South Side Bridge...
, as well as events in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In 1987, Fanelli and Scott Williams entered the costumed division of the Midnight Sun Run
Midnight Sun Run
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Midnight Sun Run is a ten kilometer road running event, held annually since 1983 in Fairbanks, Alaska, that attracts participants from across the United States and Canada. The race takes place on the third Saturday of June each year, starting at 10 pm with the boom...
as the Blues Brothers; the pair tied for second overall.
He has run the New York City Marathon as various characters: as Elwood Blues in 1983, as a Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
in 1984, as a New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
player in 1986, and wearing a white tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
and toque
Toque
A toque is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all. They were popular from the 13th to the 16th century in Europe, especially France. Now, it is primarily known as the traditional headgear for professional cooks.- Etymology :...
as "Chef Ronzoni" in 1987.
In the 1984 Toronto Marathon
Toronto Marathon
The Toronto Marathon, held annually in May, is a race from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto, to Queen's Park. The race was initially called the Canadian International Marathon, and was first held in 1995 under its current organizer. The origins of the event trace back to 1977. In...
, Fanelli ran a costumed best of 2:30:40 dressed as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
with a red leather jacket, sequined glove, and curly black wig. He dressed as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in the 1987 Empire State Building Run-Up.
One of Fanelli's own characters is "Billy Chester Polyester", reported to be "one of the leisure suit
Leisure suit
A leisure suit is a casual suit consisting of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers, often associated with American-influenced fashion and fads of the 1970s.-History:...
crowd" and wearing "100% synthetic clothing". He competed dressed as the character in the 1985 Bay to Breakers
Bay to Breakers
The Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California on the third Sunday of May. The name reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks from The Embarcadero and runs west through the city to finish at the Great...
. Dressed in a summer version of "Polyesther" that he described as "patio wear from Sears" (a straw hat
Straw hat
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats were also used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.- Manufacture :...
, Hawaiian shirt, and large Bermuda shorts
Bermuda shorts
Bermuda Shorts, also known as walking shorts or dress shorts, are a particular type of short trousers, now widely worn as semi-casual attire by both men and women...
), Fanelli set a national record at the second running of the Jamaica International Marathon on January 19, 1985. His 2:24:41 performance concluded with him running backwards and dancing reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
style over the final 100 yards prior to faking a hamstring injury with ten feet to go and crawling across the finish like like a snake. Another account states that in the same costume he ran a 2:15 at a marathon in New Zealand.
Some of Fanelli's other original characters include "Clarence Nerdelbaum", a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
with a calculator
Calculator
An electronic calculator is a small, portable, usually inexpensive electronic device used to perform the basic operations of arithmetic. Modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though most PDAs are comparable in size to handheld calculators.The first solid-state electronic...
and a pocket protector
Pocket protector
A pocket protector is a sheath designed to hold writing instruments and other small implements, such as slide rules, while preventing them from damaging the wearer's shirt pocket...
full of pens and pencils; "Yogi High Karma, a wacko guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
"; "Dr. Outrageous", a hip neurosurgeon; and "Gary Wallstreet", a businessman who raced around Manhattan's financial district
Financial District, Manhattan
The Financial District of New York City is a neighborhood on the southernmost section of the borough of Manhattan which comprises the offices and headquarters of many of the city's major financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York...
wearing business attire and carrying an attache case. He has also appeared in races as a migrant farm worker, a pirate, and a teamster
Teamster
A teamster, in modern American English, is a truck driver. The trade union named after them is the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , one of the largest unions in the United States....
.
Personal
Fanelli is a vegetarian and is reported to have founded the Philadelphia Vegetarian Society. He lived in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
as of December 1988, and in Philadelphia as of January 2006.
His brother Michael was a head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the USA National Track and Field Team.