Top Runners/Personalities

The 2011 RunningUSA National Runners Survey asked participants to identify top runners or running personalities.  The survey results were a combination of current elite athletes and those who helped shape the sport over the last few decades.  The majority of runners on the list are Americans.  There is a good mix of men and women.  Many of the current top elite athletes did not make the list.  The top twelve recognized runners are listed below:

1) Ryan Hall (76.2%): current American half marathon record holder

 2) Jeff Galloway (72.1%): 1972 American Olympic team member and running coach

 3) Paula Radcliffe (70.5%): British runner, current marathon world record holder

 4) Alberto Salazar (67.7%): American runner, winner of New York and Boston marathons including famous 1982 "Duel in the sun", and apparent world record holder (in 1981 he set an apparent world record, but the NYC marathon course was found to be about 148 meters short on remeasurement)

5) Joan Benoit Samuelson (66.0%): American, won 1984 Olympic marathon in Los Angeles

 6) Deena Kastor (64.0%): holds current American record in marathon and  half marathon

7) Kara Goucher (62.7%): American (from Duluth, MN, currently living in Portland, OR, and coached by Alberto Salazar)

 8) Bill Rodgers (61.1%) former American record holder for marathon

 9) Bart Yasso (60.3%): American runner, triathlete, inventor of Yasso 800s

10) Dean Karnazes (60.0%): American ultramarathon runner

11) Meb Keflezighi (57.7%): American, winner of 2009 New York City Marathon

12) Frank Shorter (55.1%): American, winner 1972 Olympic marathon

In a separate question, participants were asked if they follow the sport of competitive running?
No    (53.7%)
Yes   (40.9%)

Of note, several of these runners mentioned above have spoken over the last several yeasrs at the Dick Beardsley Run in early September in Detroit Lakes, MN.  The speaker gives a presentation the evening before the race at the community center.  Previous speakers have included: Alberto Salazar, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and Bart Yasso.

I will take suggestions for the most famous running personalities in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.  That may be a separate blog post.  Any ideas?