Sunday, October 26, 2008

George Gardiner - Ultra Animal

Very few of you probably know who George Gardiner is. He was my team mate back in the early eighties, not that i would run too many races with him. You see, George was an ultra marathoner, but not just any ultrarunner, he was great! He could run under 5:30 for fifty miles just as easily as he could run 16 minutes for 5k. He once ran the perimeter of the state (RI) in two days with Jimmy Hirst in tow. I've seen him run low 2:30 for a marathon, the cross RI run (56 Miles) and numerous other races at all distances. The one accomplishment that really stands out though, is the 6 day race he did in Flushing Meadows, NY on a 1/4 mile track. The year was 1981 or 82, not quite sure, but George ran 546 miles in six days. Think about that, could you you see yourself running 2184 laps on a track! Of course, you can take a break any time you like, but still, that is crazy. It is still the standing american record for a male over 40 years old. What would you do on the seventh day? Knowing George, He went for a run. The photo was taken at the Brattleboro 50k in 198o, George was 7th at 3:13.

1 comment:

MJO said...

My name is Michael Overend I used to run with George and his son in some run for funs held in RI - he was my neighbor - he also won a 100 mile race on a 1/4 mile track even adding an extra lap by accident