Q & A With Dick Beardsley

Before Brian Sell, there was Dick Beardsley. Perhaps the ultimate "blue-collar" runner, Dick grew up on a dairy farm and went on become one of the top marathoners in American history with pure guts, determination, and hard work.
Dick still holds the 10th(2:08:54) and 20th(2:09:37) fastest US marathon times ,and is the 3rd fastest American born marathoner of all-time. And like all great runners, sported a mustache.
Kids, listen up.


PM: You ran for 3 years in College, but I can't find any times for you. What were your PR's on the track in college?

DB: I went to the University of Minnesota/Waseca, a small agricultural college in Waseca, Minnesota. Mile- 4:28, 5K- 14:30, 10K- 29:56


PM: You ran your first marathon in 2:47. You then ran 2:33:22, 2:33:06, and 2:31:50 in your next 3. Where did you get the confidence that you could then run under 2:22 and qualify for the Olympic trials in '80, which you did by running 2:21:54? How hard were you training at the time?

DB: I just felt that with the type of training I was doing, if I could stay healthy then a sub 2:22 was very possible. It was my training that gave me the confidence. I was running around 120-130 miles/week at that time.

PM: The late 70's and early 80's saw some of the best performances in US marathon history from the likes of yourself, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, Greg Meyer, Ron Tabb, Gary Bjorklund, and Craig Virgin. Now in the modern era of altitude tents, anti gravity treadmills, lightweight running shoes, compression socks, and heart rate monitors, one would think the American runners should be running much faster today. How would you explain the success you guys had back then and how those times are still standing in the top of the All time list today?

DB: Back then it seemed like we all trained very hard! 120-140 miles/week and we all raced a lot. I was fortunate at the time to be involved in a Olympic Testing project. There were about 6 of us that would be tested either in Atlanta or at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. The tests were all conducted on treadmills and other equipment. I remember in around 1982 the scientists were telling us that scientifically, we did not need to be running the high mileage we were doing. They told many of us that we could run 80-90 miles/week and still run sub 2:10. Myself and most of the others never believed it, and I sure wasn't going to change my training which was working very well! But that next generation of runners that came up, believed in that and started to train that way, look what happened, U.S. Marathoning went right down the drain! The good news now though with some of our younger runners starting to compete on a world level, many of them are training like we did 25-30 years ago!



PM: You were also running marathons very frequently, sometimes just 8 weeks apart. Do you think that broke you down and do you have any regrets about that?

DB: I have absolutely no regrets at all! I was having so much fun and I was running at a level that just a few years before I couldn't even dream about! However, saying that, I think I did perhaps run to many marathons at a high level and eventually it starts to wear you down. I would not recommend it to anyone running marathons today, but I wouldn't have changed a thing for me!

PM: There were there so many motorcycles driving all around you in the '82 Boston Marathon. It was just a sea of motorcycles and people swarming all around you. I see the footage from that race and want to scream at everyone to get out of the way. What was that like? Did you yell at them at all?

DB: It was crazy back then! As you could see from the video, there were cars, a bus, lots of bikes and motorcycles, people all over the place, no crowd control at all like there is today! But to be honest with you, I wouldn't change a thing! I never yelled at anyone, but when that big bus came right down the middle of the road with about 2 miles to go, it actually brushed me on my right shoulder! As it passed I did slam the side of it with my right fist. As it went by, a big plume of smoke came right back into Alberto and my face! The motorcycles were there to supposedly try to keep the crowd back, it was crazy though, they were way more in our way then any people!

PM: You now make your living as a motivational speaker and set up the Dick Beardsley Foundation which focuses on educating children and your adults of the advantages of living a healthy, drug free lifestyle. Other than hiring you to come speak, what can people do to help?

DB: They can go to our website www.dickbeardsley.com and check out what I do and what the Dick Beardsley Foundation is all about. If they so desire, they can also click on a link a make a donation. I say this many times, but don't for one minute think that even one dollar won't help, because I promise you it will!

PM: The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes you as the only person to run their first 13 consecutive marathons faster than the previous. That is pretty impressive. But I have run my first 5 faster than the previous. 2:59, 2:42, 2:36. 2:31, and 2:30. That's not a question, I'm just saying look out....

DB: Good for you Phil! Its funny, I never even thought about it when I was running them back then, in fact I didn't know there was such a record until about 2 years after it happened when a buddy called me and said I was in the Guinness Book of World Records! The best of luck to you!


Thanks Dick. You are a legend and great man doing great work. Best of luck in 2010.