Eleven days ago on January 13th, four ordinary looking guys, though maybe a little on the skinny side, walked into Sherpa's restaurant in Boulder, CO. They sat down for about an hour in a mostly-full dining room, answered questions, then went on about their lives like normal people. The fascinating thing about these men is they were anything but normal; they were perhaps the four most dominant or important ultra runners in the U.S. today: Scott Jurek, Dave Mackey, Anton Krupicka, and Geoff Roes. They answered questions on a moderated panel, then mixed with the 'common' people like normal personalities would do. Compare this to what you'd expected from the top four competitors in any other international sport right now. (I've embeded the video of the panel at the bottom of this post. Do yourself a favor and watch it, especially when Krupicka starts talking about his training at minute 24).
If you aren't a fan of the sport of 100 mile trail running, let me give you some references: Scott Jurek is the Pete Sampras of the sport (the old champ); Roes & Krupicka are the Federer & Nadal (current dominators); and Mackey would probably be a mix of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick (he's always around and popping-up intermittently to do great things).
Just the possibility of this type of gathering is astounding to me, and the basis for a truly extraordinary story. Imagine the a meeting of the Greek Gods in the Pantheon, but replace the sandals with trail shoes and lightning bolts with water bottles. These are four 'first-ballot Hall-of-Famers', and not only could they speak to a crowd that could fit into one restaurant, but they are also training partners, friends, and rivals.
Could this happen in any other sport? Ever? No.
In baseball, that'd be like Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Ted Williams all taking batting practice together before hitting 2, 3, 4, & 5 for the Yankees. Williams would try to give A-Rod some pointers on his swing, but wouldn't be able to pull him away from the vanity mirror long enough.
In football, that would be Joe Montana passing to Jerry Rice (ok, that actually happened), but with Walter Payton in his backfield and Lawrence Taylor running the defense. For better or worse: we don't need to worry about any of the ultra runners being indicted for sex crimes or winning Dancing With the Stars.
The NBA comparison would be Jordan at small forward, Magic running the point, with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in the paint. I'll give credit to Michael Jordan though, if he ever decided he wanted to win a 100 miler, he'd do it or die trying. Literally.
But in Ultra Running, a sport requiring far greater physical efforts and achievements, these men, their fans, and [most importantly] their egos all fit into one room. 99.999% of the world just doesn't seem to care or even take notice. Is this right? Granted, the sport is still in a relative infancy; but I'd wish there was more respect and reverence for the knowledge and wisdom these men have to impart.
We can't force people to like a sport or become fans of certain athletes. However, we can educate them to eventually develop this appreciation. If you know about the accomplishments of these guys, spread the word. Bring them up in conversations about great athletes and their accomplishments. If you don't know who I'm talking about, then check out what they've done: Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Dave Mackey, & Goeff Roes. You'll be amazed by what these men have accomplished and what they've proven the human body is capable of.
But in Ultra Running, a sport requiring far greater physical efforts and achievements, these men, their fans, and [most importantly] their egos all fit into one room. 99.999% of the world just doesn't seem to care or even take notice. Is this right? Granted, the sport is still in a relative infancy; but I'd wish there was more respect and reverence for the knowledge and wisdom these men have to impart.
We can't force people to like a sport or become fans of certain athletes. However, we can educate them to eventually develop this appreciation. If you know about the accomplishments of these guys, spread the word. Bring them up in conversations about great athletes and their accomplishments. If you don't know who I'm talking about, then check out what they've done: Scott Jurek, Anton Krupicka, Dave Mackey, & Goeff Roes. You'll be amazed by what these men have accomplished and what they've proven the human body is capable of.
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