74: The 100-miler: Part 21 (1978) Ed Dodd and Don Choi

Ultrarunning History

By Davy Crockett 1978 was the year when more 100-mile and 24-hour races started to be established in the United States. In 1976, Tom Osler of New Jersey brought renewed American ultrarunning attention to the 24-hour run when he ran a solo 24-hour run on that track at Glassboro State College where he was teaching. (see episode 67). Enthusiasm for attempting to race for more than 100 miles in 24 hours started to spread. Two very influential ultrarunning pioneers, Ed Dodd, of Collingswood, New Jersey, and Don Choi of San Francisco, California, brought their race directing and running skills to the 24-hour arena in the 1978. These two legendary runners developed a friendship during that year which would later result in the reestablishment of the modern-era multi-day races, including the renowned six-day race. Dodd and Choi can be considered the “fathers” of the modern multi-day ultras. This all came about as Dodd uncovered the history of 19th century Pedestrians, and they both gained experience running 100 miles in 1978, and put on ultramarathons. Please help support this podcast. I’ve joined a partnership with Ultrarunning Magazine. I can offer a 25% discount on Ultrarunning Magazine subscriptions and renewals. Visit https://ultrarunning.com/ultrarunning-history/ Subscribe or renew today with this link. The March 2021 issue includes Gary Cantrell's run across America and the top 2020 Fastest Known Time performances. First modern-era American 24-hour races 24-hour attempts and records returned in the post-war modern era of ultrarunning in the early 1950s when Wally Hayward (1908-2006) of South Africa broke the world record in 1953, running on a track in London, reaching 159 miles, 562 yards (see episode 61). In 1967, Steve Seymour (1920-1973), an Olympic athlete in the javelin throw, established the first modern-era American 24-hour race, which was held indoors on the Los Angeles Athletic Club indoor track. It was called the “24-hour Last Day Run” and was held annually on Halloween (see episode 6). Seymour reached 100 miles in the 1967 inaugural race. On September 6, 1969, an African-American maintenance worker, father of seven children, Jared R. Beads (1928-1996), age 41, ran solo 121 miles, 440 yards in 22:27 on a high school track at Timonium, Maryland. It was thought to be the best unofficial track mark in America in 66 years. "A dozen friends kept records of times he circled the track, jogged along with him, and passed him sodas and fruit." Later that year, Lu Dosti, of California, improved the American 24-hour record to 127 miles on the Los Angeles indoor track. In 1970, Miki Gorman became the first modern-era woman to cover 100 miles in 24-hours on the same track in 1970, reaching 100 miles in 21:04:04 for a world record (see episode 64). In 1976, Tom Osler of New Jersey, ran 114 miles on an outdoor track at Glassboro State College as a fund-raising event and as an experiment for a run/walk ratio test. He reached 100 miles in 18:19:27. (see episode 67). In 1977 Max Telford also ran a solo road 24-hour run in Hawaii, reaching 155 miles (see episode 69). More than a dozen modern-era 24-hour races on the track were held in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa before 1978. But track 24-hour races were slow to return to America. The stage was set for the return. Ed Dodd Edward Levi Dodd Jr. (1946-) was originally from Drexel Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Edward Levi Dodd Sr (1923-1994), was a machinist, and mother, Theresa Wellock Dodd (1927-2003) was a receptionist at a doctor’s office. In 1960, as a freshman at a Catholic Prep School, St. Joseph’s, in Philadelphia, Dodd became introduced to running. He explained, “That summer, a bunch of us went to a local high school track and thought we would try to run around the track ten times. We didn’t even know how far it was. We ran around and got done, huffing and puffing and lying around,