1970 - Gerry Lindgren vs. Frank Shorter & Kerry O'Brien in a 2-mile race

A 2-mile race at the 3rd Annual Invitational Track and Field Meet at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange County, California on 6/13/1970.

[@yesstiles]

This is June, 1970 at El Modena High School's Fred Kelly Stadium in the city of Orange, California. About 5 miles from Disneyland. A crappy, hard, and slow dirt track that wasn't converted to synthetic for another 30 years! This was the 2nd of two "Orange County Invitational" track meets held at the time. The first meet, held the year before in 1969 had Ron Clarke running a season world-leading time of 8:30.0 in the two-mile.

[@randyevermore9323]

Very cool to be able see the legends race in their prime. Thank you very much.

[@Sargebri]

You know this has to be pre-1975 because the races were run in yards and miles and not in the metric system. Also, its interesting seeing Shorter run on the track due to the fact that two years later he would start the running boom after winning the gold in the marathon in Munich.

[@SpartaSpartan117]

I read Shorter's book and his philosophy seemed to aim to train for proficiency in all long distance events: from the mile up. He felt very confident going into Munich because he knew that very few could match his speed over the mile.

[@ernesttubb]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a distance runner as tall as Jack Bacheler.

[@randyevermore9323]

6'7"!

[@bearmerica6668]

That's a wide turn there dude, lol.

[@jodipaul8672]

Proud to be the daughter of runner John Lawson!

[@pnbsake]

Great race, but I'm still trying to comprehend the tire commercial at the end.

[@dconley2112]

That's sounds like Billy Dee Williams voicing it

[@tripshort3797]

Hard to believe that Daniel Komen would have beat them by 43 seconds!

[@randyevermore9323]

Probably not on that track, though.

[@richardmilliken8705]

Six years earlier, in January of 1964, Gerry Lindgren was a senior in H.S. and he ran a 8:40 indoor 2 mile time on a wooden track in which he ran 22 laps and placed 2nd to Ron Clark. On a modern indoor track today with all the improved training, equipment, etc, he would've run a 8:24 two mile.

[@runcaz7802]

@@randyevermore9323 Yeah, only a 39 second beatdown instead of 43.

[@randyevermore9323]

@@richardmilliken8705 Not so sure about your conversion. Those 160-yard wood tracks had a lot of spring. And the turns were so steeply banked that you could catapult off of them. I ran my fastest high school mile on one.

[@MrTrack412]

Gerry Lindren ran the almost the entire last 440 in the outside of lane one or even in lane two! How many extra yards did he run? He probably ran 25 extra yards and lost by two! But everything was different. Most tracks were cinder, dirt, clay or grass. The shoes in some cases weighed almost 5 pounds. Plus, we had no idea how to train. (I am sure you could add to my short list.)

[@runcaz7802]

Obrian went out into lane 2 heading into the home stretch, to push Lindgren further out. I woulda loved to see Gerry sneak by him on the inside (Bannister Landy style).

[@seaturtledog]

Yes that was pretty bad and might be close to a DQ. Lindgren should have waited when he could not pass on the back straight.

[@richardmilliken8705]

Indeed!

[@lease2coach1]

If Shorter was really at Yale "last year" (1:45) then this can't be 1971--Shorter graduated in 1969... Also, they talk (2:18) about O'Brien's being headed for the Commonwealth Games--no CG in 1971, but Edinburgh did indeed host in 1970. Looks like the title for this vid needs an edit.

[@yrug4y444]

good catch! title is fixed now

[@mikenealon4042]

set the go back machine

[@frankshoefitter1979]

Wow!

[@anthonychiaravalle5782]

Do you have any of Jeff Nelson???

[@richardmilliken8705]

I believe that Jeff never reached his potential because he was always getting injured post H.S. There is a running website that has numerous photos of him but i forget the name of it.

[@MrTrack412]

Lindgren, having the experience of 8 years in high school and college, brilliantly ran the entire last lap on the outside of lane one. How many extra yards was that? 10, 20, and perhaps even 30 extra yards, since they ran the last 150 wide of the curb? And he lost by 8 yards? Maybe Lindgren was more than just crazy, he may have just been plain stupid!