72: Don Ritchie's 1977 World Record in

Don Ritchie of Scotland breaks the 100-mile world record in 1977 at the Crystal Palace at London. Frank Bozanich also ran. This is episode 72 of the Ultrarunning History Podcast. For full article see: ultrarunninghi...
During the early 1970s, the majority of the American ultramarathons were held in the eastern states, including 100-milers. But by the late ‘70s, a western migration was taking place and soon the state of California was holding the most ultras. Ultrarunners learned about races mostly by word-of-mouth from other runners who they would see before and after a race. That is how American, Frank Bozanich, a future ultrarunning hall of famer, received an invitation to run in a historic race, the 1977 24-hour Crystal Palace Track Race in England, where the Scot, Don Ritchie would make 100-mile history. Details of that race is told for the first time in this episode.