1971 NCAA Cross Country Championships

University of Tennesse
Fox Den, Knoxville, TN
Monday, November 22, 1971
35 degrees, clear, cool
6 miles

[@charlieb2351]

It has been 42 years since I ran this race and the first time I have ever seen a video of it. I finished in 13th place just 1 second behind Dave Wottle of Bowling Green who went on to win the 800 meters in the 1972 Munich Olympics less than one year later. I remember how cold it was and how steep the hills were on this course which is why everyone looks exhausted finishing. I was wearing the Orange and Black of Oklahoma State and I am seen coming by the first lap. Charlie Boatright '73 OSU

[@dogupatree]

kissmyaass1 tell about the race did you ever make it back to NCAA again?

[@tombradygoat7995]

Charles Boatright did David wottle wear his baseball cap in this race? Lol

[@scottlaplantelaplante990]

Mike Slack in third from NDSU was a Div II runner. The Div II champion - they ran the Div II championships a week or possibly 2 early - was an invited runner to the Div I championships.

[@numbers7n]

Thanks Charlie!! I hope more report in about this race, their experience, etc.

[@btqy]

@@tombradygoat7995 @01:58 there's the Cap with Wottle for the ride.

[@tubesockets120v]

This song just works with this video.

[@runningblood58]

I was in 8th grade when this meet took place I remember all those big name runners. Pre was the toughest kid back then I remember reading about him in Runners World. I got to run with Pre in April of '73 at a track and field clinic in N.J. what a thrill it was.

[@krob1957]

I love seeing Pre run. Such a great stride. Like a Wolf.

[@logistics29]

KZbin was made for videos like this - thank you!

[@deangilkerson2498]

I had the opportunity to run with Bjorklund and Slack in 1977 when I was a senior in high school . It was pretty awesome.

[@schatza01]

Its so neat to see this video because Garry Bjorklund is my great uncle :) But then again my family also has videos of him at the Olympics.. so its just nice to see something of him I've never seen before.

[@roustabout4fun]

Good old pure hard work and fun outside....can't be beat!

[@gary1961]

Wow, that was some starting line. Don't trip over whatever you do! 50 years ago. A great glimpse into the good old past. Thanks Pre for inspiring me to run like the wind.

[@kevindean1327]

Elliot Randall playing lead guitar on this Steely Dan track. This song contains Jimmy Page's favorite guitar solo of all time. Rip Pre!!!

[@UlloMark]

Thanks to Steely Dan, this has got to be the best-ever running music-video... great stuff; That precocious Pre... what a force...!

[@reaserrl]

Great video! I was finishing my first XC season as Freshman in HS when this event was competed and EVERYONE knew those names. I actually love "Reelin' in the Years," but Steely Dan didn't release it on "Can't Buy a Thrill," Until 1972. Riders on the Storm by the Doors or Maggie May by Rod Stewart might be more "period appropriate."

[@derekmurphy2886]

Great video, I followed in Cusack and Leddy's footsteps at ETSU, but never made it to Nationals (missed by 2 spots individually my freshman year). These old videos are so cool.

[@woodrackes]

Thank you for posting this. It was wonderful.

[@jamisonr]

That dude at the finish line was super animated everytime someone crossed the line.

[@josejosejosejose8009]

This is a great video. With the names of the athletes, coaches and with time too.

[@LesbianVampireLover]

Great video! There were a lot of huge names in this race too (i.e. Wottle, Liquori) who didn't even make the top ten. East Tennessee State used to have some great runners back then; I had forgotten about them.

[@ericdailey8587]

Hats off to Richard Gross of Illinois for his 9th place finish. Go Illini!

[@mikebronicki6978]

Wottle and Liquori didn't make top 10! Tough field.

[@josejosejosejose8009]

mike bronicki well wottle is a middle distance runner and at this time he’s probably leaning more to 800m than 1500m. So it’s already given that he wont be performing that well in this field

[@runcaz7802]

Very important in Cross Country races to get finishing places of each runner correct. The man at the finish understood that. Great footage. Would like to see the names of more finishers. Anyone in the top 100 are national class. NCAA DIV 1 for cripes sake!

[@danielhutchinson6158]

Thank you.

[@loughourna]

Cusack went on to win the Boston Marathon.

[@blvckbutterfli]

Pre!!

[@cicirunner]

I've seen this video a hundred times but never of such good quality. I don't like the song, but you pointed out famous runners in the video and even included the overall times. Nice job!

[@george5858]

You don't like a song with arguably one of the greatest guitar solos ever?

[@chuckiemeister]

Awesome video, reminds me of the days up at Van Cortland in the early 70s!

[@KindaGenau]

Charlie Bruno I'm racing there this Sunday! -Micah Paulec, The King's College

[@lesliemcdermott2440]

@@KindaGenau Van CortlandT

[@runreilly]

Brutal hills on that course.

[@scottlaplantelaplante990]

Very cool video. Mike Slack from NDSU in 3rd - back in the day the DII national champ would run in the DI championship race as an open runner. There were other NDSU runners that had that honor - Doug Hanson was one. NDSU was in our conference. I have had the chance to train and race with a number of these guys. Great stuff.

[@ElenaSanchezMora]

Arjan Gelling was another DII champion North Dakota runner who placed second in the 1967 DI race. Also of note, 2nd place finisher Garry Bjorklund and 3rd place finisher Mike Slack finished 1-2 in the Minnesota high school state meet in the mile run.

[@numbers7n]

Nice choice of music!!

[@mwwwin]

Awesome video

[@arthursmith8619]

Wonderful video with the author's and no one else's favorite music.

[@danielstrangeway3840]

A legend Steve prefontain i salut you

[@travisjohnson7771]

"Pre's People" New documentary highlights Pre's early running days in high school...Coos Bay

[@runreilly]

Awesome! Thank you, I had not heard about this.

[@crabhawk3775]

Thanks for the video.

[@gabequinn9796]

To say the field was loaded is an understatement...

[@fairbornbakerhs9275]

Bowling Green State University finished 7th and they don’t have a men’s cross country team any longer. 🙁

[@missmarplefan]

the guy is shouting out their numbers while another guy writes them down

[@missmarplefan]

there's a mistake with the results neil cusack and eddie leddy hold hands and finish in joint 7th place that's real sportmanship

[@WorkSmartNotHard]

miss marple nah that’s just them being too nervous to see who has more guts, Pre would never do something like that

[@lesliemcdermott2440]

@@WorkSmartNotHard Huh? Too nervous?

[@stephenmartinez9355]

Awesome footage, and great song. But the Reelin' in the years did not come out until late 1972.

[@adammarkowitz7944]

Why this particular song, please?

[@mattbarnes6691]

Is that a cigarette (the guy at the 3 mile mark calling splits out) is holding?😂

[@sanansa4567]

I am quite sure even in the early 1980s we had coaches smoking cigarettes for a lot of the sports.

[@herbplummer]

Awesome footage, thanks for uploading and including names. Can you change the song?

[@george5858]

No. RIP Walter Becker.

[@TheAusrali]

wow nice:D

[@demiloca]

2:28 Hometown hero Pre

[@onefoot7]

slow times for 6, not 6.2 , miles.......I like German Beltran, 29:20 10k on a hilly tough course, Alabama, 1987?

[@davida1610]

Maybe not. You can't see the course layout, hills or obstacles from this video. Don't assume this to be a "flat fast paced 10k". I ran cross country in HS, and terrain is a major factor !

[@MattDelaney15]

Pre left the fellow behind....... amazing...... that fellow trying to swat at everyone at the end of the race..... weirdo...

[@docpj72]

that's the way they kept track of placing's back then with the dude at the end....///impressive race by pre.

[@TrackForField]

is this the Roy Griak Invite?

[@rte4634]

Roy Griak @ :54. The famous XC invite was named after him. Passed away at age 91 in 2015.

[@george5858]

This is the NCAA Championships.

[@steveprefontaine645]

Ez

[@damonzielke6591]

what is the song ?

[@george5858]

Look in the credits

[@DexterHaven]

This song is out of place here. Sour note. Had to hit mute right away.