Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
Slow Day
This Day in Track & Field–October 25
1981–It was thought at the time that Alberto Salazar (2:08:13) and New Zealand’s Allison Roe (2:25:28) had set World Records at the NY City Marathon, but it was later determined that the course was short, a ruling that didn’t sit well with NY organizers, who argued that the course was measured accurately, based on the standards in place at the time. (See Coming Up Short link).
It was the 2nd win in a row for Salazar, while Norway’s Grete Waitz, the 3-time defending women’s champion, was forced to drop out after 15-miles with painful shin splints.
(The IAAF didn’t officially recognize World Records for road races, including the marathon, until 2004).
In September, 2021, Salazar lost his appeal of a 4-year ban imposed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for
violations of doping regulations during his career as a coach. He ultimately received a lifetime ban.
Other Notable Finishers:
Men: 2.Jukka Toivola (Finland/2:10:52), 3.Hugh Jones (GBR/2:11:00)…6.Tony Sandoval (2:12:12), 7.Rodolfo Gomez (Mexico/2:12:47)
Women: 2.Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway/2:30:08), 3.Julie Shea (2:30:11), 4.Laura Fogli (Italy/2:34:47)…9.Julie Brown (2:40:48).
Starters/Finishers: 14,496/13,223; Men: 13,411/11,466 , Women: 2,405/1,757
Full Race Videos
Salazar’s Finish(race director Fred Lebow is pulled to the sidelines by a policeman before breaking away to follow Salazar to the finish!) :
The Ban
For RW Subscribers
Born On This Day*
Marileidy Paulino-Dominican Republic 29 (1996) 2024 Olympic gold medalist—400; Silver medalist in the 400 and Mixed
4×400 at the 2021 Olympics
2023 World Champion-400 (silver medalist-2022 & 2025);
2022 World Champion—Mixed 4×400 (2nd leg-48.47)
2023 Pan American Games Champion—200m
2024 Diamond League Champion
PBs: 11.38 (2023), 22.30 (2025), 35.16 (2023/#6 All-Time), 47.98 (2025/#3 A-T)
Bud Held 98 (1927) Former pole-vaulter was a 3-time NCAA Champion in the Javelin (Stanford/1948-1950)
6-time U.S. Champion (1949, 1951, 1953-1955, 1958)
1952 U.S. Olympian (9th)
Using javelins that he designed, he set two World Records (263-10/80.41-1953; 268-2/81.74-1955)
Excelled in the Pole Vault, Discus, and Javelin in Masters competition (into his 80s!)
Inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1987
At 98, he’s the oldest living American Olympian in Track & Field
From long-time javelin coach Jeff Gorski:
Held, who originally designed the javelins he threw, is still in the javelin game, designing and building spears that a
few athletes on the West Coast get from him. Best result with a men’s javelin was in May, 2022 by Zach Holland
from Umpqua, JC in Roseburg, 0regon, who set the Junior College national record of 264-5 (80.61). You might
remember Bud was not allowed by AAU rules to work at a business related to his sport, so his brother Dick
started Lakeside Supply Company to build them for sale to the masses. l still have a wooden one from 1955.
The rest is history- both Bud and Dick came to a training camp l ran at Chula Vista’s USOC training center in
1999 and Bud with several other US spear greats came to the 1st American Javfest at the 2000 Penn Relays.
Deceased
Bill Stevenson 84 (1900-April 2, 1985) 1924 Olympic gold medalist-4×400. Ran 2nd leg (49.2) on the team that set a
World Record of 3:16.0 in Paris.
1921 U.S. Champion-440y
Attended Phillips Andover Academy, Princeton, and then Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar
Member of the U.S. Marine Corps
From his Wiki Bio:
“During World War II, Stevenson and his wife, Eleanor “Bumpie” Bumstead Stevenson, a 1923 graduate of Smith College, organized and administered American Red Cross operations in Great Britain, North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Both he and his wife were awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in support of military operations.” President of Oberlin College from 1946-1959.
Served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines from 1961-1964
