The Olympic Marathon - Softcover

Martin, David; Gynn, Roger

3.82

11 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0880119691 ISBN 13: 9780880119696

Publisher: Human Kinetics, 2000

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No Olympic event can rival the rich history and grand spectacle of the marathon. Created for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as a commemoration of the legendary run by the Greek messenger Philippides, the race has endured like no other, producing a century of awe-inspiring competition and unforgettable stories.

The Olympic Marathon brings the high drama and rich details of the past 24 Olympic marathon races to life in a way no other book ever has. This definitive resource, written by world-renowned Olympic marathon experts David Martin and Roger Gynn, goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances.

Fans will relive the compelling moments that have made the Olympic marathon legendary: Spiridon Louis winning the first modern Olympic marathon in Athens in 1896, Emil Zï¿� topek's dramatic triple-gold performance in 1952, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila winning a gold medal while running barefoot, Joan Benoit Samuelson earning her place in history as winner of the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, and many other fascinating stories.

For each race, The Olympic Marathon provides the following:
-A summary of the geographical setting and political climate surrounding the Olympic Movement

-A course map and detailed street description

-A step-by-step narrative of how the race was run

-Biographical sketches of the top three finishers

-A “Looking Ahead” section, which summarizes marathon highlights leading up to the next Olympic marathon
Generously illustrated, often with rare and never-before-published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. Plus, for readers who want complete statistics on each race, the book provides a comprehensive appendix. Included are chronological and alphabetical race results for all men and women who participated in the event and listings of the fastest men's and women's Olympic marathon performances.

The Olympic Marathon is the authoritative book on the race that has captured the imagination of the world. It's a one-of-a-kind resource that every fan of running and the Olympics will treasure.

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From the Publisher:

"The Olympic Marathon is the most compelling, commanding book ever published on this classic event."

Stan Saplin Historical Editor Track & Field News

"A truly great and inspirational work. With love and respect, Martin and Gynn tell the story of the runners and their races. This book will be an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought about running a marathon."

Tom Derderian Author of Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World’s Premier Running Event

About the Author:

David E. Martin, PhD, is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), as well as a contributing member of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians (ATFS), the International Marathon Medical Directors Association (IMMDA), the Association of International Marathons (AIMS), and the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH). This multidisciplinary approach to the study of top-level marathon performance—from a scientific as well as historical viewpoint—gives him a unique perspective. In 1978, Martin was selected by the U.S. Olympic Academy to be one of three representatives to the International Olympic Academy. Even before then, he had begun to compile a database of top-level men's and women's performances. His work has continued, and the list now tops 44,000 performances. This provides an unparalleled resource for his research on the use of mathematical modeling techniques to assess performance trends in distance running.

Martin is co-author of The Marathon Footrace (1979, with Gynn), Training Distance Runners (1991), and Better Training for Distance Runners (1997). Since 1979, he has served prominently as chair of committees within USA Track & Field applying his sport science and coaching skills to the guidance of many of America's top distance runners. And since 1989, he has been marathon statistician for the ATFS, taking over the role pioneered by coauthor Roger Gynn. Martin lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Roger W.H. Gynn began documenting marathons in the late 1950s and is today one the world's foremost experts on marathon statistics. He was the marathon statistician for the Association of Track & Field Statisticians (ATFS) from 1968 to 1988. In this role, he was responsible for producing documentation on the marathon for the ATFS Annual, the definitive source for track and field performance statistics. Gynn also spent 20 years preparing annual marathon rankings for Track & Field News.

Over the years, Gynn has served as the marathon statistician for the British Union of Track & Field Statisticians, Running magazine, and Athletics Weekly. He has also been the main compiler of marathon lists for Track & Field Performance Through the Years, Volumes 1-4. Gynn is coauthor of The Marathon Footrace (with Martin) and compiler of both The Guinness Book of the Marathon and International Marathon Statistics. He is a member of the Association of Track & Field Statisticians and the National Union of Track & Field Statisticians. Gynn resides in Watford, Hertfordshire.

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