Rod Dixon is one of the alltime great runners from New Zealand--a country that has produced far more than its expected share of top runners. This possibly extends from the influence of Arthur Lydiard, the immensely influential New Zealand coach from the early 1960s to the present day.

[In this episode, George and Amby also discuss Yomif Kejelcha's half marathon record, Jenny Simpson's health update, and Ethan Strand's 1500-meter win over Cole Hocker and Jacob Ingebrigtsen.]

Dixon won an Olympic bronze medal in the 1972 Games in Munich, and returned 4 years later in Montreal to miss another bronze by a whisker in the 5000-meter final.

After the Olympic boycott of 1980, Dixon turned increasingly to the roads, and won many big U.S. races. These included: Falmouth, Bay to Breakers, and the Philly Half Marathon.

The marathon beckoned and Dixon took on the challenge. In 1983, he won the New York City Marathon in 2:08:59 in one of the most dramatic finishes in NYCM history.

He trailed Geoff Smith by a wide margin at 20 miles, but slowly whittled away at the gap until he sprinted past Smith just 200 meters from the finish in Central Park. A famous poster shows Dixon with raised, celebratory arms while Smith writhes in collapse on the road behind the New Zealander.

Today Dixon, from Nelson, NZ, at the northernmost edge of the South Island, stays busy working with schools that support his Kids Marathon Foundation, which promotes activity, good nutrition, and wellness for young age groups. More at KidsMarathonFoundation.org

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Pete Pfitzinger was a two-time USA Olympic marathoner, in the 1984 and 1988 Games. He won the '84 Olympic Marathon Trials in a stunning sprint-finish victory over Alberto Salazar, and ran from behind to clinch third place in the 1988 Trials.

Pfitzinger always knew how to get the job done, especially at the marathon distance--his speciality.

Later he converted his experience and knowledge into a best-selling book, Advanced Marathoning, co-written with Scott Douglas. The book recently was updated with a fourth edition, and is always mentioned as one of the best marathon training books for serious runners.

In the late 1990s, Pfitzinger moved to New Zealand with his wife, Chrissie, a New Zealand Olympian. For the next several decades, he served as an executive in several New Zealand organizations aimed at improving opportunity for the country's top athletes.

Now retired, he has turned his attention to online coaching at PfitzingerCoaching.com, where he hopes to offer his training knowledge to a modest number of highly-motivated runners.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

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Paul Gompers has a long history in the marathon and in the pursuit of excellence. It's hard to imagine anyone more competitive than Gompers. He even owns Alter-G treadmills in two separate residences so he can work out twice a day.

Gompers ran his first marathon in 1983 while a Harvard freshman. His 2:15:28 in Huntsville, Ala, still stands as an under-20 world record on a eligible course.

Four years later, Gompers improved to 2:11:39 at the 1987 Twin Cities Marathon. The following spring, he placed fourth in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials behind Mark Conover, Ed Eyestone, and Pete Pfitzinger.

Gompers turned next to the study of economics. He has been a professor at the Harvard Business School since 1995, specializing in venture capital and entrepreneurship.

About 20 years ago, he learned to swim and began serious training for age-group triathlon, as did his wife Jody, a Boston-area physician. Gompers has since completed four Kona Ironman Triathlons, as well as many others, with top finishes for his age.

In recent years, he has also advised Harvard's standout alumni runners, including Graham Blanks and Ben Rosa.

For more on Paul Gompers, see this page on Wikipedia.

WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"

Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."

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