Episode 6: Patti Catalano Dillon

In this episode of "Running: State of the Sport," George and Amby chat with Patti Catalano Dillon, who received the prestigious Abebe Bikila Award at the recent TCS New York City Marathon. In the 1980 Marathon, Patti became the first American female to break 2:30 in the marathon, finishing second to Grete Waitz. Patti scored many major road race victories in her meteoric career, including 5 at the Ocean State Marathon (Rhode Island) and 4 in the Honolulu Marathon. Patti explains her unique background, including her first run (in Earthshoes) around a cemetery in Quincy, MA, and her first marathon experience. "I thought I was going to die." She also discusses her continuing involvement in Native American running. Before talking to Patti, George and Amby discuss the biggest recent news in running. Amby was disappointed by how slowly the elite women ran at NYC, suggesting that maybe they should have their fees reduced commensurate with their slow times (the 1980 Patti Catalano would have been right with them). But he was impressed by the 3:19 finish of 6' 9" former hockey star Zdeno Chara.  George marvelled at how the NYC Marathon once again seemed to knit an entire city together. At a time of universal concern over several wars, various groups chose not to stage protests around the Marathon. He also enjoyed a dinner gathering of some of his longtime favorite marathon runners.Where to find “Running: State of the Sport” Use your smartphone to download podcast apps from Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pandora, or Google 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. Apple Spotify Audible Pandora Google Podcasts  "Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels. Run Long, Run Healthy is Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners. Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.