Greg Meyer | Let Them Lead Episode 9

GREG MEYER, 1983 Boston Marathon champion; 5-time state champion coach In 1983, Greg Meyer won the world’s most famous race at the peak of the American running boom, beating his friend and training partner, Bill Rodgers, a.k.a. Mr. Marathon. Even more impressive, Meyer ran a sub-4:00 mile, and set American records in the 8K, 10K, 15K, 25K, and 10 mile – despite carrying 155 pounds, 30 more than Bill Rodgers, and 40 more than today’s champions. In this conversation Meyer talks about how U-M coach Ron Warhurst knew how to motivate him; how he came back from a heartbreaking setback in 1981 to win Boston in 1983; how he helped Dexter (MI) high school’s cross-country team win a record five-straight state titles; and how he has applied all these lessons to his current work in health care. Three take-aways: you have to visualize what you want; bad weather is your friend, because someone else doesn’t want to run in it; and you have to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable if you’re going to get people’s honest opinions, and still be respectful and kind.

Episode 9 of the Let Them Lead podcast, hosted by John U Bacon, Greg Meyer, titled "Greg Meyer | Let Them Lead Episode 9" was published on October 27, 2021 and runs 53 minutes.

October 27, 2021 ·53m · Let Them Lead

Summary

GREG MEYER, 1983 Boston Marathon champion; 5-time state champion coach In 1983, Greg Meyer won the world’s most famous race at the peak of the American running boom, beating his friend and training partner, Bill Rodgers, a.k.a. Mr. Marathon. Even more impressive, Meyer ran a sub-4:00 mile, and set American records in the 8K, 10K, 15K, 25K, and 10 mile – despite carrying 155 pounds, 30 more than Bill Rodgers, and 40 more than today’s champions. In this conversation Meyer talks about how U-M coach Ron Warhurst knew how to motivate him; how he came back from a heartbreaking setback in 1981 to win Boston in 1983; how he helped Dexter (MI) high school’s cross-country team win a record five-straight state titles; and how he has applied all these lessons to his current work in health care. Three take-aways: you have to visualize what you want; bad weather is your friend, because someone else doesn’t want to run in it; and you have to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable if you’re going to get people’s honest opinions, and still be respectful and kind.

Episode Description