EPISODE · Oct 1, 2023 · 1H 7M
Two time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger kicks off season three with the Runners Reunion Podcast!
from The Runners Reunion Podcast · host rgillooly1405
Our guest spent his formative years in the snow belt of Upstate NY. Glimpses of raw talent showed through championship success running on skis. After a successful collegiate career, the Clarion Call of Boston proved irresistible and he moved east, initially rooming with punk rockers before moving to the infamous River Street AC Commune. He went from working the cash register to a professional role at the upstart New Balance Shoe Company. An original running outlaw, pilloried for contesting antiquated notions of amateurism; a contagion who risked contaminating entire fields he remained true in his belief that professional athletes should be able to accept money openly versus groveling under the table. This proved to be a prescient attitude years ahead of its time. A relative unknown, he upstaged the favorites to dramatically win the 1984 US Olympic Marathon Trials, and backed it up as the first American in Los Angeles. More success followed including a second Olympic Team berth in 1988. A 26 year resident of New Zealand, he recently retired as CEO of Athletics New Zealand, the country's USATF equivalent. Sit back and enjoy the following conversation with Pete Pfitzinger. Check out the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials Finish!
What this episode covers
Our guest spent his formative years in the snow belt of Upstate NY. Glimpses of raw talent showed through championship success running on skis. After a successful collegiate career, the Clarion Call of Boston proved irresistible and he moved east, initially rooming with punk rockers before moving to the infamous River Street AC Commune. He went from working the cash register to a professional role at the upstart New Balance Shoe Company. An original running outlaw, pilloried for contesting antiquated notions of amateurism; a contagion who risked contaminating entire fields he remained true in his belief that professional athletes should be able to accept money openly versus groveling under the table. This proved to be a prescient attitude years ahead of its time. A relative unknown, he upstaged the favorites to dramatically win the 1984 US Olympic Marathon Trials, and backed it up as the first American in Los Angeles. More success followed including a second Olympic Team berth in 1988. A 26 year resident of New Zealand, he recently retired as CEO of Athletics New Zealand, the country's USATF equivalent. Sit back and enjoy the following conversation with Pete Pfitzinger. Check out the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials Finish!
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Two time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger kicks off season three with the Runners Reunion Podcast!
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