Tommy Leonard's Excellent Adventure - 544 - Henry Rono, 1978 NCAA Championships, Eugene, Oregon

Those of us who saw it will always remember we were lucky; we saw running become art.

I sat at the south end of the East Grandstands behind two cackling Princeton athletes. They were completely bewildered by Rono's running, gleefully pointing out to anyone who'd listen how stupid he was to run so 'recklessly.' I sat thinking to myself, 'These two knuckleheads don't understand what they are privileged to see.

Over the years we've all heard many athletes declare themselves to be artists. Rono never claimed anything; he just ran. But if ever there were a 'performance artist' in our sport, it was Rono. His performances were ephemeral. The only record left is the spoken (and written) word. So far as I know, there is no video record of his world records, nor of the joyous romps in Eugene. If there were, I could sell thousands of "The Rono Tapes" from the trunk of my car.

After his 8:18.63 in the steeplechase heats, when the curtain came up again for the 5000 heats, Rono wasted little time. On each straight Rono sprinted, each turn he'd cruise. On the straights Rono had this special way of cocking his head back, he'd lean forward, push his chest way out, pump his arms -- and whooosh -- it looked like he had his own personal wind carrying him down the track.

On the turns he'd float like he was walking on air. He'd hit another straight, push that button of his, and the crowd would respond. You could hear the crowd on the other side of the track erupt as he flew down the track. He'd float the turn, push that switch again, and then another ecstatic din would follow him down the backstretch.

Rono had taken running to a new level. He wasn't simply running or racing -- he was performing.

It has been said that on the West Grandstand straight Rono even passed NCAA long jump champion Larry Doubley as they ran in tandem down the runway. I believe it.

Over the years we've all been privileged to see some great runners -- Kipketer, El Guerrouj, Gebrselassie, Tergat. All great runners, all with silky-smooth strides, and yet they all could be described as being mechanical and predictable. Rono was a 'runner's runner' who ran for the sheer joy of it, and left anyone so privileged to see his 'work' awestruck.

Let's put it this way: could Gebrselassie ever run 13:22 in a Spokane blizzard? Could an EPO-induced Brahim Boulami ever run 8:05 in a rainstorm during a dual meet in Seattle? I don't think that anyone knows what could have been with Rono. It doesn't matter to me. What I saw was enough.

Without a doubt, my memories of Rono got me through many a cold, rainy winter training run. I'd cock my head back, lean forward, push my chest out, pump my arms and let my body follow my imagination down the road.

I even think there were a few times that I felt what it must have been like.

Video of 1978 NCAA Steeplechase Final

HENRY RONO'S WEBSITE



The Splits (all splits 440 yards)
1:05 (65)
2:06 (61)
3:05 (59)
4:08 (63)
5:15 (67)
6:17 (62)
7:27 (70)
8:33 (66)
9:41 (68)
10:50 (69)
11:55 (65)
12:56 (61)
13:21.79
Finish (58.3, 202.9, 4:18.2)

Heat 2
1 13:21.79 (NCAA meet record) Henry Rono WSU
2 13:53.97 Joshua Kimeto
3 14:05.41 Joseph Nzau Wyoming
4 14:05.74 Robert Snyder Penn State
5 14:11.36 Gary Hoftetter North Carolina
6 14:11.7 Gerry Deegan Providence
7 14:13.4 Jim Schankel Cal Poly SLO
8 14:14.5 Tom Wysocki Nevada-Reno
9 14:20 Bill McChesney Pregon
10 14:21 Eric Lathrop Houston
11 14:28 Manfred Kohrs Texas AM
12 14:30 Dale Kramer Carelton College
13 14:33 Bill McGrath Cleveland State
14 14:33 Tom Marino Southern Methodist
15 14:34 Steve Placescia Minnesota
16 14:35 Michael Sawyer So. Illinois
17 14:56 Jim Flynn Villanova
18 14:57 Dave Fulton Oregon State
19 15:00 Dave Cornwell Maryland

Rono started the 1978 season with a 13:22 dual meet in Spokane in a blizzard. Here is the first-hand account from Deryk Bridges, a friend who was in the race:

"I was in that race..... absolutely the most amazing thing I've ever seen.... at a distance... HA! Race was in Spokane at SCC in a blizzard..... Rono went out in the middle of our pack at the first lap in slightly over 70 seconds then I'll never forget when he said...."Excuse me,... excuse me" and we gave him a little gap of space (we were huddled as a group because of the wind and sleet).... when..... BAM! He shot out like a canon. He in one turn put a gap of over 50 meters on us and kept rolling. I think it was Joel Cheryot who was rabbiting ahead for him... anyhow...someone was ahead and he shot out and caught up, passed them and still ran that first mile in something like 4:16 or 17 and just kept going. Mind you, no one warmed up for that race.... the Kenyons were playing soccer and kick ball in the gym. I get cold just thinking about it.....I was a freshman at the time. Of course he more than lapped the field. And don't ask my time.. HA!.."

Henry Rono, 1978 NCAA Championships, Eugene, Oregon

Those of us who saw it will always remember we were lucky; we saw running become art.

I sat at the south end of the East Grandstands behind two cackling Princeton athletes. They were completely bewildered by Rono's running, gleefully pointing out to anyone who'd listen how stupid he was to run so 'recklessly.' I sat thinking to myself, 'These two knuckleheads don't understand what they are privileged to see.

Over the years we've all heard many athletes declare themselves to be artists. Rono never claimed anything; he just ran. But if ever there were a 'performance artist' in our sport, it was Rono. His performances were ephemeral. The only record left is the spoken (and written) word. So far as I know, there is no video record of his world records, nor of the joyous romps in Eugene. If there were, I could sell thousands of "The Rono Tapes" from the trunk of my car.

After his 8:18.63 in the steeplechase heats, when the curtain came up again for the 5000 heats, Rono wasted little time. On each straight Rono sprinted, each turn he'd cruise. On the straights Rono had this special way of cocking his head back, he'd lean forward, push his chest way out, pump his arms -- and whooosh -- it looked like he had his own personal wind carrying him down the track.

On the turns he'd float like he was walking on air. He'd hit another straight, push that button of his, and the crowd would respond. You could hear the crowd on the other side of the track erupt as he flew down the track. He'd float the turn, push that switch again, and then another ecstatic din would follow him down the backstretch.

Rono had taken running to a new level. He wasn't simply running or racing -- he was performing.

It has been said that on the West Grandstand straight Rono even passed NCAA long jump champion Larry Doubley as they ran in tandem down the runway. I believe it.

Over the years we've all been privileged to see some great runners -- Kipketer, El Guerrouj, Gebrselassie, Tergat. All great runners, all with silky-smooth strides, and yet they all could be described as being mechanical and predictable. Rono was a 'runner's runner' who ran for the sheer joy of it, and left anyone so privileged to see his 'work' awestruck.

Let's put it this way: could Gebrselassie ever run 13:22 in a Spokane blizzard? Could an EPO-induced Brahim Boulami ever run 8:05 in a rainstorm during a dual meet in Seattle? I don't think that anyone knows what could have been with Rono. It doesn't matter to me. What I saw was enough.

Without a doubt, my memories of Rono got me through many a cold, rainy winter training run. I'd cock my head back, lean forward, push my chest out, pump my arms and let my body follow my imagination down the road.

I even think there were a few times that I felt what it must have been like.

Video of 1978 NCAA Steeplechase Final

HENRY RONO'S WEBSITE



The Splits (all splits 440 yards)
1:05 (65)
2:06 (61)
3:05 (59)
4:08 (63)
5:15 (67)
6:17 (62)
7:27 (70)
8:33 (66)
9:41 (68)
10:50 (69)
11:55 (65)
12:56 (61)
13:21.79
Finish (58.3, 202.9, 4:18.2)

Heat 2
1 13:21.79 (NCAA meet record) Henry Rono WSU
2 13:53.97 Joshua Kimeto
3 14:05.41 Joseph Nzau Wyoming
4 14:05.74 Robert Snyder Penn State
5 14:11.36 Gary Hoftetter North Carolina
6 14:11.7 Gerry Deegan Providence
7 14:13.4 Jim Schankel Cal Poly SLO
8 14:14.5 Tom Wysocki Nevada-Reno
9 14:20 Bill McChesney Pregon
10 14:21 Eric Lathrop Houston
11 14:28 Manfred Kohrs Texas AM
12 14:30 Dale Kramer Carelton College
13 14:33 Bill McGrath Cleveland State
14 14:33 Tom Marino Southern Methodist
15 14:34 Steve Placescia Minnesota
16 14:35 Michael Sawyer So. Illinois
17 14:56 Jim Flynn Villanova
18 14:57 Dave Fulton Oregon State
19 15:00 Dave Cornwell Maryland

Rono started the 1978 season with a 13:22 dual meet in Spokane in a blizzard. Here is the first-hand account from Deryk Bridges, a friend who was in the race:

"I was in that race..... absolutely the most amazing thing I've ever seen.... at a distance... HA! Race was in Spokane at SCC in a blizzard..... Rono went out in the middle of our pack at the first lap in slightly over 70 seconds then I'll never forget when he said...."Excuse me,... excuse me" and we gave him a little gap of space (we were huddled as a group because of the wind and sleet).... when..... BAM! He shot out like a canon. He in one turn put a gap of over 50 meters on us and kept rolling. I think it was Joel Cheryot who was rabbiting ahead for him... anyhow...someone was ahead and he shot out and caught up, passed them and still ran that first mile in something like 4:16 or 17 and just kept going. Mind you, no one warmed up for that race.... the Kenyons were playing soccer and kick ball in the gym. I get cold just thinking about it.....I was a freshman at the time. Of course he more than lapped the field. And don't ask my time.. HA!.."

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