A Nittany Lion In The Very First Olympic Trials Marathon! 50th Anniversary

Amby Burfoot has written a remembrance of the event which has received a fair amount of acclaim, despite misreporting that Gatorade was invented at Florida State University!

Alamosa 1968: The Historic First U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

The great blog Once upon a Time In the Vest has some of the participants commenting about the article and other things.

But our very own Joe Head actually ran in that marathon after having startied running at Penn State with Coach John Lucas as an inspiration.  His story is riveting, and probably unbelievable to anyone younger than we are!

My Road To Alamosa

 

Joe Head, left,  before the start.

1--George Young, 2:30:48, Casa Grande AZ

2--Kenny Moore, 2:31:47, Eugene OR

3--Ron Daws, 2:33:09, Minneapolis

4--Bob Deines, 2:34:13 (note: originally 2:33:14, almost surely wrong per athlete) Pasadena CA

5--Steve Matthews, 2:34:17 (note: originally 2:33:17), Denver

6. Ed Winrow, 2:34:51, NYAC

7. Nick Kitt, 2:35:09, Los Angeles

8. Doug Wiebe, 2:35:31, Pacific Coast Club

9. Bill Clark, 2:36:14, Quantico Marines

10. Jeffrey Reneau, 2:38:46, Laconia NH

11. Tom Hoffman, 2:41:54, Fort Atkinson WS

12. Ed Cadena, 2:42:25, Bakersfield CA

13. Bob Scharf, 2:42:49, Washington DC Sports Club

14. Tom Heinonen, 2:43:30, Minneapolis

15. Steve Gachupin, 2:43:54, Jemez Pueblo, NM

16. Gary Muhrcke, 2:44:56, Freeport NY

17. Wayne Van Dellen, 2:45:26, Woodlake CA

18. Art Coolidge, 2:45:44, Scotia NY

19. Don Lakin, 2:46:03, Pacific Coast Club

20. Jim McDonagh, 2:46:30, Bronx NY

21. Floyd Godwin, 2:49:21, Denver

22. Gar Williams, 2:49:56, Washington DC Sports Club

23. Darryl Beardall, 2:50:05, Santa Rosa CA

24. Jim Van Manen, 2:50:21, Ventura CA

25. Jose E. Dones, 2:52:43, Santa Barbara CA

26. William Blewitt, 2:53:46, Lawton OK

27. Gabe Petroni, 2:53:55, Santa Barbara CA

28. Jose Barela, 2:54:47, Barstow CA

29. Byron Lawry, 2:54:54, Lancaster CA

30. Charles Comefort, 2:55:24, Dunes TC IN

31: Kenneth Katzer, 2:56:31, Lincoln NE

32. Bill Gookin, 2:57:11, San Diego CA

33. Gerald Smith, 2:57:20, Minneapolis

34. Norbert Sander, 2:57:39, Millrose AA NY

35. Gary Pierson, 2:59:37, Denver

36. Richard Vafeades, 3:01:40, Denver

37. Ed Dodd, 3:02:30, Drexel Hill PA

38. Jim Mathews, 3:02:57, Denver

39. Ed Walkwitz, 3:04:23, Hadley MA

40. Tom Snyder, 3:04:37, Lincoln NE

41. Evan Smith, 3:06:02, Marysville WA

42. John Pagliano, 3:06:30, Pasadena CA

43. J. Peterson, 3:07:43, Lockport IL

44. Bruce Guthrie, 3:07:48, Alamosa CO

45. Peter Hanson, 3:09:22, Colfax CA

46. Robert Lowe, 3:11:25, Denver

47. George Husuark, 3:11:52, Montebello CA

48. Bill Anderson, 3:15:00, Santa Barbara CA

49. John Suarez, 3:16:26, Bisbee AZ

50. Russell Holt, 3:20:13, Springfield MA

51. Tom Findley, 3:21:11, Columbus OH

52. William Peck, 3:22:38, Wasco CA

53. Darwyn Batway, 3:32:34, Spokane WA

54. Bruce LaBudde, 3:37:49, Atlanta

55. Larry Boies, 3:38:22, Minneapolis

56. Jerry Laird, 3:41:54, Houston

57. Albert Sewell, 3:46:36, Fisk Univ, Nashville TN

58. Rick Vasquez, 3:49:18, Pico Rivera CA

59. Pete Mundle, 3:50:56, Santa Monica CA

60. Etwin Gookin, 3:52:05, San Diego CA

61. William Lamb, 3:55:29, Sepulveda CA

62. Alan Bass, 3:57:55, San Marino CA

63. E. Kirkpatrick, 3:58:54, UColo, Boulder CO

Joe Head, 4:40 , University Park PA 

Joe Head with Coach Joe Vigil at the 50th Celebration.