Mile News


Running Legend Slaney Settles for Slower Pace

January 30, 2009

By Don Norcross, The San Diego Union Tribune

Mary Slaney wants to run. Not jog. Run.

There is a difference. Jogging is for exercise. Running is for exhilaration. Jogging is comfortable. Running hurts.

But Slaney, America's greatest female middle-distance runner, can't run. Not like she wants. At 50, the legs and feet that have undergone an estimated 35 surgeries hurt too much when she gets up on her toes and pushes the pace.

So she jogs, every other day, five to six miles, at about a 7½-minute pace.

“It's what my body will allow me to do,” says Slaney, the only athlete to ever hold every American record from the 800 meters to the 10,000.

Slaney, who lives outside Eugene, Ore., is in San Diego to receive an award at tomorrow night's Competitor Endurance Sports Award banquet at SeaWorld. The honor: Competitor Magazine Running Legend.

Continue reading at: utsandiego.com

Tags: mary decker slaney (22) , legend (86)

Facebook Comments

Return the Mile to prominence on the American & worldwide sports and cultural landscape by elevating and celebrating the Mile to create a movement.

ELEVATE
Bring Back the Mile as the premier event in the sport, and increase interest in and media coverage of the Mile for both those who love the distance as well as the general public.

CELEBRATE
Bring Back the Mile to celebrate the storied distance and to recognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote Mile events and the next generation of U.S. Milers.

NATIONAL MOVEMENT
Bring Back the Mile to create a national movement for the Mile as America’s Distance,
to inspire Americans to run the Mile as part of their fitness program and to replace the 1600 meters at High School State Track & Field Meets across the country.

Become a Mile Maniac member or a BBTM sponsor today! Join us, and go Mile!

Join Us

Thanks for joining the movement and being a Mile Maniac. We'll keep you up to-date with our Mile wires as well as exclusive contests and opportunities. Help us spread the word by sharing our site and joining us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!