#RUNNOVATION – Making History with Incredible Race Finishes

That Was Then

Great race finishes make timeless memories, but they’re not just spontaneous moments. They’re forged through hard work, smart training and months and months of dedication.

To prepare for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, Pete Pfitzinger adopted a pure and simple runner’s lifestyle as he averaged 143 miles a week while living remotely in Auckland, New Zealand, and following the ages-old training philosophies of legendary coach Arthur Lydiard. Although not one of the favorites to make the U.S. Olympic team, Pfitzinger boldy took a big lead midway through the race, only to lose it to Alberto Salazar in the last mile of the race. But his determination and relentless dedication to training paid off in the end, as he stormed past Salazar over the final 50 yards to win the race and secure an Olympic team berth.

This is #Runnovation

With about a lap to go in the 5,000-meter race at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Kim Conley was on the verge of watching her dream of making the Olympic team go down the drain. Not only was she in fifth place behind women who were faster and more accomplished, but she also didn’t have the qualifying time for the Olympics.

But Conley had fallen in love with running in high school and college, and four years after finishing college, as many of her friends were starting their careers and families, Conley was living frugally and living the dream.

With 200 meters to go, Conley was 25 meters behind third place, and that’s when her passion met opportunity and she dug deep. In an amazing final dash to the finish, she sprinted past two women and leaned at the finish line to take third place by the slimmest of margins in the fastest time she’s ever run. Conley also broke the Olympic-qualifying mark by a fraction of a second.