European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 08, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jinn Miler of the Century by Bob Hoyer staff writer in the descending Murk of Whit City stadium expectant thousands fidgeted in their seats As the moment of decision Drew imminent. Nervously picking fingers turned dog eared pro Grams. The agony of just waiting seemed unbearable. Earlier a Bright Sun had burst Dow upon the cheering throng at the conclusion of the 10,000-meter run As Van Nel son a 21-year-old modern Day Viking from Minnesota romped Home Well i front of Britain s Michael Freary to set a United kingdom Al Comers and Whit City record. But London weather is fickle and As quickly As it appeared the Sun was blotted out by a curtain of Black Clouds. Now a storm seemed Tobe brewing in the near suburbs. A Blan Ket of Damp air perfumed by the exhaust fumes of traffic outside the stadium floated across the stirring spectators. As participants for the Emsley can mile featured event in the British american track and Field Duel we reintroduced applause echoed in the Ca Vernous Oval. Now everybody fell  City s biggest track crowd in 10 years 35,000 was up on the Edge of the seats. The Best milers in the world were lining up for the starting  half head above All others his clean Cut profile Bobbing up and Dow against the dark Clouds was Jim Ryun the Stripling from Kansas owner of the fastest mile in history. Nearby Kip Choge Keino the 27-year-old Kenya policeman participating by invitation in this Anglo american event marked time in a slow jog. Now missing his flaming red Warmup suit the Kenya looked Small compared to the 6-foot, 2-Inch Ryun. It was these two that the multitude had come to see. Imports pundits had tabbed it the mile of the Century. They had reason to believe that Ryun with Keino pacing the Way. Would break his own Mil record the 3 51.1 he ran in the summer of 1966. They remembered that it had been the african policeman who pulled Ryun to the world s 1,500-meter Markin los Angeles earlier in the summer. Rounding out the Field were Britain Salan Simpson John Whetton Andrew Green and Walter Wilkinson Kenya Shalf Miler David Menai and America s Jim Grelle oldest in the lineup at 30,and owner of More sub four minute Miles than any Man in  the gun sounded Ryun running with head erect in Long easy strides settled in sixth place. Keino the Man everybody expected to set the Pace slipped to last place. His Kenya stable mate Menai was running seventh. Atthe first Quarter Ryun and Keino were still Well Back and groans of disappoint ment greeted announcement of the time. The Lap had been turned in 60.7secondscertainly not an auspicious Start toward a world  the second Lap there was Little change in the Pace. Up front the British runners kept waiting for the vaunted kick of Keino. At the half mile it was2 03, and now everybody knew there would be no world record for the mile this muggy afternoon. After two slow laps Ryun the fast finisher who likes to let others set the Pace had no Choice. Almost imperceptibly he length ened and quickened his stride and worked his Way through the pack to the front. Taking a Cue from Ryun Simpson and Keino quickened their Pace. Ryu had a couple Yards Lead at 3 02.2, As the Bell rang for the final  the Pace became furious and cover Jim Ryun is modest reticent does t drink or smoke. Photo Courtesy of news of the world. Page 14 a Colo Rhota Jim Ryun is on his Way to becoming the Miler of the Century. Ryun leads John whet on Kipchoge Keino in White City Duel. Sunday october 8, 1967 sports scene Ryun runs 85 to 100 Miles a week to keep in shape. A Ryun and Keino were All alone. Dow the Backstretch the african made his move. With 220 Yards left he reached Ryun s shoulder. Glancing outside Ryun saw the kenyan puffing at his  no loss in rhythm he lengthened his strides a half step and steadily pulled away by two Yards and then by five Yards. Down the final Straightaway Ryu glanced Over his right shoulder to see Keino six paces behind. Once More lengthening his strides he pushed to Ward the tape. At the finish he was 10yards ahead of the Shorter striding Keino. Ryun was clocked at 3 56 Flat Keino at 3 57.4. A postmortem of this ballyhooed meeting confirmed the apparent. Neither Keino nor Ryun wanted the Lead and Menai entered in the race to help Keino elected to Lay Back instead of Ryun edged Jim Grelle in two mile race set new record. A the stars and stripes taking the Pace for a reason know Only to himself. I did t come to Lead. I did t want to Lead said Keino after the race. I was not sure at any Point that would win. I was worried by the very Strong wind Down the Back stretch Ryun said. I did t want the Lead but after the slow first two laps i decided i had to take the Pace  tactics then Are the obvious answer for the relatively slow winning time of 3 56. And while the Public May have been disappointed the result proves there is More than one Way to win Arace and that Ryun can out kick even a sunday october 8, 1967 vaunted kicker like Keino no Matte what tactics the kenyan employs. Ryun s manner of Victory confirmed american team manager Bob Giegengack s pre race warning about exaggerating the importance of time. Everybody s worried about setting record he said. But Jim came Here to win a race. There s simply too much emphasis devoted to time in recent  we be reached the Point where a kid would rather run 3 58 an finish third than run 4 01 and win. I Don t understand this  the Public will have to wait a while for the anticipated 3 50 mile. The White when Keino closed in Ryun lengthened stride. Up City event was Ryun s last mile of the year and next year hell be concentrating on the olympics. But at this stage it appears certain barring injury or Lack of interest that Ryun will crack the 3 50 Barrier and go beyond it. At 20, Ryun already has rewritten the record books for Middle distance run Ning. He holds the world mile and 1,500-meter records and has run the fastest half mile in history although recognition from the International Amateur athletic federation has not been Forth coming. A number of track men believe Hewill develop into the greatest All around runner in history. He s capable of top performances i everything from the 800 Yards to the 5,000 meters said Jim Bush us Acoach who accompanied the american team to Europe. Ryun is much tougher than mos people realize. Behind his modesty is a burning desire to win tremendous de Votion to training ritual and a physique Well equipped for distance running. No one in the past has been As far along As Ryun is at age 20. The one thing that could slow him Down would be boredom once he s broken All the records. But he has always been unusual in the Way he grinds away at training and by entering a wide rang of events he should be Able to main Tain his interest for a number of  Ryun s versatility begs the inevitable question. What will he run in the 1968 olympics at first glance the obvious answer seems to be the 1,500 meters but Keino is a real threat at this distance and in the thin air of Mexico City the kenyan who lives and trains in High Altitude will have a decided advantage against athletes accustomed to running at sea level. There Are those who believe Ryu could win More handily in the 800 meters. As for the suggestion he might run both Giegengack shrugged it off with a Flat  impossible in that Altitude. He would tear his lungs  Ryun s olympic potential he will note too old for the 1972 games and might even participate in 1976 inevitably leads to a Check of the olympic Roll of champions. Paavo Nurmi the durable finn Lead the procession with five Gold medals the 10,000-meter run and 10,000-Metercross country in 1920, the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter Cross country the stars and stripes in 1924 and the 10,000-meter run in 1928. Emil Zatopek the ungainly czech won Ai unprecedented three Gold medals in 1952 in the 5,000 and 10,000-Meterruns and the Marathon after winning the 10,000 meters in 1948. But today Competition is Keener Winall events and it seems unlikely that anyone will equal Nurmi s doubles or Zatopek s triple. Ryun s goal at this juncture is to win that first Gold medal in 1968, and the pain of training won t matter if he achieves his objective. Indeed it has been the training that separates Ryun from hundreds of Simi Lar school boys across the world. For several years now he s been running 85 to 100 Miles a week. These Are lonely hours through the Wheatfield of his native Kansas alone on the cinder track of a stadium on the Early morning streets of new Orleans in the paths of new York s Centra Park. Most recently he s been tangling with the 7,000-foot altitudes of coloradoan preparation for the 1968 olympics. All this began one afternoon during an Assembly at Wichita East High school. When the athletic program was explained a Skinny Sophomore named Jim Ryun decided he would try for the Cross country team. It was this decision that introduced Ryun to track coach Bob Timmons a former Marine who is a shrewd judge of character. In a practice mile Ryun then a spindly six foot 145-Pounder,struggled Home behind 13 teammates in 5 38. But after a few weeks of practice he surprised everyone and Timmons in particular with a 4 26.4 Effort. All atone the coach Learned How to spell his name. A training regimen designed to get Jim a four minute mile while still in High school was set up by  was a Tough grind. During a typical afternoon Ryun would run As Many as10 Quarter Miles at 70 seconds followed by weightlifting then 10 More Quarter sat 68 seconds. More calisthenic four More quarters this time at 66 seconds a mile jog and 15 minutes swimming rounded out the daily ritual of Strai Timmons worked up for his protege. The idea was to build stamina to keep stretching the fatigue Barrier. Results of the program were startling. At 16in the summer of 1963ryun completed the fastest double in Kansas prep Liis Ory a 4 08.2 mile and 1 54.2 half. At the end of Jim s Junior year at continual on Puyol Page 15