National Distance Running Hall of Fame Inducts 6th Class

July 12, 2003 (Utica, New York) – The Stanley Performing Arts Center was host to the 6th induction ceremony of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 12 at 5pm, an event that attracted more than 2,000 people, as three nationally esteemed athletes were inducted, and three awards were bestowed upon athletes that have profoundly impacted the running world.

After welcoming honored guests and runners, Master of Ceremonies, Larry Rawson, ESPN Emmy Award Track/Field & Marathon commentator, encouraged high school track and cross country athletes by guiding them to the secret to success by “doing common things uncommonly well.” Over sixty young athletes proudly took the stage as “spectators” throughout the entire ceremony in the Hall of Fame’s grand “Finish Line in the City” staging theme. Before presenting Mary Slaney with her induction award, Geoff Hollister, former Vice President of NIKE, Inc., thanked the young people for choosing running as their sport.

The Class of 2003 honored during the ceremony was not graduating from high school or college, but rather consisted of three running legends, Jim Ryun, Mary Decker Slaney and George Young, all inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame this year.

“He was the equivalent of a Marine Corp drill instructor…he was hard as nails,” said Larry Rawson of George Young. As presenter for Young’s induction, Billy Mills, Hall of Fame Class of 1999, asked, “How do you introduce one of your mentors, heroes and one of your friends? You have to be ready to go on a journey of your soul because he (Young) challenged every bit of your inner being. He is a gentle human being…to watch him is to admire him.”

Although Jim Ryun was unable to attend the ceremony he was able to tape his speech and gave credit to his former coach. “He gave me dreams and goals that I never thought of before…he thought I could be the national high school record holder in the mile, even though I had only completed my fourth high school race.”

Hollister recalled the vision the late Steve Prefontaine saw in Slaney as “Pre” once promised Hollister that she would be the next great one. Hollister ended by saying “beyond the braces and pigtails he (Prefontaine) offered words to help her believe in herself.”

Several award presentations accompanied the inductions, and after brief biographical movie segments were shown, presenters nostalgically spoke about the recipients, sharing tidbits of their relationships with the people for whom the awards were given. Recipients were nominated and selected based on a number of criteria. The awards and recipients were:

Bill Bowerman Award: Dr. Ken Foreman

George Sheehan Award: George Hirsch

Suzy Komen Award: Judy Pickett

In his acceptance speech, Foreman inspired the audience by giving credit to his former athletes. “The real reason I am here today is because of the thousands of boys and girls that were all worthy of my time and energy…they are the real reason for this Bill Bowerman Award and I humbly accept this in their honor.”

The induction ceremony was one of a number of events going on during this National Distance Running Hall of Fame Weekend, and was a kick-off to the nation’s largest 15K, the Utica Boilermaker road race that begins at 8am tomorrow morning.

The first 2,000 guests that entered the doors at the Stanley on Saturday afternoon received a Hall of Fame Weekend commemorative poster, highlighting the Hall’s Class of 2003 and Hall of Fame Weekend’s crown jewel, the Boilermaker Road Race, designed by artist Andrew J. Yelenak, New Haven, CT, whose work has captured events such as the Boston, New York, and Hartford Marathons.